As a brief follow-up to my last post about the Prayer Menu at Captain Chuck-A-Muck’s, I wanted to share with you a practice that some of my friends regularly engage in when they are eating out at a full-service restaurant.  After the drinks have been ordered or brought to the table, they will say to the server, “My friends and I are going to be praying in just a minute and giving thanks for our food.  Is there anything that you would like for us to pray about for you?”  The question is brief, simple, and non-threatening.  Here’s the cool thing.  Every time the question has been asked, the server has responded with extreme gratitude and has shared one or more prayer requests with us.  No one has ever acted offended or insulted.  A brief conversation normally follows, and before we leave we assure them that we honored their request in prayer to the Father.   

Most recently this happened when my friend, fellow minister, and uber-evangelist Mike Crosby was visiting from Garland, Texas, to speak in our Wednesday Summer Series at the Broken Arrow church.  Since Mike was staying overnight, we had the opportunity to share two meals together while he was here.  At each meal, Mike asked the server if there was anything that they wanted us to pray about.  A young man asked us to pray for his mother who was under hospice care for cancer.  A young lady asked us to pray about a strained relationship in her life.  On both occasions I was able to give them a business card and let them know a little bit about the church.   

A small gesture to be sure, but one that can demonstrate genuine concern and compassion for others and provide an opportunity to speak a good word for Jesus.