Stranger Prayers

Even though my personal faith didn’t solidify until my early twenties, belief and prayer, specifically to Jesus, were always a part of my life.

It became a practice, almost an instinct, to pray for people in ambulances. Whenever I heard that distinct siren, a prayer would go out – for the person inside, for their destination, for the drivers and EMTs, and for their worried family.

Prayer, of course, isn’t exclusive to Christianity. It holds a significant place in all faiths. And it's true that even those who identify as agnostic or atheist often turn to prayer when all other options seem exhausted. For some, it's simply a reaching out, a hope that something larger might intervene.

This isn't an exploration into the complexities of answered prayers, unanswered prayers, or the space in between. While I could delve into that, it’s not the focus here. (For insightful perspectives on this topic, I recommend checking out Andy Stanley's work.)

The fundamental point is this: almost everyone prays at some point in their lives.

And perhaps, like me, some of you find yourselves praying for strangers.

Strangers in the back of ambulances, those asking for food or money on a street corner, individuals walking by carrying what appears to be their entire world in a garbage bag.

In the late winter of 1989, I found myself stuck in an unusually long line of cars, waiting to turn left on a particularly slow-moving road. Suddenly, I saw an ambulance approaching from the very direction I intended to go.

Instantly, a prayer for that unknown "stranger" escaped my lips.

Then, a chilling feeling washed over me. My fiancé often drove this route around this time. No. That’s impossible! It can’t be! Stop thinking like that! As I finally made my turn and drove a few hundred feet further, to make another left, there it was. My wife’s brand new Nissan 240SX Sports car, the front end completely smashed.

Immediate panic seized me. I pulled over and was told she had been taken to Polyclinic in Harrisburg, the closest hospital.

While she thankfully made a full recovery – praise Jesus! – she had suffered a collapsed lung and significant bruising. Not ideal, but infinitely better than what could have happened. The car was totaled, but Amy was spared.

So, the next time you see an ambulance or any emergency vehicle, please consider sending out a prayer, regardless of your beliefs.

It costs nothing, but it could mean everything. Especially if, unexpectedly, you find yourself praying for someone you deeply love.