The following is a true story, but I have changed the names to protect the privacy of those mentioned.
I have often reflected on and written about the wonders of prayer.
Prayer brings a special connection, not only between God and the one praying, but also between God and the one being prayed for.
And sometimes God brings a special connection between the one who prays and the one who is prayed for.
Some years ago my husband and I were the team leaders of our church’s prayer team. The team met monthly at our house. We prayed for the needs of our church and we also prayed for each other.
During that time, Sandy asked for prayers for her children. She was particularly concerned for one of her daughters, whose husband was battling cancer. Her daughter, Jennifer, was a mother of three, worked outside the home and was coordinating treatments for her husband.
Sandy’s heart of motherly love overflowed in her beautiful petitions on behalf of her child, her son in law and her grandchildren. And we all joined her as one interceding for this family we did not know. We eagerly looked forward to each update.
After a couple of years, our group came to the end of our assignment. We continued to receive emails of prayer needs and we continued to pray separately, but sadly life called us in different directions. My husband and I experienced a time of extended illness.
We were not able to go to church activities. I lost contact with Sandy. However, I thought of her often and prayed for her and her family.
Part of my illness centered around a very difficult dental situation. I was dentaphobic before the problem began, but after all that happened to me, I became extremely phobic.
Even having my teeth cleaned brought on anxiety attacks. But getting my teeth cleaned was essential to the ongoing healing of my mouth. So I made the appointment.
Before I went, I prayed God would give me the peace that passes all understanding … particularly my flawed understanding of the dental world. And He did that.
The dental hygienist who greeted me was warm and friendly. She was patient. She was compassionate. And beyond that, she seemed so familiar. It was as if I had met her before, but I knew I had not.
Some months after my appointment, I was reviewing the prayer requests from the church. I saw that Sandy’s daughter, Meg, had died. Prayers were requested for Sandy and her family.
Not only had we prayed for Jennifer, but we had also prayed for Meg as she was moving into her career as a nurse.
I wanted to call Sandy, but regretfully discovered I did not have her phone number. I decided to check Facebook to see if she was there. She was not. Before I called the church, I looked to see if there might be any information on Meg’s Facebook page.
Sure enough, there were pictures of Meg with her family. There she was smiling with Sandy … and her sister, Jennifer … the dental hygienist, who had been such an angel of mercy to me … Jennifer, the one for whom I had prayed at the request of her mother.
I then realized how beautifully God had connected the dots and brought us together in The Power released through our prayers. Sandy prayed for her family. We joined her and prayed for her family. I prayed for peace and God delivered that Peace through Jennifer, the one for whom we had prayed long before God connected us.
And today, I got to tell Jennifer the story of how God had connected us. I suspect there may be many more people out there who are praying for us. Perhaps, even if we never meet on earth, we will meet in Heaven … and we will hear, “I know you! I prayed for you!”
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
Ephesians 6:18
PRAY = Power Released Among You!
