Oshos Erua: Pledge to Pray For Your Friends

Death is inevitable and no matter the level of relationship with the deceased, the news always brings about some reflection about our lives. I was going to share what I had learnt this past week. The news about the Covenant University graduates who died recently got me thinking about how I feel whenever I hear the news of the death of young people. There are systems that are lacking in our society that can be averted; some of these unfortunate incidents and in the case of the beach, safety measures like the use of signs and rescue equipment could have been implemented to reduce the number of accidents. However, Nigerian safety laws do not help so much in promoting the enforcement of these basic laws.

It gets scary to put yourself in their shoes because to an extent we all sort of live the same kind of lives. We know the same people, go to the same places and engage in the same kind of activities; those girls could have been my friends but a part of me weirdly thanks God that I didn’t know them personally. I feel sad for my friends who put up pictures on their BBM/ social media pages of their close friends and family who die. I hate the feeling.

Yes it’s an inevitable part of life and I don’t have the power to enforce safety laws or stop every single person close to me from dying; I know the power of prayer especially when it’s an intercession.

Some years ago in secondary school, I got the news about the death of my cousin who was in her first year in University of Port-Harcourt and I broke down. I had never really felt so much hurt like that. It took some time for some of my friends to get me to put myself together. I think that was when I unconsciously made the decision. Somehow, today my defence against this hurtful feeling is praying for my friends and family.
I don’t keep in touch much and though I don’t remember to pray for them every day. As I hear more news of young people around me dying, I renew my pledge to always pray for them. It’s not that I am some Prophetess or ‘Abraham’ who will ask God for something and get it exactly as I want it, but it has become my defense.

I don’t want to ever put up a picture of any of my friends saying ‘Rest in Peace’, so the one thing I can try to do is pray that God protects them and keeps them from harm. I don’t want to ever mourn my friends/loved ones or attend a funeral of someone I know personally.

If you can, join me to make a pledge today to always pray for our friends at least once a week. We all have individual and family problems; you already pray for some, but include all of them today.
You can lay your hands over your phone where you have their pictures/ contact or mention some names as a point of contact to all of your friends and loved ones. Say a short prayer for their protection and God’s grace over their lives.  It does not automatically save them from impending danger, but God can save them because you prayed.
He says he will have mercy on those he will have mercy on; your prayer can make God intervene in the life of that dear friend at a crucial time of need.

Some of us already do pray; it’s not your fault if you were not available to pick up their last call so don’t blame yourself no matter what happens but your prayer will come up as a memorial and somehow you have that peace that at least you prayed and God knows best.

Let me end by paying respect to the late Stephen Keshi; may his soul Rest in Peace. I don’t pay much attention to football but I live with some raging football fans at home so I know a bit about him and his impact to Nigerian Football. The best we can do is make the most of everyday we have here.

Photo Credit: Dreamstime