Do Christians generally pick-up the phone and have a ring around before bedtime to make sure it's OK to pray for someone?

First, there is no "generally" about Christians, and that is part of the problem. Each person grows in the faith in their own way and time, and along whatever lines of development "happen."

Second, if it is painfully borne upon one that one mustn't pray without asking first, that person is going to be biased toward asking, whether it's appropriate or not.

Third, I know personally of Mudcat relationships that have been based upon respect in these areas across incredible distances of perspective at various times. To err on the side of what one perceives to be respectful self-restraint does not necessarily mean one is showing off or proselytizing. It may mean one is doing the best one can at that particular moment and to the degree of one's best understanding on that particular day.


It's too bad [most] Mudcat discussion on this topic degenerate into sloppy dismissals of fellow human beings. Being human is much more complicated than an online discussion can usually reflect accurately. On this topic we tend more to reflect our own, individual, carefully-hoarded upsets with an unhealthy does of judgmentalism.

It's tiresome for this to keep occurring between friends, innit?

~Susan