How would you share the power and purpose of prayer in your life? Prayer is precious, preserving, and protective; it changes things. I don’t know where I would be without prayer. How about you? My parents taught me to pray, a gift that keeps on giving and growing grander the older I get. You don’t think much about the life changing effects of prayer when you’re young and in love with being a child. Prayers are simple and sweet… from ‘God is great, God is good’ to ‘Now, I lay me down to sleep’. When I was only four or five years old, I would stand on a box near our gas pumps and say little rhymes and prayers. I would wait for customers and spout them out while they pumped their gas. Wallace Beals would always be ready to catch me when I finished ‘here I stand upon a stump’; Uncle Mack was my favorite fan as I’d sing a little song about boys standing back ‘till I got a little older. When I did get a little older, I learned a lot about answered prayers and what a friend I have in Jesus.

A book I gave my mother many years ago came across my path this week. A favorite prayer of ours will surely touch your heart too.

“God teach me to be patient-Teach me to go slow- Teach me how to wait on You, When my way I do not know. Teach me sweet forbearance when things do not go right, So, I remain unruffled when others grow uptight.Teach me how to quiet my racing, rising heart. So, I may hear the answer, You are trying to impart. Teach me to let go, dear God, and pray undisturbed until-- my heart is filled with inner peace and I learn to know Your will!”

Learning to know His will comes as we encounter life’s triumphs and tragedies, sunshine and storms. When we stay close to our Creator and pray consistently, pray in the right spirit, and pray fervently some more…He will direct our steps and share our load. Phillippians 4:6 reminds us of the necessity of prayer.

“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” In other words, don’t hold back. Pray as you feel led to pray, with a sincere and sweet spirit. Practice praying every day, for everything, with a thankful heart. God loves it when we go to Him in prayer, not just when a crisis hits or we need something. He is our Father, our Creator, our Savior. He knows the power of prayer. He prayed in the garden, alone, just before He would be crucified to save you and me. Drops of blood poured from his brow, his disciples grew tired and slept, but He stayed on His knees so that we would be free. Now, that’s love, that’s persistent praying, that’s an example to teach us how to pray. He taught His followers to pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ He desires for us to be close to Him, to listen and pray, to do His will-follow His plan for our lives here, and one day we will live with Him forever and ever in heaven. How sad that many people seldom pray, never pray, until one day their world is turned upside down and there’s nowhere else to go but to the Lord. We should never distance ourselves from God. He really is our best friend. This little poem in mama’s book teaches this truth.

“Start every day with a good morning prayer, and God will bless each thing you do and keep you in His care ... And never, never sever the Spirit’s silken strand that our Father up in heaven holds in His mighty hand!”

The week our Medical Evangelists were working their hearts out in Haiti, many people were back home praying morning, noon, and night for God’s protection and blessings over them and the people they were helping. Each of you have precious memories of your prayers that week; please allow me to share mine.

First, I wanted to be right in that number when they went marching into Haiti. I thought it was meant for me to go, but confusion clouded my prayers, my son’s prayers echoed, ‘stay home’, so I finally listened to what God was trying to tell me…’Not now’! A few days later I was singing, “Jesus is coming soon, morning or night or noon… “, while walking in our garden. Clear as a bell, my heart heard, ‘pray for the team morning, noon, and night.’ Planning and phone calling eager prayer partners set it all in motion. Posters were made and word spread that morning, noon, and night prayer meetings would be held at ‘Tim’s Gift’. Clinton P.H. Church, the host church for the mission team, also set prayer times by giving willing prayer partners a one hour time to pray each day that week. My hour was eleven until midnight. I prayed each night, but must confess I dozed as did the disciples. There was no dozing at ‘Tim’s Gift’ as people joined together to pray for our mission team, our community, our nation, our churches, our leaders, and the list went on and on. At a noon prayer meeting led by Jean Hatch, words from her prayer stuck with me like glue, “Our medical team members are sewing up physical wounds as God is sewing up wounded hearts.” One noon prayer meeting lasted almost three hours. That same day, five women of faith gathered at 6pm praying and praising God for two hours. Words can’t capture the sweet spirit and intimacy with our Father that we shared with Him and one another. Prayers were answered; God was there. Oh how precious and powerful, how heartfelt and humble, how strong and sincere, how our Lord was honored and heard from, and oh how we were helped. His sweet, sweet spirit swept that place and you knew you had been in the presence of the Lord. After Tuesday’s prayer meeting, I headed to Holly Grove to a birthday party for my most precious prayer partner in the whole world, Mrs. Eloise Brewington. She is a mighty woman of prayer and faith. She spoke words over me the night before I was to have surgery at Chapel Hill in August of 2007. Members of Prayer Connection prayed for me. Mrs. Brewington prayed without ceasing. She laid hands on me and told me I would come home the next day. I believed but not with the bold faith Jesus taught. I doubted I would come home the next day, since surgery was already scheduled. God knew the plan, He shared it with Mrs. Brewington as she prayed for me. I praised Him when my doctor delivered news that my surgery was postponed awaiting further test results. Clint and I headed home! God does answer prayers. God does speak to people of faith who are in tune to His Word and His voice. God does work miracles today. Many people stood at the birthday party to share similar stories of the power of Mrs. Brewington’s prayers in their own lives. Her family told of her faithful prayer life as long as they could remember. She stands up for Jesus, prays and speaks words only He understands, and doesn’t hold back with what God touches her heart to tell. What a party it was with singing, praising, praying, food, fellowship with friends and family of the birthday girl of 93 years. The sweet spirit filled that place and the good times did roll. It’s so sweet to trust in Jesus; to have faith and to have fun, and to know that you are His.

Driving home that night, I spied the full moon that lit up the night sky. That same moon was shining over Haiti where our mission team members were still helping victims and sharing hope with those who have little left. I thought of how wonderful my world is and my grandson’s question a day earlier, “Nana, why doesn’t God shake the ground here”? In my heart, I wondered the same thing. He is warning us of dangers ahead, as we become complacent and turn our heads. Let us give God the glory and go to Him with our prayers morning, noon, and night, for He really is coming soon. When our world is shaken, we can stand on the promises of Christ our Savior, the solid rock. I stared into the night sky with so many prayers and praises in my heart. Next week, I will share the rest of the story of the power and purpose of prayer in our lives. Amen.