Your neighbor is startled awake in the middle of the night by an odd sound. He runs to the window and sees flames coming from the house next door. Your house.

He darts from his bedroom, sprints out the front door and toward yours like a good neighbor should.

But then he stops. He kneels. Right there by your driveway, in the light of your crackling blazing house, he prays.

“Oh, God. Please save my neighbors and their children from these flames. Please spare their lives in Jesus’ name. Great and powerful God who turned water into wine, who healed lepers and fed the five thousand, we need a miracle tonight. Please help them. Amen.”

Then he walks back to his house and climbs into bed.

There are some things good neighbors just don’t pray about.

Kenya is on fire.

More than 20 million Kenyans (more than half the population) “live” on less than the equivalent of $1.50 a day.

Political corruption makes a government solution unlikely – no matter how much foreign aid pours in.

Environmental decay and drought makes large-scale profiting from natural resources and agriculture a fantasy as well.

Hundreds of Kenyan children die every day in the flames of poverty are snuffed out by generosity.

Asking God if we should help our neighbors in the developing world is nonsensical isn’t it? Praying about how to help is wise. While you pray, read about how Kenya is being helped by so many of God’s people and then join them.

Because this is what it looks like when the flames subside.

When a mother learns a skill and her dependence ends.

When a child gets vaccinated, fed, clothed, learns to read and write and dream.

When neighbors from across the oceans come to the rescue with $38 every month.

Don’t pray about whether you should help those living in the developing world. Answer their prayers. Help.

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” -Luke 10:36, 37