There's nothing quite as special as getting a card in the mail from a friend.  Even though I was raised in the thicket of the so-called Information Age, getting an e-card on your BlackBerry or iPhone just isn't the same.  I'm talking about paper, pen, and postage stamps: the good stuff.  It doesn't seem to matter how old we get, there is still something special about reaching into that mailbox and finding an envelope with familiar handwriting on it.  It's like getting 11 TimBits when you ordered 10, except it feels better than that.  Regardless of how you happen to feel about that person, the fact that they sent you a "Thinking of You" card does wonders for your friendship.

I'm so glad this has happened to me on numerous occasions.  One that stands out is while I was at college in Lynchburg, Virginia, my uncle sent me a card saying just that: God brought my name to the forefront of his mind on one particular day and so he wrote to me, telling me that he was praying for me at school.  It was totally unexpected - out of the blue - and he didn't have an agenda; he just wanted me to know that he was mindful of me in his prayers.  It meant a lot to me.

I could give a dozen more examples like that, but the point is, that there's something powerful about prayer.  Brilliant, I know.  But to hear that a friend is thinking of you and going to God on your behalf - that is a feeling that the world cannot replicate.  For Moses, he watched Pharaoh's sorcerers replicate some of the plagues - the snakes, the blood-water - but he knew they could not replicate that moment he spent with God at the burning bush.  There's something about the presence of God that is so unlike this world, and there's no comfort quite like hearing that a friend is mentioning your name in God's presence.  

Paul understood that very well.  He penned half of the New Testament (13 of the 27 books), many of which were written to various churches and consequently, he was very in tune with the believers all across the Mediterranean.  He had contacts in Colosse, Ephesus, Thessalonica, and Rome - just to name a few.  As one of the Apostles, the early Christians hung on to every word that he wrote or said.  And although his letters are filled to the brim with theological content and instruction on the Christian life, there is one element that should not be overlooked.  He told his readers that he was praying for them. 

In fact, of those 13 books, 10 include at least one direct reference (sometimes more) to the fact that Paul was praying for them.  Yes, Paul - the first and arguably greatest missionary in the Church's history - was praying for them.  What if you found out Billy Graham or John Piper prayed for you this morning?  Not that their prayers are any more valuable than yours or mine, but rather that these men of God who have busy, busy schedules took time out of their day to mention you by name.  That would probably knock your socks off, I would imagine.  And that is the case in Paul's letters; he makes it a point to tell his readers that he's praying for them (if you are a Scripture reference junkie, knock yourself out here: Rom. 1:8; 1 Cor. 1:4; 2 Cor. 13:9; Eph. 1:15-16; Phil. 1:3-4; Col. 1:3; 1 Thess. 1:2; 2 Thess. 1:3; 2 Tim. 1:3; Philemon 1:4).  

Every time, it is something to this effect: "Every time I think of you, I pray for you" or, "I do not cease praying for you, making mention of you when I pray."  Consider how these words would be like drops of honey for the churches that received a letter from Paul.  He's praying for them!  Like that note that you received in the mail, imagine how their hearts were refreshed when they saw Paul's handwriting, and then to hear that he's mentioning them in his prayers.  You can't replicate that feeling anywhere else.

And so I encourage you to do something, to do me a favor (I think you owed me one?): write someone a note today, letting them know you're thinking of them and you mentioned their name while you were praying.  Or, get on the phone and talk to a friend telling them that you have not stopped praying for them lately.  But there's a catch: you actually have to do it.  You really have to pray for them!  Don't worry, though, I think (know) you can handle it.  It's amazing how powerful your prayers can be (look up James 5:16).

Along the same lines, I had a teacher in high school at Christian Central Academy who - if any student was feeling down or walking through a valley - would always say, "Let's pray right now. Let's not put it off." She didn't say to us, "Oh, I'll be praying for you."  Instead, she really did it!  So, the next time a friend or someone special to you asks you to pray for them (or tells you that they're troubled about something), don't tell them, "Well, I'll be sure to pray for you"; instead, pray for them right now, because there's no better way for you to tell them that you really care, than to mention their name in God's presence.

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