Aside from the celebrity element of Tim Tebow's act of spiritual solidarity on a flight, one of the reasons why the story has become such a hot topic is that his reaction came across as so natural.
Most of us wouldn't hesitate to help someone on the street – the stranger whose shopping bag suddenly splits open with the groceries falling to the ground, or the child looking scared after being separated from his parents in the supermarket.
However, when it comes to helping people in public who are in need of our help in a spiritual sense, the enthusiasm to assist is often lacking.
In the case of a medical emergency on public transport, the first call is often: "Is there a doctor on board?" Those of us without any professional medical skills can feel helpless. So what can we do to help? Well, one thing we can do is pray.
We might not be able to get as physically close to those in need as Tebow, but we can call on God to help them draw closer to Him.
Imagine Tebow leaping up from his seat to offer his prayers. His passionate belief in the power of prayer is one that we can all develop and demonstrate. And it's a trait that will assist those who experience emergencies of any kind around us.
Here are three points to remember to increase our passion for spontaneous prayer:
Practice makes perfect
We'll never be able to make genuine life-changing prayer our default if we don't sincerely believe it has the power to work. And even if we do, the only way to prove this is through our actions.
For some Christians, the thought of offering prayer in public will cause them to squirm or it simply doesn't come to mind. And that's probably because they've never done it before. So why not start now? You don't necessarily have to do a Tebow, maybe start off by praying on your own the first few times and then offering prayer when you see a situation that could benefit from it.
Don't let imperfect settings put you off
What if someone objects? What if they're not Christian? If we always wait for the right time, we'll never take the plunge. There will always be lots of factors that you can use as an excuse not to pray, but you only need one reason to – God, and that never changes. He has the power to intervene in the situation, whether that means healing or giving hope. Our own insecurities shouldn't prevent others from experiencing the security He can bring.
Be prepared
We never know when someone might need us to pray for them. It would be such a shame if we weren't prepared when they asked for our prayer or accepted our prayer request. While we wouldn't know the specific needs of any given person until the circumstances arise, it helps to have a few short prayers stored up ready for sharing.
Sadly the passenger who collapsed on the flight has since passed away. Wherever you're reading this, I'm sure their family could do with your prayers right now.
