I Believe In The Mighty Power Of Prayer

I BELIEVE in the Power of Prayer.

Isn’t it wonderful that God created prayer as a primary method of putting us into personal contact with Him any day or night, any hour of the day? He is always there.  He’s always with you and always ready to hear our prayer. Even when you cannot mouth the words, when your heart is breaking and your voice just can’t pray a prayer, God hears your prayer from your heart.

Prayer is one of those things that is a little mysterious even though I strongly believe in it.  Because prayer is an invisible, intangible power, people are often quick to dismiss it.  They downplay it and devalue its critical importance.  That is a big mistake.  When we choose to believe that God won’t answer our prayers or that He isn’t listening, we invite Satan into our lives, into our situation that we should be praying about.

Prayer is our superpower that can be used in all areas of our lives.  Even when you are in a spiritual rut.

Satan wages war against children of God.  He attacks your mind, your emotions, your spirit, your heart and your future.  He will try to make you believe that prayer won’t work, that God isn’t listening.  But Satan is a liar.

I grew up in a home that depended on the power of prayer.  I’ve already written to you some about my grandmother’s prayers, how she prayed for everyone and everything.  We all did.  I grew up being taught that prayer changes things.  That prayer can save lives, it can soften a hard heart, it can restore faith and hope.

When I was about 13, we had two pigs on our farm, Suzi and Leroy.  Yes, we named our pigs human names.  Laughing.  They were permanent fixtures on the farm.  They were married and had several litters of piglets.  I won’t ever forget those two pigs.  They acted like humans.

One day I went to feed them and they were both down.  They wouldn’t get up to come to the feed trough.  They both seemed to be in distress.  I threw the feed bucket down and went in to tell mother and mama (our name for our grandmother).  Mama immediately started praying.  As she was walking out the back door, across the back porch, down by the pig pen, and finally into the pig pen, I could hear mama, “Jesus, please touch Suzi and Leroy.”

She said, “I believe they have some kind of infection.  It has gotten them both.”

The pigs barely looked up at mama.  She told me to call the vet and I went running in the house.

Twenty minutes later, the vet was there and he said, “Jewell, I think they are suffering.  Now we don’t want them to suffer.”

Mama agreed, but then she said, “I going into the house and get something.  I’ll be right back.”

She was back in no time with a plate with a brand new cake of cornbread on it.  I’m sure I looked just as confused as the vet.

He said, “Jewell, what are you doing”?

She laid half the cake of cornbread in front of Leroy and half in front of Suzi.  Neither of them budged.  They were huge and the only thing moving on them were their ears and eyes.

She began to pray, “Dear Jesus, we need you to heal LeRoy and Suzi.  They are part of our farm and we love them. Let them feel your healing touch.  We thank You in advance, Dear Jesus.”

Nothing.

She kept her eyes closed, her hands outstretched over Suzi and Leroy.

Still nothing.

I think I heard one of them grunt. I opened one eye and peeked out.  It was Leroy, still on his belly, trying to get his entire mouth around a whole half of a cake of cornbread.

Then Suzi moved.  And started grunting.

Seconds later, they were both on their feet, all the cornbread was gone and they were pushing against us for more food.

The vet looked like he was about to faint.  Me and mama were standing in mud up to our ankles, praising God.

The vet muttered something like, “It must have been a bug or something.”

He said, “Jewell, I won’t charge y’all for this call.”

Mama never heard him.  She was still praising God as he drove down the road.

Mama became famous for her “healing” cornbread, but we all knew that God healed our pigs.

Sending prayerful blessings from Sterrett, Alabama!

Charity
Copyright © Charity M. Richey-Bentley