“Is prayer offensive? Well, it all depends.” I swiped this from Jeff Randall who writes for Thinking Critically. He’s not so much offended by prayer, but the way it’s sometimes offered. Here’s a few examples:

1. If you pray instead of giving money or time or in some way taking action, it’s a cop-out.
2. If it’s a response to an argument or debate, such as, “I’ll pray for your soul,” that’s condescending.
3. When you pray for the death of another person, even when you think they deserve it, that’s criminal.

Prayer is a power, not unlike the power we give our elected officials. Not even a prayer is immune from corruption and pork belly spending. Pray carefully and be mindful not to abuse the power you are given. Good intentions, like prayer, are not always enough.

Action Verbs

Give me more than good intentions.
Put wings on my prayers.
Help me get past, "I feel your pain,"
to, "Let's build a well for your village."
Help me be an agent of change
and keeper of peace at the same time.
Instead of my saying,
"What's this world coming to?"
Take me farther:
"What can I do to make it right?"
Make my life a testament to Your grace
as I leave my comfort zone
to go where the need is.
Bless me as I forge into the world to serve.
Transform my passive empathy
into passionate action.

- Ruth Williams