Praying for one minute with someone, even by phone

Praying with someone means crossing a small barrier: you don't dare suggest it, you fear the awkwardness, you tell yourself it isn't the right time. This quest lowers the barrier as far as it will go: just one minute, with a loved one, even from a distance. A call, a voice message, a bit of a conversation are enough.

What it looks like in your day

Choose the person. A spouse, a friend, a parent, a believing colleague, a brother or sister from church. Someone with whom the suggestion won't feel too strange.

Find the moment. At the end of a call, after a confidence, before saying goodbye. “Before we hang up, would you like us to pray for a minute about that?”

Keep it very short. One minute is three or four sentences. A thanksgiving, a request, an “Amen”. No long preparation.

An example. “Lord, thank you for this call. You know Peter's interview tomorrow: give him calm. Thank you for being with us. Amen.”

Suggest without insisting. “If it makes you uncomfortable, it's no big deal.” Many people appreciate the offer, including those who wouldn't dare to make it.

Pray from a distance. By phone, prayer is often easier: you aren't face to face, you can close your eyes. You can also send a thirty-second voice message, or a written prayer.

If you are short on time, only do the end-of-call prayer. If you are shy, you can ask the other person to pray first, or offer to do it yourself. If the person isn't comfortable, say: “I'll pray for you later,” and do it.

What the Bible says

Jesus gives a promise to those who gather:

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”: the number matters little, the name does. One minute with one person is a real gathering. In the book of Acts, when Peter gets out of prison, he goes to a house where many people are gathered and praying:

“And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.”

Praying together was part of the life of the early Church: in a house, among friends, in times of danger. And Paul often asks, “Brethren, pray for us” (1 Thessalonians 5:25): he didn't pray alone, he asked for help.

Pitfalls to avoid

Dragging it out. One minute stays one minute. If you go on and on, you risk making the other person uncomfortable. Those who want to pray longer will say so.

Imposing your way of praying. Leave the person free to react as they wish: silence, “Amen”, a simple word.

Praying to correct. “Lord, help Paul understand that he has to change.” Avoid it: pray for the other person, not against what they are doing.

Using prayer to avoid conversation. “Let's pray” doesn't replace listening. Listen first, pray afterwards.

Getting discouraged by a refusal. If someone declines, thank them for being honest. Offer again at another time, or pray for them on your own.

Today, ask a loved one to pray for one minute with you, in person or by phone.