Pray for my pet...................Really?

I  received a phone call the other night from a friend of mine asking me to pray for his dog. He told me that she was in an  ICU unit of a large veterinarian clinic.  He went on to tell me how this little  dog had become such a huge part of his family since only he and his wife lived at home. He explain that since all the kids were  grown, he guessed she has just become another one of the  kids.

I joined him in praying for his dog and continued to remember her for several hours into the night. This got me to thinking.  Does God really honor our prayers for animals, and will our pets go to heaven when they die?   So like any good researcher  these days, I posed the question on facebook, “ will our pets go to Heaven” and  “will animals be in Heaven” . As you might imagine I received several comments.  

But before we explore pets in Heaven let’s consider this idea of praying for our pets and livestock. This too is a bit subjective.  God must value animals to a high degree, He made them before man.  God has given  us a command through the Proverbs in 12:10 to be kind to animals, saying a righteous man regards the life of his animal. 

So the question posed was; is it appropriate to pray for sick, hurting, or lost animals.  I’m going to say that it is. God has given man authority over every living thing and has instructed us how and why to pray. I believe that God is in the business of answering our prayers no matter how big or small.  As in all prayers, God may decide to allow life to proceed without His intervention, but without prayer He surely would not  intervene.   As in all things, prayer is the key to all successful outcomes.   

What farmer won’t pray over good crops, we accept that as okay prayer;  so why not a sick dog or a lost cat, or a declining milk cow.  If it is concerning for us, it is concerning to God.  So keep praying for your pets and animals. God will is sovereign and His will is always accomplished, but asking for favor is always allowed.