Stop, Drop and Pray

Have you ever been asked to pray for someone and then forgot? A simple fire safety technique can help us always remember to pray for others in need.

As a child, I was taught that if I found myself on fire, I should remember these three simple steps: stop, drop and roll. A modified version of these instructions have helped me to remember to follow through on prayer requests I hear or read about: Stop, drop and pray.

Let’s look at each part of this.

Stop

Fire instructions: The person on fire must stop moving, so he or she doesn’t fan the flames or obstruct those trying to help put out the fire.

When we are asked to pray for others, we can stop whatever we are doing at that moment and do our part in assisting someone who needs help extinguishing a physical or spiritual fire. By praying immediately, we are demonstrating our concern for others and showing God there is an urgent request we need to make on someone’s behalf.  

Drop

Fire instructions: The person on fire must drop to the ground and cover his or her face.

Where you are when you stop determines how you drop. Dropping our heads or falling to our knees expresses respect for our Creator as we ask for His intervention. In public it may be difficult to find a place to be alone. One solution is to briefly turn away from the crowd while we pray. If we are working, we can drop our head at our desk while we pray to our Father. This may only be for a moment until we are alone and can kneel before God and pray in greater detail. The important thing is that we have prayed to God about the issue and not forgotten.  

Pray

Fire instructions for roll: The person on fire must roll on the ground to deprive the fire of oxygen.

When we hear of needs, we can go to God immediately in prayer, having faith that He will hear and intervene. Whether it is a short or a lengthy prayer is not important; the most important thing is that we take the time to bring our concerns to God. Our prayers demonstrate and strengthen our faith. When we petition God on behalf of someone else, He is able to stop the flames—He can remove the obstacle, heal the health issue or take care of whatever might be the problem.

Problem resolved

James 5:16 teaches us that “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” David shows us that God gives our prayers immediate attention: “In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even into His ears” (Psalm 18:6).

We can be assured that God hears our prayers and the prayers of others who pray for us. That’s one reason we are instructed to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Praying for others, especially when an urgent matter arises, is one way to put this scripture into practice.

So, when urgent needs arise, don’t forget to stop, drop and pray!

To learn more about praying for others, read “Intercessory Prayer: How Does God Want Us to Pray for Others?”