I heard this suggestion by a priest who makes a point, before praying over the food in a restaurant, to ask the server if they have a prayer need. So I have started doing that regularly when we go out to eat. I ask the server their name and explain that we would like to pray for them, do they have a specific prayer need? If not, I suggest a prayer for God’s blessing of love and peace.

Saturday, we were at lunch and I asked our server if he had a need, he thought about it almost ready to say no but then asked our prayer for his family to move back in the area as they were out of state. His dad had taken a job and it was time for him to bring his family back but the details needed to be worked out. The server told us how important family was to him. I explained how our Catholic faith in God brought us into that perfect relationship of love with God our Father. I gave him an invitation to visit our church anytime.  Josh really appreciated the prayer and the conversation as he did not have anyone to bring up God to him. It was a short interaction, positive and prayerfully effective with God’s grace.

Be prepared at any moment for God to guide us in listening for someone’s felt need and offer prayer!