A few times a year I call friends and family just to see how they are. Recently I called an old friend and he told me he had been through a really hard time: trouble at work, health problems, and tests in his family, all at once.

I wished I had known sooner. He asked for prayers and support, and at that moment that was most of what I could give him.

Afterwards I kept thinking about how many people in my community hold devotionals. Any of them would have prayed for him. Some would have called him, or dropped off a meal. They never heard about it.

39% of respondents feel the greatest sense of belonging when their colleagues check in with them, both personally and professionally.

I think that was a missed opportunity, and a common one. The gatherings were already happening and the people in them already cared. What was missing was a way for his need to reach them, and for the news of how it went to come back.

That is what the list and the read-aloud sheet in PrayerAsks are for.