Dear Chris Pratt,
I’m currently on a missions trip to 11 countries in 11 months and yesterday I found myself in a cute little coffee shop in Malaysia when my friend Grace pulled out her phone to show me your speech at the MTV Movie Awards.
While I have been on this trip, God has put a big heaviness on my heart for Hollywood and the movie industry, leading me to pray every day for these people and this industry. He has put specific entertainers and celebrities on my heart to pray for and SPECIFIC things to pray for them. There’s no pattern to these folks, they come from all over the spectrum, but God wants me praying for them. I don’t know why, but I do. Keith Urban, Andrew Garfield, Demi Lovato, 5 Seconds of Summer, just to name a few are people and bands on my list in my prayer journal.
A few weeks ago, God brought you up in my mind, told me to pray for you fervently. “God, how do you want me to be praying for Chris?” He said “Pray for boldness.” I laugh because that was a word spoken over me on this missions trip- boldness to proclaim my faith, boldness to step out, to reach the hurting and the broken, and it has been an AMAZING ride of watching more and more ways that God is calling me to boldness. He is calling you to boldness too. He asked me to pray that you would have strength and endurance to keep going, to not grow weary, for comfort, healing, and wisdom with your family, for boldness to talk about Jesus and to be a part of a revival that is happening in Hollywood.
So I’ve been praying. Almost every day.
That God would captivate your heart, that you would fall in love with Him in new and extravagant ways, that you would have courage and be BOLD to step out in faith, to proclaim the gospel, love the person in front of you, and be a role model that a new generation could look up to and follow by example.
Then, weeks later, I am handed this video of your acceptance speech as MTV’s Generation Award. I’m ALREADY shaking my head at God and laughing and how good He is. I can feel Him wink at me as I finally understand why I was praying for you.
I watched you accept this well deserved award and although nerves were seen, I could see you had confidence in what you were about to do. I felt as if Jesus was standing right next to you, with His arm around you, looking directly in the camera and saying “wait till you hear what my boy has to say!”
I gushed at Aubrey and Bryce being the ones who presented to you, your partners in crime. I laughed at your humor and jokes and crazy advice for pooping at parties (thanks for that by the way). Tears welled up in my eyes as you gave advice to this next generation about their soul, about prayer, and about GRACE. “YES YES YES!” The Lord was answering my prayers right in front of me. For your boldness and courage, but also that God would be raising up warriors in Hollywood to be a light in a dark place.
These people watching the video thousands of miles away, the people in the audience, your co-workers, the people watching at home, they all look up to you. I smiled at God thinking that millions of people want to be like you and if you say Jesus is the way, they are going to start asking about this man named Jesus. And what you did on that stage, what you are doing with your life is pointing them to Him.
I want to do exactly that.
That my life would just be a giant, neon, loud, obnoxious arrow that points straight to Jesus. I want to have boldness to stand up in a place where Jesus is chastised and ridiculed and proclaim His name. I went to Facebook later and friend after friend was sharing your speech video, commenting on your video, putting status’ up that commended you for kingdom building in Hollywood. People were cheering, no, SCREAMING for you on the sidelines as they watched you fight for the name of Jesus.
I want to join you in kingdom building, I want to be bold enough to jump down from the sidelines and my comfortable seat, my comfortable Christian bubble and actually get up and get into the world to proclaim the name of Jesus, to stand in front of a group of people that don’t believe and might rebuke you, to step into boldness and do it anyways.
After I finished watching the video, all I could do was wipe the tears from my eyes and glorify our good GOOD God. I’m so proud of you, and that’s weird to hear from a stranger on the other side of the world, but I say that on behalf of God, as a sister in Christ. He is a very VERY proud Father, shaking His head and laughing at how much He loves you and adores you. Oh how wonderful a Father’s love is.
Thank you, Chris, for setting an example not just for me but for an entire generation.
I hope one day I can meet you and pray for you in person, to encourage you in what you are doing and hopefully join you in the fight for the name of Jesus to be known for this next generation.
You are still continually in my prayers.
A fan, and sister in Christ,
Jamilyn Joy Cummings
