Cayenne
Chocolate Rose
Coleus
cyn
deadhead
Ethan_Allen
fiesti
floriduh voter
freeparoundtheclock
GWB and GOP Man
KDubRN
Krodg
laurens pawpaw
MeeknMing
msmagoo
my_pointy_head_is_sharp
nicmarlo
Pegita
Republic
supercat
sweetliberty
trustandobey
Wampus SC
wisconsinconservative
November 29, 2003
I don't remember her name but I do recall the story of her miraculous recovery from an automobile accident changing the lives of numerous people.
Her body was crushed when her car was hit by a drunken driver on Florence Boulevard several years ago. Her family refused to believe doctors who said there was no chance for her to live. She was in a coma. Week after week, her parents stood beside her bed in the intensive-care unit at Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital several times a day and prayed. Prayers were also said in many Shoals churches. Her family and friends never gave up.
She fully recovered, completed training and became a nurse at ECM. She later married.
The thing that struck me most about this story is the persistence of prayer.
Persistence is the key in Jesus' parable in Luke 18 about a widow who continually asked a judge to avenge her. Finally, the judge did avenge her for fear she would weary him. This teaches us to continue in prayer if God does not give an immediate answer.
Luke 6:12 teaches that we should make decisions after sufficient prayer, not before. When Jesus was deciding which of 12 followers to choose as disciples, he went into the mountains and prayed all night. He was ready to name his disciples the next morning.
Often, we say a quick prayer and expect to have the answer immediately.
Jesus prayed twice to heal the blind man at Bethsaida. Jesus led him out of the town. Mark 8 says that he spit on the blind man's eyes, put his hands on him and asked him what he saw. The man looked up and said, "I see men as trees, walking." Verse 25 says, "After that Jesus put his hands again on the blind man's eyes and made him look up, and he was restored, and saw every man clearly."
The prophet Elijah prayed seven times for rain before it fell. The Bible said his prayer was according to the will of God, yet it took time for rain to come. Experimenting with prayer can be exciting, an adventure. Some people pray quietly, others like to speak out loud when they pray. In her book, "Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ," written in the 17th century, Jeanne Guyon suggests starting prayer in a quiet manner, entering the presence of the Lord. Turn to scripture that is "simple and fairly practical."
"Read a small portion of the passage, taking what you read in gently and carefully. Turn what you read into a prayer. It's not judged by how much you read but how you read. Pause occasionally so that your mind is quieted and you understand what Scripture is saying as it becomes imbedded in your heart."
In his book, "The Power of Positive Thinking," Norman Vincent Peale says that when praying, you are dealing with the most tremendous power on Earth. He says the secret of prayer is to find the process that most effectively opens your mind humbly to God.
Prayer, simple and powerful, has a significant purpose in life today for all who will use it.
Lucille Prince, retired TimesDaily religion editor, writes a column for the Saturday paper.