"Dear father, I pray that you would bless and protect Britney Spears wherever she may be. May you lead her back into a right relationship with you. And help her to remember that you are the friend that sticks closer than a brother, and she needs no other."This was my prayer one Sunday morning. I decided to bring my concerns for Britney Spears to the altar after hearing a powerful sermon in my bible study the day before: As the preacher reflected on the tragedy of Anna Nicole Smith's death, she asked us if we had interceded for her. She asked us that after watching this young woman's life, the death of her son, the birth of her child and then her untimely death--did we ever once pray for her in the midst of it all?
I was in complete shock and at first a bit disgusted, because I had never considered that an option. Sure I pray for people who I don't know personally. But a celebrity who I'll never know? What a foreign concept.
I struggled with the thought all day long that Saturday, and then I stumbled upon my first confirmation that prayer for celebrities is warranted: Mark Seder recently wrote a piece in New York magazine titled "Britney Spears, Outsider Artist" where he said "Will she OD or commit suicide like Monroe? Will she have a Grand Guignol death like the fat-obsessed Anna Nicole Smith?"
These are serious questions that I believe deserve more than the empty rhetoric of celebrity observers. I realized that just asking these questions without action could (in a way) result in the blood of another on my hands. Gone are the days when I could be satisfied with having round table chats about the tragedy of Britney's life--or any other celebrity's life--without having a corresponding action. It seems unfair and unproductive to sit in the audience and not do an earthly--or heavenly--thing.
I received my second confirmation later on that evening when a friend told me that she prays for celebrities, and she takes that responsibility seriously. "I prayed hard for Jessica and Nick, I even cried for them," she said. It was then that I realized that praying for celebrities wasn't so weird after all. And thus, the ministry of praying for celebrities was activated--starting with Britney.
The first prayer I did for her on that Saturday evening was difficult to get through without much pausing and doubt. But by Sunday morning I was able to get through the prayer straight-faced and serious about the intent with which it was sent. It is my hope that my subsequent prayers will roll off my tongue as easily as do prayers for my own family and friends. Next battle to conquer: Reading celebrity tabloids.
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Hi Family, I will pray for jassie,for freedom of bondage from her addiction,anything that's keeping her from being free, in her relationship to herself and to the source of her life who is Jesus our Lord and savior.
LOVE FOREVER,
Verland
I agree that churches should not be media oriented. However, I do not think believeers can reject or ignore what the media portrays. And, I do not think that position prohibits believers from praying for media figures; including infamous people, nameless people, groups/nations of people, future generations of people, etc. I've heard it said that Christians should read the paper in addition to the Bible. At first, I did not acceopt that idea, until I thought, how could God lead me to give to missions, pray for leaders with whom I am unfamiliar, or exercise God given discernment in "worldly affairs?" Doing any of these things would be difficult without the media. So, if the stars are your thing, go for it. That is, pray for 'em. But we should not reject the media simply because it is often used a tool to advance worldly endeavors.
i pray for crista flanagan, whose one of the cast members on mad tv. for some reason i feel such a burden for her, and i'd appreciate anyone else who says a prayer for her to find the lord.
I think it's awesome that you're praying for Britney Spears, she really is a great singer, but some of her music is negative, I think. It seems like she's gone through so much with her children, her divorce, and how she's become "big" again, and I really hope God will open her eyes. I'm also praying for some celebrities too. Eminem, yeah it might sound crazy considering his whole image, but he calls himself a Christian and I think he should start acting like one. I believe he's going to give up rapping and though it would be a stop to all the negative rhymes and such, it's also the stop of his dream. He influences so many people, young people to be exact, but if he just changed his ways to the Lord, then he would influence people in a good way. So I just pray he'll go back to God. I'm also praying for a band that some people might now know, but they're getting big and that's Tokio Hotel. The twins in the band don't believe in God, though one of them, the leadsinger, does believe in spirituality. In an interview they said they'd want to live forever, and they don't even know that they can because they don't know Christ. They're influencing alot of people from Germany to Spain to Tokyo to in the US. They have some good music, I haven't heard any cussing in any of the song lyrics, but though the music I've listened to by them has usually been positive, it seems as though the band itself is negative or has negative views on things and I hope they'll find Christ because they're rocking... but just not for God. So just pray for the lot because you never know, tomorrow might be too late. Yeah, it might be crazy to be praying for people I don't even know and have only heard of from magazines, television or the radio, but millions are affected by them, just like millions were affected by Michael Jackson :(. God bless!
I think we need to keep praying for Britney. It's good that she seems to have come out of that really bad period, but I still feel to keep praying for her. A lot of her recent music is very sexual in its content, and I really believe that God has better for her than this!
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