A prayer for an HVAC: Central KY man goes viral with ‘satirical’ post during heat wave

As temperatures across the country continue to skyrocket, one Kentuckian is turning to more biblical methods to keep cool.

On Monday evening, Frankfort native Ryan Sturm posted a photo of himself on Facebook kneeling beside an air conditioning unit, hat doffed, with a caption reading like a prayer fit for Sunday dinner:

“O Lord, we pray for a hedge of protection over these vessels unto which we are not worthy. For these conditioners of air, Lord, we pray that you might fill them with a double portion of freon and an unmatched work ethic during these next couple of trying weeks in the absolute sauna that is Central KY and beyond. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.”

Sturm told the Herald-Leader he was inspired to create the post after joking with a coworker about the heat in his second-floor office in a historic downtown building.

“I sarcastically said to one of my coworkers, like, ‘Man, we need to go pray over one of these HVACs,’” he said. “And then I texted my wife at about two o’clock and I said, ‘Hey, remind me to tell you to take a picture of me praying over our HVAC.’ So, anyway, she did; she goes along with all of my shenanigans.”

Featuring photography skills from his wife Ramsy Sturm, Ryan Sturm uploaded the post on Facebook, never expecting it to generate as much response as it has.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the post has over 1,200 reactions, 913 comments and over 8,100 shares from people across the country also trying to beat the heat.

So far, Sturm said the prayers have worked, as the HVAC is going strong.

“Mine’s good. We got a new one ... in 2019,” he said, laughing. “That’s why I was confident in this prayer.”

He added that while the post was meant to be funny, there is truth to it, truth that he hopes will be shared to those who see his “silly post.”

“Obviously, it’s satirical, but I think there’s real power in prayer,” Sturm said. “God really does hear our prayer, so small blessings and small prayers, he hears those. Like an HVAC working, that’s a blessing, and that’s from God.”

Frankfort, Lexington and several other central Kentucky cities are currently under a National Weather Service heat advisory until 9 p.m. Wednesday, as temperatures are expected to reach between 105 and 109 degrees Fahrenheit.

No matter their method for beating the heat and staying comfortable, Kentuckians should know the signs of heat stroke in people and pets and know where local cooling stations are in their area.

This story was originally published June 14, 2022 at 3:04 PM.