Who Prays for Them?

This post was actually written in October, 2010, but I'm editing it now for the sake of those who are as ministry-oriented as I have been over the years.  In light of the recent deaths of Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse, among other famous celebrity icons, I believe this is an important note to share.  I have even decided to edit it a little more to keep it relevant.

Who prays for them?  That question has often entered my mind every time I think about the different musicians I've read about, living or dead.  I think it really hit me when I heard that Brad Delp from Boston committed suicide a few years back.  It also hit me in a hard way when I heard of people like Ronnie James Dio, Peter Steele from Type O' Negative, Kevin DuBrow from Quiet Riot and Layne Staley from Alice in Chains just to name a few.  Even in the pop world, people like Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse find they will also face their eternity like many of the rock icons do.  There are others who have died needlessly over the years, but there's a thing that still remains long after these artists are long forgotten: "Who prays for them?"

Most people who know me know that I reminisce about the 80's a LOT!  It's in my nature, and it's a time for quirky music, the cheesy, the sleazy and the in-between.  It was also an era in time that the Church has not dealt well with the influences of certain artists.  Strange acronyms kept popping up likeKnights In Satan's Service for KISS, or Anti-Christ, Devil's Children for AC/DC.  Burning the records and backmasking also did some damage as well.  The church, in its ignorance was doing its best to purge the Body from the evil influences of rock music, and the opposite effect would happen.  Kids would buy more records, and artists would feed off the ignorance of many Christians by feeding off the silly acronyms.  What the heck?  It just made them much bigger, and it sold more records!

Imagine what less damage would've been done had we prayed for the artists in question than all this ridiculous hubbub.  John Lennon wanted to imagine there was "no heaven, no hell...people living for today, etc."  Did anyone ever think to pray for him before that fateful day in December, 1980?  Did anyone care to pray for Bon Scott of AC/CD before he met his Maker?  Who prayed for Ozzy when he was steeped in drug addiction?  Even in the more "tame" versions of music, who prayed for Whitney Houston, who although raised in church, eventually succumbed to drug addiction?  All our efforts in the church have developed into no more than showy, outside indignation, all the while, too many souls are hellbound because we don't bother to touch these lost souls who are obviously infuencing people.  Their music spoke to many people who needed someone they could relate to.  It's not that hard to figure out when you're dealing with many things.  Musicians, who have shared struggles as their fans, speak more clearly than some parents or even the clergy.  The question still remains; who prays for them?

Fortunately, there is a remnant of believers who are called to do just that.  For me, it started 20+ years ago when I prayed for a specific artist, but it really developed when I heard the awful news of Brad Delp's passing.  Here, the lead singer of Boston had everything he could possibly want, and on the outside, it seemed he was doing well.  No one knew the inside struggle before he took his own life.  Other subsequent deaths have occurred since then, but the burden had not left.  God would open a door for me to ask that question once more; "Who prays for them?"  I also believe he has opened others' hearts for the same purpose.  Miracles have happened in the music world since then: Lou Gramm, formerly of Foreigner; Brian "Head" Welch, formerly of Korn; Alice Cooper, Kerry Livgren, John Schlitt, John Elefante and many more have made that commitment to the Lord.  Someone prayed for them.  I'm glad that someone was around.

I may never know about Ronnie James Dio, Brad Delp, Kevin DuBrow, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse or any of the others who have gone on, but I will never say that I didn't take the time to pray.  It may be important to pray for those around us, but don't those who influence us need it just as much?

James 5:16 (King James Version)

 16Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

In this case, I suppose it would be a "righteous woman."  I hope I DO stand upright before God when I pray.  And for these men and women who have influenced us this much, we must always remember to pray for them, and not do like what we've done before.  It didn't work then.  It won't work now, but once we see these musicians as the people that God wants them to be, oh, what a great thing to behold!