One
of the biggest draws to social media is its instantaneous
feature. With Instagram, a photo can be seen by hundreds of people just within
seconds of taking it; people can respond and comment online about something
that literally happened within the minute. The instant part of Instagram has many benefits that can also be seen
as downsides depending on the situation. However, within the Christian
community when it comes to prayer, there are many upsides to this feature.
Instagram knows no geographical barrier, and it serves as a way to connect
people over a span of continents. It also can spread information very quickly,
allowing instant feedback.
In my observations this week, I came upon
three examples of religion being lived out through Instagram. One post was a
picture of a women getting ready to go into the delivery room. Another was a
picture of a girl sitting on an airplane. The last one was a picture of papers
and books surrounding a laptop and a cup of coffee. What do these three pictures
have in common? Prayer.
In the first picture, a very pregnant
woman is laying in a hospital bed with sweat dripping down her forehead. The
caption reads, “IT’S TIME. Please be praying!” Within just a few minutes,
multitudes of people had liked this picture and were commenting with
encouraging words. People all over the country had been following this woman’s
story: she was about to give birth to her baby girl that was going to be born
without a fully developed brain and was not expected to live longer than a few
hours. Through this post, her followers were able to know that she was about to
enter the delivery room and pray for her instantly and continually throughout
the process.
In the second picture, a girl in her
lower twenty’s was sitting in her airplane seat. The caption read, “Shameless
selfie- Africa, here I come! Prayers would be appreciated.” Once again, it took
only minutes for the likes and comments to come flooding in. Encouraging words
were posted as this girl embarked on her journey to the Middle East during a
time when there had been Al-Qaida threats surrounding her destination. In just
minutes, people worldwide were covering this user in immediate prayer as she
was stepping into a dangerous situation.
The third picture displayed a mess of
papers and books all sitting next to a laptop and cup of coffee with a caption
that said, “LSAT today! Pray for a miracle.” Within just a few minutes, many
comments were made wishing this user luck and saying that they were praying. This
is another example of how a user used Instagram in hopes to involve his
followers in praying for him as he struggled through last minute studying for a
make-it-or-break-it exam.
In all three instances, the user is about
to enter into a vulnerable position where they feel they need help beyond
themselves. By posting something and asking for prayer on Instagram, their
established online community was able to instantly respond and engage in
praying over that person and situation. The users were able to inform their
followers of what was going on in their lives at that moment and allowed them
to be encouraged by the responses of prayer. Being able to share information
instantly is a benefit when you are in need of prayer. This is yet another way
that Christians use Instagram as a part of their daily devotional. Having now
seen and analyzed examples dealing with bible verses and prayer, and I am looking
forward to observing other ways that Christians live out their religion via
Instagram.
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