The effective prayer
of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like
ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on
the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky
poured rain and the earth produced its fruit. James 5:16b-18
I fought so many fears while our son was deployed to the
Middle East. Probably the greatest was that somehow my prayers wouldn’t be
enough to keep him safe. I remember one night in particular. I awoke from an
unknown dream, screaming in my mind. I was drenched with sweat and had tears
running down my cheeks. I couldn’t remember the dream—only the terror—that
horrible feeling of helplessness. I looked over and saw 2:52 a.m. blinking on my clock.
I could hear my husband’s soft snores, and they reassured me I hadn’t disturbed
him. Too often he lost sleep because of my fears.
I knew sleep wouldn’t return anytime soon, so I grabbed my
Bible and once again headed downstairs. I settled into my chair in the den and
began to thumb through the pages, searching for comfort. I tried to focus
enough to pray for my son, but my prayers seemed common, not good enough to
inspire God to go great lengths to keep him safe.
