Knock At The Door

A knock at the door. A stranger waits, holding a small piece of paper with a name written on it. The door opens and the stranger asks, "Would you please ask Brother Morgan to pray for [insert name from paper]?" The request made, the stranger leaves. Now aware of the need Brother Morgan retires quickly to his bedroom and begins to pray fervently for this person, as fervently as if the person were his own son or daughter.

Brother Morgan was my great-great grandfather. Such requests to him came frequently, according to our family history. I have always been fascinated by this.

How do you think praying for someone helps the person in need?
Do you think it does? 

Or does it just make you feel better?

These are questions that I have had. My daughter Amy gave me some answers. With her permission I share her experience.

Amy is a pray-er. Thankfully. One of her siblings faced an extremely serious problem and there wasn't much that anyone else could do to help with it. 

Aren't so many situations like that...you can't do much to change anything but wish fervently that you could fix things for the people you love? 

Out of her love for her brother Amy was frequently praying for him. She pleaded with God to help him. But she wondered as she prayed over and over again just how her prayers could help. What difference could they make? And she expressed those concerns to God. 

"I just don't see how my prayers can make any difference for him. How can my prayers help anyone?" 

Have you ever felt the same way? I certainly have. God gave her an answer.

"That is because you do not understand the power there is in prayer."

That really hit me. As much as I have prayed in my life and as many wonderful prayer experiences as I have had, still I found that this insight applied to me, too. I do not comprehend the great power that is unleashed in prayer. 

But when Amy shared this experience with me, something changed inside. I knew what she said was true and that praying is tapping into a very real power source. Talk about increased confidence in prayer! I love knowing that prayer sets all kinds of things in motion. 

Initializing that power. We can all do it.  Anytime we turn to God, reaching out to Him, He is there to take our hands.  This I know without any doubt. Whether our faith in Him and in prayer is great or small has no bearing on whether He will respond. He is always there. And when we pray, the power begins. 

We don't have to be powerless in overwhelming situations.

Let us engage the powers of heaven! We need it.