I don’t know exactly where I picked this up, but I have attempted to make it a common part of our family. I am thinking that this may have been passed down to us from Caryl’s parents but I am not sure. I like to send our guests, friends and especially family members off from our home with a word of prayer. It has been a special time. This week I came across a verse where the Apostle Paul modeled this for us.
The older I get the more I value relationships and times together. It is always sad when, after the time has passed so quickly, we have to say goodbye. The Apostle Paul faced the same situation in his life. Luke records for us in Acts 21 the Apostle Paul’s last journey to Jerusalem. It was his Farwell tour in many respects because the Holy Spirit kept reminding Paul that there would be trouble. “And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.” (Acts 21:4) This particular verse does not give us the specifics of the difficulty but some of the other accounts do reveal that Paul would be bound referring to his pending arrested.
This does bring up one question, “Why did Paul go to Jerusalem if he know there would be conflict?” The quick answer is that it was God’s will. The Spirit did reveal this to other believers but I believe that it was their personal interpretation that motivated them to encourage him to not go to Jerusalem.
What stood out to me was how Paul spent time praying with those that he met with on this multi-stop route to Jerusalem. The account in Acts 21 involves a meeting with a group of leaders from the church in Cyprus. The stop to accommodate the unloading of the ship lasted a week and Paul spent the time with the believers there. Paul’s prayer before he left reminded me of the importance of praying with those that we visit and that visit us. We read, “When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.” (Acts 21:5–6)
I am old enough to remember some special times of prayers at SeaTac airport with departing family and also for church missionaries heading back to the mission field. I can remember filling the departing gate to send off those special people in our lives. Caryl and I experienced that personally on a short term trip to India. Those times are special memories. The same is true of those times spent sending off friends and family from our home. What I like about these few minutes together is that it puts our focus upon the Lord. It is not easy to see friends, and especially family, head out but being reminded that they are in the Lord’s hand does make it easier. It also reminds us and the departed that they are loved. We also never know the testimony that it might be to those on the receiving end.
How about you? Do you take time to pray for your guest, family and friends when they depart? If not, let me encourage you to give it a try.
-Pastor Joe Parkinson