Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18
We don’t realise what a difference one prayer can make.
A story by Author Fern Nichols – Fern tells of a time in her own life when she felt prompted to pray for her husband and 10 year old son.
Troy, while they were on a canoeing trip with friends in Canada. Sitting down at the kitchen table, she prayed through passages from her Bible: “Protect them from the evil one” (John 17:15, niv); “‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name’” (Psalm 91:14, niv). Because the urge to intercede was so strong, she prayed for about an hour.
That night Fern received a call from her husband telling her that during the afternoon, he and Troy had been struggling for their lives in the icy waters of the Fraser River. Their canoe had capsized, and they had spent nearly an hour in the freezing, raging water until they and their friends were finally rescued by helicopter. The paramedics told Rle that Troy would have died from hypothermia had he been in the water for just ten more minutes. Fern was startled to learn that they had been struggling at the same time she had been praying.
If you ask whether her prayer made a difference, Fern won’t hesitate to say so. Her story reminds us of how God can work powerfully through one woman who prays. Because Fern paid attention to God’s Spirit, he used her prayers to keep four people safe. Now that’s what I call influence!
Lord, I remember that shalom also means “safety.” Thank you for the way you have kept me safe. Please use my prayers to bring shalom to others.
This is an excerpt from: Becoming a Woman at Peace
