We’re talking about prayer, especially the prayer of a believer.

I have a pen-friend in Johannesburg. He usually comes rushing in, shooting from the hip. Shooting for the Lord’s things. The rest is noise.

One morning, a woman who had worked with us for a long time came to me. I knew she was very fond of men and was currently living with one. Immediately, she asked if she could talk to me privately.

We were in an open-plan office with partitions between the desks. Everyone could hear you talking. So, I asked my boss if I could borrow his office for a while. Fortunately, he was on his way to a meeting, and his office was empty.

She then told me about her trouble with her current drug-addicted boyfriend. He did her so much harm. Two days earlier, he “pawned” her car at a “pawn shop” and came home in a taxi. He went to report a theft case to the police.

She was desperate and didn’t know what to do about this man, and she started sharing more and more of her pain with me.

I didn’t really have any advice, because how was she supposed to fix all the bad stuff he had done?

I then suggested that we should pray.

During the prayer, it occurred to me that she intended to take her own life.

After saying amen, I asked her to unpack her handbag. Not something that many women would want to do. “Why?” she asked.

I then told her that the Lord had shown me during the prayer that she wanted to take her own life.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she unpacked the items one by one on the table. Until she got to the .38 special revolver; it was fully loaded. I then stopped her and asked her to lock the weapon in the company’s main safe.

I asked her to come to our church meeting that same evening.

They also prayed with her there, and she made her life right with the Lord.

I sat there speechless for a long time, wondering what would’ve happened if my friend had not prayed for her. I wondered what would’ve happened to her and her revolver if my friend had not believed in prayer.

¹⁶The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Yes, for sure! It saves lives!

Scripture
James 5:13-20

Reflection
Do you pray?
Do you sometimes get a fright when your prayers are answered?
Who can/should you (constantly) pray for?

Prayer
Father, yes, I believe in prayer. Even though I sometimes get scared when prayers get answered, I know that You still hear and answer our prayers today, in Your time. Amen.