When You Start Praying For Underwear
You’re getting ready for bed. As you think back over the day, your mind runs back to the moment when you were getting dressed that morning. Suddenly, you realize what you did. You prayed for underwear! From the bottom of your heart. Not because you were too busy to buy them. Not because you were too cheap to spend ten bucks on a package of Hanes. Not because you can’t afford twenty dollars per pair at a boutique. But because you literally didn’t have any money beyond your bills. And because your underwear — Well, let’s just say that, by the looks of your underwear, you must have three legs. You further realize you got to this point because you took a risk. You decided to step out by faith and do something you were certain God had called you to do.
How do you respond in that moment?
In Christian circles, we talk a lot about living by faith. We expect our missionaries and pastors to live by faith. It’s part of the job, right? But how many people actually know what it means to live by praying-for-underwear faith? Do we trust God to that extent?
I recently spent an evening with a family preparing to serve as missionaries. When no one else was listening, the husband asked in hushed tones, “How did you raise support when you were in Russia?”
I haven’t told many people that story until recently, but I felt it was important to tell him. I went to Russia almost straight out of high school. Except for one furlough, I was never in the U.S. more than 3–4 consecutive months. Raising support in the usual sense wasn’t an option. The Internet was a new thing. (Anybody sending emails was super cool!) Faxes and phone calls were ridiculously expensive. Because of all this, the ministry I worked with covered my room and board. I was responsible for everything else.
My support during those ten years was between $150 — $350 per month. From this, I set aside money for tithe, airfare, and visas. I generally set my personal spending budget between $20-$90 per month, depending on what was coming in at the time. This had to cover transportation, personal hygiene, personal ministry expenses, clothing, shoes, etc. It wasn’t easy, but God always provided.
“It was a good training ground,” I said as I finished my story. And it was. In America we focus on getting good deals, clipping coupons, and finding ways to spend less. In Russia, I learned not to spend. I learned to trust God for what I needed, commit my wants and desires to Him, and to only spend what I HAD on what was absolutely necessary.
Underwear is kind of necessary.
My Underwear Prayer
Believe it or not, my underwear prayer didn’t come while I was in Russia. It came during another time of ministry. When I realized I’d prayed for underwear, I laughed. Who prays for underwear! I mean really! People pray for big things like a new job or healing from cancer. Me? I’m praying for underwear. I also laughed because I saw unexpected beauty in the situation and that brought joy.
When we start praying for underwear (or rice, or flour, or gas, or tires, etc.):
1. We Identify with Christ in a New Way
Jesus laid aside everything for us. EVERYTHING. When we’re “praying for underwear,” we’re as dependent upon the Father as Christ was. In Matthew 8, a scribe declared that he would follow Jesus anywhere. Jesus responded: “…The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20) Life wouldn’t always be comfortable following Jesus. Sadly, the passage implies that he didn’t go with Jesus. How would we respond in his place? Would we go? Are we willing to follow Christ even if it means praying for underwear?
2. We can Rejoice in Our Necessities
Wait. What? Is that right? Yes. The Apostle Paul included necessities in a list of things in which he “took pleasure.” The list also included infirmities and persecutions for the cause of Christ. Why? Because when he was weak then he was strong. How does that work? Grace. God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. When we “glory” in our infirmities His power becomes active and evident in our lives. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
3. We can Rejoice because He is who He Is and Does as He has Promised
There’s something about dependable people. People who consistently behave in a certain way because that’s who they are. But even the most dependable among us fluctuates. God does not. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) He promised never to leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) He promised to supply all our needs. (Philippians 4:19) That is cause for rejoicing.
4. We can Walk in Confidence
When we know these things about God, we can walk in confidence rather than fear — Even when we’re praying for underwear. The more opportunities we’ve had to see God prove Himself the greater our confidence.
5. Rejoice in His Provision
We may not have a package of underwear in our hands ten seconds after we pray for them. It might be days, weeks even. But we know God will provide. Even before we see the provision, we can rejoice in the knowledge that it will come.
Am I saying every Christian needs to live on the brink of poverty so they can learn to trust God? No! Of course not. But what if we were just a little more daring in our exploits for Christ? What if we gave God the chance to prove Himself? We might discover more of who He is, and we might find joy.
How about you? Have you ever found yourself in a praying-for-underwear kind of situation? What did you learn about living by faith? How did God provide? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below or you can join in the conversation on Facebook. If you enjoyed this, please join me here for more articles on faith, fruitful living, and the writing journey.