The Power Of Prayer
Psalm 145:18 says, "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth". Here is a story written by Allison Granger, who is the King's World Director here at The Chapel, that shows how powerful prayer is.
I just LOVE when God answers a prayer so immediately that it can only be explained in one word, God! When this happens it makes me feel so loved and incredibly secure in His care.
This happened not too long ago when I was faced with an emotionally charged day. I was supporting a friend while her husband was battling for is life. He had suffered cardiac arrest just a few days earlier and he was staying alive by the grace of life support. After several days of waiting and praying, my friend received a phone call from the medical staff asking her to come in for a “meeting”. She phoned me and asked if I would accompany her. I immediately agreed, put on my shoes and headed to the hospital, all the while knowing that this was not going to be good.
During the 20 minute drive to the hospital, I focused every second on prayer. I prayed for my friend, I prayed for her husband, but mostly, I prayed for God to help me. I knew, without any doubt, that this meeting would bring forth a recommendation to turn off the machines that were keeping her husband alive. I knew that I would be the only one to support her during this sad time. I was confident of the stress that would follow and the responsibility I would have to keep her calm, and most of all, I knew that I would have to love her as Jesus would. My prayers confessed my fears and begged for wisdom, and most importantly, I prayed that God would help me to “feel” Him by my side. I felt so unequipped and unworthy to be in this position.
My prayers confessed my fears and begged for wisdom, and most importantly, I prayed that God would help me to “feel” Him by my side.
As I entered the hospital, my prayers were still flying heavenward, over and over and over. When I finally reached the hospital room, I walked over to my friend’s husband and held his hand. As I began to pray for him, I heard a sweet voice call my name. I opened my eyes and standing before me was “Laurie”, an old, dear friend that I hadn’t seen in over 8 years. Laurie is a Nurse and she just recently started working at this particular hospital and as only God can orchestrate, she was the attending Nurse of the man whose hand I was holding! Chills ran through my body as I realized that God was answering my prayers. Right then, right there, in that moment! There was no doubt that God had placed her there to help me and that God’s presence was all around us!
Within a few hours, we were called to a private conference room to meet with the Surgeons, several Staff Physicians and Laurie. Just as I had suspected, the Doctors were recommending the discontinuation of Life Support. My friend was paralyzed with fear in that moment and became consumed with worry over her husband’s comfort. Would he be in pain if they turn off the machines? Would he be suffering through his last breaths? She didn’t speak to the Doctors, but rather looked to me for the answers. An amazing calm swept over me as I wrapped my arm around her and asked her to look at Laurie. At that moment I was able to say, “There is something you don’t know about this very special Nurse. She was my Mom’s Nurse the day we had to turn off her life support. Laurie didn’t let my Mom suffer, and she will not allow your husband to suffer either!” Laurie very tenderly and compassionately, walked us through the difficult steps that followed. It was a blessed moment in time. It was a beautiful experience to be present while our friend passed from this life to his eternal home in Heaven.
I will always remember that day with great detail. It was one of those moments that you cannot deny God’s love and the fact that He hears every desire of our heart. I will always remember how precisely God answered my prayer and eased my fears. He placed me in that moment to love His child on His behalf, and He never once let me falter from my own insecurity and fear. He provided Laurie in that place and at that time to calm me so that I could love my friend in the manner that she needed. Have there been moments in your life that can only be explained by using one word, “God!”? These are the moments that humble me the most and fill me with praise that I am HIS child and that He will always provide exactly what I need.
Colossians 1:17 “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”