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Prayer Power
by Mervyn Morelock, Lt. Colonel –
It has been said that coincidences happen when we pray.
A mother writes about her son serving in Iraq. Her son, Tim, and his group were driving along a route near Fallujah and had a feeling they should stop. There was no reason to stop, and nothing that they could see, but they got out of the vehicle and did a scout around, finding one of the biggest bombs ever set up in the road. The bomb squad defused it and they were all safe.
Tim said they all knew that they were being covered in prayer.
Many prayers are being lifted up every day for our men and women of the military serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and other troubled places in the world. And God is answering prayer.
He answers prayer all the time, but not always as we expect. It has been said that God answers prayer in three ways: “Yes,” “No,” and “Wait.” Recently I came across an article written by Evangelist Louis Palau titled, Five Ways God Answers Prayer. They are:
“No, I love you too much.” The Lord of the universe isn’t under obligation to say “yes” to every prayer. That’s a good thing, considering some of the things we request!”
Why does God allow some things to happen that are totally different from what we prayed? It’s because he sees the end from the beginning. And he loves us too much to keep us from experiencing his plan for our lives.
“Yes, but you’ll have to wait.” We want immediate answers to our prayers. A beneficiary spoke to my wife at an ARC. As the conversation went on, it was obvious that he was open to receive Jesus as his Savior. After they had prayed and he received Jesus into his heart, he told her that his mother had been a Christian and had prayed for him all her life. That day her prayers were answered, but she had died two years before. “Yes, but you’ll have to wait.”
“Yes, but not what you expected.” Have you ever asked God to use you? If, so expect the unexpected!
“Yes, and here’s more!” Palau writes about an Australian Christian concert promoter who lost everything as a result of too few fans filling one stadium. Creditors repossessed his home, and this father of six had to look for work elsewhere. He was offered a job in Nashville, so they sold their few remaining possessions and came to the United States. A few weeks after they arrived in the USA he was told his position was “no longer available.”
The family fell on their knees and prayed. Then interesting things began to happen—donated groceries, a minivan, and odd jobs. Then the biggest surprise of all—a recording contract for his daughter, age 15.
Flash forward. He now promotes his own daughter’s sold-out concerts. She became one of the hottest Christian artists in the country, Rebecca St. James. All along—no surprise—God knew what he was doing!
“Yes, I thought you’d never ask.” Many people think prayer is complicated. Actually, the simplest prayer can bring you the miracle when you need it.
Late one afternoon in rush traffic on a Phoenix freeway I heard and felt it. I was on my way to Globe, Arizona, 80 miles away, to speak at the annual advisory board dinner. I had calculated the distance and time and planned to arrive about 20 minutes before the meeting. The sound was my right front tire exploding, and a sharp weaving caused by the flat tire. Just ahead was the only open space in miles. I pulled off the freeway.
I realized I was in trouble. Not enough time to call for roadside service; not enough time to call for my wife to come and rescue me and still make the meeting. I prayed for a miracle.
I opened the trunk to see if I could change the tire myself. As I was opening the trunk, a car with a young couple in it came skidding off the freeway up to my car. They said, “Can we help?” I said, “Oh boy, could you!” In a flash, they had the car jacked up, old tire off and in the trunk, the spare on, lug nuts tight, and the hubcap replaced. I asked if I could pay them. They said “No” and were on their way!
With a sigh of relief and a prayer of thanks I was on my way. I arrived with minutes to spare.
As I’ve thought back on the incident I considered the “coincidences.” The only open safe spot to pull over after a blowout, two Good Samaritans, and a miracle in answer to prayer.
I’ve driven back over that section of freeway to see if I could find the little patch of dirt where I experienced my miracle. I haven’t been able to find it!
Coincidences? Hardly! God answers prayer!