Stop, Drop, and Pray

Years ago, there was a public service commercial featuring the famous comedic actor, Dick Van Dyke. Although the catch phrase was memorable, the message was a serious one: There’s a simple thing you can do to save your life if your clothing or hair catch fire—stop, drop, and roll. As Christians, we can use a modified version of the same advice when we find our situation “in flames.”

Sometimes, we get so overwhelmed with things to do we just don’t know where to start. And there are times when we find ourselves in such an arduous predicament—we don’t know what to do at all. When everything around us seems to be blowing up, it’s time to stop, drop, and pray.

If you look up the “stop, drop, and roll” method in the Wikipedia, it outlines the basics for a fire emergency. Here’s how the modified method works for life emergencies:

Stop. Psalm 46:10 begins with, “Be still, and know that I am God.” We need to take a pause in our situation to acknowledge the Lord, above anything else that’s going on.

Drop. While we can talk to God any time and anywhere (in the shower, in the car, walking around the park), there are times when we truly need to get down on our knees. It’s a small show of humility and sacrifice that shows the Lord that we are putting aside everything for our time with Him.

Pray. As children of God, the power of prayer cannot be underestimated. Philippians 4:6 tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” That simple instruction is followed by a promise in the next verse, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

When we stop, drop, and pray, God promises to douse our flames with peace and surround us with the healing protection of His son, Jesus. This is a public service announcement from your friends at VOCAB, LLC.

When the fires of life come my way, I am prepared to “stop, drop and pray!”