The following story is told of William Miller during the WWII era. Shortly before America entered the war Mr. Miller was driving his car on a winter's night in Pennsylvania when he hit some ice that caused him to wreck. He was thrown through the window. A short while later he was pulled from the ice by a passing stranger, Warren Felty. Though in a coma for several days, Miller survived.
Five years later Miller was a POW in Germany. They prisoners were being marched from one camp to another during a terrible blizzard when Miller collapsed under the strain. His last conscious thought was that he would die there in the cold. But again a good samaritan came to his rescue. Another prisoner pulled him from the snow and helped him to make it to camp. Who was the man? It was none other than Warren Felty, also a prisoner of war. For the second time he had saved Miller's live in almost identical circumstances.
After the war the two met again. Miller was sitting in a cafe eating when Felty stopped into the restaurant. He said that "something" just told him to stop and go in. Miller was on the verge of loosing a job because he couldn't secure the contract he needed. You guessed it. Felty was able to help him secure the contract with his company. For the third time Felty showed up right when Miller needed him. Coincidence? I don't think so.
As I read this little story I was struck with a thought. Someone, somewhere was praying for William Miller. He may not have been aware of it but someone knew how to talk to God on his behalf. How do I know this? Because I have seen to many other instances of answered prayer that were more than just "coincidence." Allow me to share another story.
A friend of mine called a taxi to his home one day. The driver had a brand new vehicle he had bought for his taxi business. My friend tried to open the rear door on the passenger side but it wouldn't open. The driver told him to get in the front. He tried that but it stuck as well. Finally my friend went around and got in behind the driver. One block from the house a drive by shooter shot through the windshield into the passenger's side. The bullet not only shattered the glass but went through the head rest and lodged in the back seat. Had my friend been sitting on the passenger's side he would have been killed. Later I learned that several members of this man's family are Spirit filled Christians and two of his uncles are Holiness preachers. Again, I say someone was praying for him.
I am convinced that we as the church of the living God don't realize the power that is available to us through prayer. We talk about prayer and sing about prayer but often prayer is our last resort. All of the power of God is available to the believer through prayers. Jesus said that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us (I John 5:14.) Wow, what a promise! The God of the universe pays attention to us when we pray according to his will and hears and responds.
So often we don't pray because we become discouraged. Maybe we think we aren't worthy to ask God for anything. In our own selves we aren't worthy. But the blood of Jesus has made us worthy to stand in God's presence. The writer of Hebrews tells us that we can come boldly before God's throne of grace to find help in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
No doubt all of us find ourselves in times of need. We know others who need prayer. We must never despair. No matter how dark the trial may look, God is able to bring us through. Prayer is a powerful weapon that is available to all of us any time of day or night, anywhere. Let us not cease to pray for we never know what our prayers may accomplish. They just might save someone's life.
Prayerfully,
Sullivan Jones