Prayer Covering

The Lord hears those who cry out to Him. Prayer is the key. God hears the cry of the righteous. God is faithful to deliver those who cry out to Him.

Folks who have gone through trials with God can tell you that when situations were at their worst, when all hope appeared to be gone, deliverance suddenly arrived—signifying that only God was able to get them through.

When our son Owen was 18 months old, we were told that his heart had significant structural defects. We were living in the country of Panama at the time and had to be flown on a military flight back to the U.S. for open-heart surgery.

In the midst of such a crisis, God was tangibly with us. We were blessed with a Bible study friend that sent us Scriptures to lift our hopes during our stay. We had a family that prayed. We were in a constant stream of prayer.

My only prayer at times was “HELP,” but God heard it even when it wasn’t eloquent. He truly is the God who delivers those who cry out to Him.

One unforgettable moment during this process was the morning after surgery in the PICU. They were about to take the IV out of Owen’s neck (from his jugular vein, I think), and fear overcame my thoughts because it was such a long tube.

It now strikes me funny that after such a long, extensive, surgical procedure, of which I held up rather well, that I would suddenly become distraught about his IV. You wouldn’t believe how gracious God was! As I prayed that God would watch over him during this moment, I looked up and noticed that the TV directly over our son’s bed was on.

Keep in mind he was only 18 months old, and no one was sitting with him watching it. I know now that God was clearly providing strength and peace for us.

At the very moment they were removing the tubing, Terry Meeuwsen from a daily Christian TV show was on the screen, with her head bowed and eyes closed, praying during the broadcast’s daily prayer time.

With the angle the TV screen was pointed, it looked like she was praying directly over Owen! The mute button was on, so there is no telling what she actually said, but honestly, it didn’t matter, because I knew that she was praying.

Through Terry’s prayer, God gave me the comfort that was needed in that moment. I praise Him greatly for giving me that little boost of love. And God did it . . . because.

Our son recovered well, is fine and healthy, and he loves the Lord. We got through that time and are stronger because of it. We give God all the glory for what He has done in our lives, and for all the times He gives us the comfort that we need.

God hears our prayers,

“For where two or three have gathered together in [His] name, there [He is] in their midst” (Matthew 18:20; emphasis added).

God not only hears our corporate or group prayers, but He is with us when we pray. He hears the cries of our hearts and longs for us to lean on each other and Him in a time of prayer.

God loves it when we “carry each other’s burdens,” and Galatians 6:2 (NIV) says that when we do this we “fulfill the law of Christ.” Corporate prayer is a wonderful tool that we have at our disposal to bring our concerns to the feet of God and leave them there for His response.

When we hand over all control to Him, we can walk away with the peace of knowing that God is in control of our situation.

God is pleased when we bring Christians together in worship and in prayer. He is honored when we pray to Him personally and collectively. Together, as we pray to God for our needs, God will be near us. He will hear, and we will find comfort as we lean on Him for peace and comfort. As we meet, pray, and worship, we are active in our faith.

Excerpted with permission from Life Principles for Christ-like Living, Copyright 2006 by Jennifer Devlin, ISBN 0-89957-339-8.