I like NASCAR and Sunday was a big day for race fans. Dario Franchitti won his third Indy 500 and Kasey Kahne won NASCAR’s longest race, the Coca-Cola 600. While surfing for stories about the two races, I came across some photographs of Franchitti and his wife, actress Ashley Judd (a big time UK fan…go Big Blue), celebrating his historic win. What caught my attention was the pure joy evident on her face (check out the links below for photographs).

I thought to myself, “That’s great! I’m glad they seem to have a good relationship and she is proud of him.” There are so many struggling marriages in today’s world. Whenever I see a couple who appear happy, I rejoice.

Then it occurred to me to pray for them. So I did. But I prayed for more than their marriage. I prayed for their salvation. I don’t know them or anything about their relationship with Jesus Christ, but I prayed the Holy Spirit would draw them to Jesus. I prayed God would bring into their lives people who would be a witness to them for Jesus.

In recent years I’ve been convicted by the Holy Spirit that instead of always bashing famous people, I should pray for them and their relationship with Jesus. After all…they’re created in God’s image just like me. Jesus died for them and loves them too. They are people with feelings and needs just like the rest of us.

Jesus said a lot about loving other people, including our enemies. Famous people are not our enemies. We don’t even know them, yet we often don’t love them as Jesus commanded us to do. Praying for them is changing me. Maybe God will use it to change you in some positive ways. Try it…you might discover the change is good. I believe when we pray for famous people we are actually acting like God’s people. And maybe one day in heaven, we’ll discover that God answered one of those prayers. Now that would be more exciting than winning a big time race.

Pastor Steve Hogg