Ian Webb looks like an average 13-year-old boy. His curly hair is unruly in a charming boy-ish way, his eyes are big and curious, his smile a bit sheepish and he walks like his feet grew two sizes overnight. 

Ian really isn’t your average boy, though. He has a gift. 

It’s not solving math problems, or throwing a football, or drawing amazing art. He could be good at those things, too, but I didn’t ask him about that.

I wanted to meet Ian because he prays. 

Recently, I saw a Facebook post on a public page that detailed one lady’s experience with Ian. The post author had just eaten at The Moringa Tree, a restaurant owned by Ian’s family, and received a true blessing through her encounter with him. Ian, whom she’d never met, had asked if he could pray for her, not knowing she was in the middle of a very difficult situation. 

The words of his prayer touched her soul. She needed his prayers. 

So, Ian doesn’t just pray, he prays with complete strangers. 

The comment section of her post was flooded with others who had experienced Ian’s prayers. I’ve been to Moringa Tree a few times and, though I’ve never seen him pray, I knew instantly who they were referring to. Ian is just … memorable. 

I was so excited when Ian and his Mom, Gina, agreed to meet with me. I wanted to find out what had made this boy into someone so special, albeit I was partly driven by selfish motivations as Mom to a 6-year-old boy. I also reached out to find others who had received Ian’s prayers. The response was overwhelming.   

“You can tell he has the Holy Spirit living inside of him and that he is being used by God to touch others in a most impactful and unexpected way,” said Angie McMahon, whose father had just been put into hospice care, when the unknowing Ian offered a prayer. 

Dozens of comments came my way, all detailing how Ian’s prayers had reached them in a moment of need. 

When I read some of the responses to Ian, he blushed a little saying he “didn’t really like the attention.” If my interview is any indication, he doesn’t really like to talk all that much, either. He was quiet but tried his best to answer my questions. He is just 13, after all. 

“I just pray for them when God gives me the opportunity,” Ian said, with a little shrug and smile, giving the impression that praying with strangers is just a way of life for him. 

Carie Kozlik was second guessing a big life decision one day while she and her son, Zeke, were having lunch at Moringa Tree. 

“We were about to load up in the car when Ian approached us and asked if he could pray for us,” said Carie. “Of course, I said yes! He asked our names and if there was anything specific he could pray for, and I replied, ‘for me to be a good mama, and make the best decisions for my kids.’ He went on to pray such a genuine prayer over us and prayed that Zeke would grow up to love the Lord. I felt like Zeke and I were right where we needed to be that day. Needless to say, I cried thankful tears the whole way home.”

When he was 9, Ian started asking if he could pray for clients of his Mom’s Health and Wellness consulting service. He also encourages his nine siblings to step out and pray for strangers, too. 

“He gave me peace when I needed it,” said Emily Freel. “He gives a sense of comfort for whoever needs it. It is powerful. That young boy can make such a difference in anyone’s life. People don’t know they need it until he gives it to them. He is filled with so much love.”

Jestina Guillen said that Ian’s prayers are powerful purely because his faith is contagious. 

“I was going through some stressful things at work, so I asked for prayers with that. He held our hands and started praying,” said Jestina. “Afterward, I was just at peace.” 

Ian credits his Mom as his mentor, guiding him to find peace in the Lord and to pass that on to others. 

“It’s my favorite when people are happy and joyful after we pray,” smiled Ian. “Then, I know they needed it.”

After I coaxed our way through to the end of the interview, Ian asked if he could pray for me. That’s when I saw the REAL Ian. When he began to speak, a fountain opened up from his soul. A continuous flow of words poured out, more words than he had said the whole time I was there. 

He prayed for me. He prayed for my children. He prayed blessings over us and he prayed for peace in our hearts.

Even though I’m one of the lucky ones who has experienced the Peace That Surpasses All Understanding, a new thing stirred in me during our prayer. While I was in the midst of Ian’s transformation from shy, soft-spoken boy to eager, eloquent young man of God, I felt the purest sense of love. The kind of love that Jesus talks about but most of us can’t seem to fully get our head around. 

Maybe we complicate it too much, thinking we have to be wearing an “I love Jesus” shirt and carry the ability to quote every single red letter in order to be an effective witness. I’m not sure, but Ian seems to have it figured out. I wager that Ian doesn’t give much more than a passing thought about appearing holy when he approaches someone to pray. 

You also don’t have to know a single thing about someone to pray for them. That’s showing actual, biblical love, right?  

I’m a Christian, I know how we are instructed to be but Ian boldly demonstrates how all that is supposed to look. It’s obedience when we are called to chase someone down in a parking lot to pray with them. It's faith that, even if we are rejected, God has a purpose in every mission. It’s peace in knowing we don’t have to figure out what to say,  just follow His lead. And it’s through our demonstration of genuine concern for everyone we meet, we are an earthly glimpse of God’s love. 

I feel honored to have met such a sweet, earnest boy with a heart for spreading love and joy to everyone around him. His connection with God far surpasses any sensible expectation for someone his age, and I can’t wait to see where his faith takes him. Even if he only continues to do exactly what he’s been doing, he’s making more of an impact for Him than the majority of us who are just trying to figure out where to start. 

“Don’t be scared to pray for people you don’t even know,” said Shelley Howell. “Be an Ian in this world.”

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