The Power of Prayer

7/11/19

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As I’ve traveled around the country, often I will stop by homeless shelters and just meet with people. I came across a young lady, a little over a year ago. She had two little boys, five and seven, her name was Sarah. Sarah was a single mother, homeless and afraid of what was going to become of her and her boys. As I spoke to a few of the people around there I came to know several of them, they would ask me questions and I would give the best advice that I could give, just as a human being. Certainly, as one trying to be faithful to the Word of God.

Sarah happened to be there one Sunday afternoon as we were gathered in the park enjoying a picnic. She was helping us get the food ready to serve. Her boys were running through the park with a ball, enjoying the sunshine. She approached me and asked if she could talk to me.

“Sure of course. What can I do? What’s going on?”

So, she told me her story. She told me that her husband had become involved with methamphetamine and had become physically abusive with her and the boys. Sarah said she couldn’t take it anymore and packed up and now she was in the shelter, in another state, far away from him. She told me her car was in terrible shape, that she didn’t have any work. She said the work she did get was very sparse. She said that without the homeless shelter she wouldn’t have anything for her boys.

Like many people without a sense of security she was scared. She asked me what she should do? I always approach these tough life questions when I get them - first from a place of acceptance; one must accept where they are now. In difficult situations that is not easy to do, but one should try to become content wherever you are, even if it’s not truly where you want to be. Take life as an experience to be tasted and relished even when it is sour. We all have experience in that.

So, I told Sarah that once she could become content with the idea that this was where she was for the moment and not forever, that next she turn to prayer. I told her she should pray the Lord’s Prayer every morning, and every night, and every time she thought of it. Every time a negative thought came into her mind, instead of that she should pray the Lord’s prayer. I told her she should show her boys how to pray the Lord’s prayer. Say it out loud in the car when they were driving around. When she began to worry, and fret say the Lord’s prayer instead of fretting and worrying.

I said if she could become content and then begin to pray earnestly this particular prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, (some call it the Our Father), and she sought forgiveness; that things would start to happen. She would begin to get a new vision in her mind and instead of dwelling on the hurt of the past she would begin to focus on the future, and what might happen in the future: a new home, a new job, stability for her boys. I believe that day Sarah truly took my words to heart. I believe that the Lord was working through me, to let her know that she needed to focus on prayer instead of worrying. To pray and find meaning in the words given to us by Christ himself.

Two weeks went by and I returned to the homeless shelter, and Sarah and her boys were still there. But this time when I saw Sarah, she was full of something different - I felt it was joy, happiness.

“Hi Sarah, what’s going on?”

“Mike you’ll never guess what’s happened.” She said, “I did what you told me to do,” she said, “I prayed the “Our Father” every day, day and night, all day. I’ve been telling it to the boys, I ‘ve been thinking on the words.”

She continued, “Just the other day I got a phone call from an application I put in months ago. My application showed up mysteriously and now they want to interview me! I go in for my second interview tomorrow!” she was very excited and felt she would soon have a job working with children. And not only that but that she had met somebody who had a rental property that was available and that as soon as she could show she had a job, she could move in.

Sarah was absolutely blown away. She said she was going to continue to say the “Our Father” and begin taking the boys to church. A complete turn around had happened in her life and the lives of her children and with just a couple of weeks of prayer and humility and contentment. Of trusting in

God and that He would guide her steps according to His will.

Not long after that, I saw Sarah again, and she had indeed been hired and was moved into her new home. She told me she believed in the power of prayer and how quickly things could change once you turned everything over to the Lord. I could not agree more of course. I am always dumbfounded and amazed at what can happen when people truly do ask the Lord for His mercy and grace and how often they do receive them. Thanks be to God.

Yours in Christ,

Br. M.