Beside the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, prayer is the most powerful weapon in the Christian’s arsenal. We underestimate its influence at our peril. Mary, Queen of Scots, said that she feared the prayers of John Knox more than an army of 30,000 men. And
Brother Blake, a dear man in our church who has now departed to his everlasting rest, was reputed as someone who sincerely believed in the power of prayer. As we were talking one day about the powerful resource believers have in prayer, his precious widow told the following story.
Once in mid-life with the demands of his job as an electrician and three young children to raise, he went several nights in succession with very little sleep. You see, the neighbors had two big dogs who barked incessantly throughout the night. The neighbors were not especially friendly people and because their bedroom was on the other end of the house, they were apparently undisturbed by the barking dogs. But the dogs were harnassed just outside Brother Blake’s bedroom and the relentless barking prevented even a momentary repose. After surviving a few nights and subsequent work days in this condition, he was at the point of exhaustion. Finally, he remarked that he had arrived at a solution to the problem. “I’m going to ask the Lord to make those dogs stop barking.” That night he prayed, “Lord, I ask you to make those dogs stop barking. I am weary to the point of exhaustion. I have to get up and go to work so that I can feed these little children. I feel that I will have no strength to fulfill my obligations if you do not help me.” The very next day, one of the dogs got loose, ran across the road and was hit by a car. The other broke free, ran away, and was never found by the owners. For years thereafter, his children and grandchildren liked to comment that they wanted Dad to pray for them because his prayers produced results.
Would to God that you and I possessed such confidence in the power of prayer! The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
– Michael L. Gowens