In his book “The Church That Never Sleeps,” Matthew Barnett tells the story of the birth of the Dream Center in Los Angeles, California. There’s a line in this book that I’ve heard Matthew and his dad, Tommy, state lots of times, “Find a need and fill it, find a hurt and heal it.” I love that challenge. In fact I have adopted it as my life goal.
Earlier this year I went away for a couple of days to pray and get direction for the new year. One of the things I kept sensing God speak to me was “Do what you know to do.” Since then, I’ve discovered that God invites me everyday to find a need and fill it, find a hurt and heal it. Every time that happens I am faced with the choice of action or non-action, to do or not do what I know to do. In the past, when confronted with a need, I’ve told myself that I needed to pray about it before I responded to it. But I’ve learned that this can be a “spiritual” copout, a way of avoiding the issue until the need right there in front of me, passes in the amount of time it takes me to “pray about it.” Some things you don’t have to pray about, you just know what you’re supposed to do, and you should do it. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the sick and wounded, etc.
Yesterday, I was faced with a need that needed to be filled, a drastically painful hurt that needed to be healed and my entire family stepped up to respond. I could have taken the time to pray about it, and in fact I did. “God what do I do?” Almost immediately I felt I had my answer, “You know what to do, DO IT!” Had I waited even one hour, someone’s life could have been drastically affected forever. I hope to share the entire story with you in a few days, but the details will have to wait at this point because of the sensitivity of the issue. But for now we wait and trust that God will use us to be a positive change in someone else’s life.
As you go about your day to day you will be faced with opportunities to find a need and to fill it. To find a hurt and heal it. Sometimes, its necessary to pray – “God what do I do?” However, there will be more times that you just do what you have to do. So as I pray today for our family and the situation we have stumbled upon, I’m praying for you too. That you will have wisdom and courage to do what you have to do today.
And in the words of an entirely dated Nike commercial – “just do it.”
14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what goodb is that? 17So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. – James 2:14-17
B E H I N D / T H E / B A R 
You are so right in your statements. We use the cop-out “let me pray about it first.” It may too late to pray. When The Holy Spirit gives us the green light, we had better take action. Amen to your post and I join in prayer for this situation — all will be done as the Father would have you do.