Pray for Celebrities. No, seriously. Pray!

Danielle and I have this quirky habit of looking up actors and writers in everything we watch. We’re currently watching Monk, and we pause almost every episode to identify a familiar face. And when we watched The Theory of Everything, I was so intrigued by the writer’s hinted thoughts on God that I looked both him and his script up to find more clues on what exactly his stance was.  

The quirkier part is that after we read about them, we sometimes sit and talk about their life stories and spiritual journeys as if they’re good friends of ours.

But probably the quirkiest part is how often we pray for them. There’s been more than a few occasions that one of us will mention a celebrity and the other person will say “Oh yeah, I’ve been praying for them!”

Recently, it struck me that our fascination with celebrities might be a little odd. And I felt embarrassed and laughed to myself. But then I thought, “No wait – why don’t more people pray for them?”

To be fair, I guess I don’t know if it’s a common habit for people. But it seems like it’s only brought to the public consciousness when a major celebrity unexpectedly professes new faith in Christ. I had a few friends who prayed for Justin Bieber, and a couple Facebook friends who declared they were praying for Kanye West.

But what if we looked beyond those big-news-moments and prayed as a habit, especially for celebrities who fill our souls on a daily basis?

Do you have a favorite T.V. show? A favorite movie? A band you’ve been listening to on repeat? Are there stories and characters that still stick with you – that still help you process your life? Are there songs that help you grieve or celebrate? 

Artists, regardless of what they believe, are inherently gifted with spiritual authority. They help us navigate truth and meaning. They’re shaping our lives and the lives of so many, and the all while they’re facing immense pressure and operating within crazy systems.

I encourage you to look up their stories and read their perspectives. I encourage you to humanize them and to develop compassion for them. And then, I encourage you to keep them in your prayers. They might be tired, and in need of strength, or hungry, and in need of hope. Let your prayers fill them up as they’ve filled you.

Tony Shalhoub, you’ve got at least two New Yorkers who pray for you and your wife all the time.