January 22, 2021

Dear Ones, 

Happy weekend to you! It’s sunny out but quite cold today. Will see if we brave the cold and walk the trail later. This morning I baked two kinds of cookies and did some studying. This afternoon we have been invited to friends for coffee! 

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Prayer is powerful and I wonder if we know what a difference our prayers can make. How often do we recite the Lord’s prayer or mumble some words at bedtime without realizing we are talking to the Creator of the universe. Sometimes the Lord lets us tangibly see the effects of our prayers in a dramatic way. Such was the case I read of in Ann Spangler’s devotional book as she shared about a specific instance in Fern Nichols life when she felt called to pray for her husband and their 10-year- old son. They were on a canoe trip with friends in Canada and Fern was led to intercede for them. She didn’t shrug off the need to pray but paid attention and for an hour prayed through scriptures of protection over them and also promises of God. Psalm 91:14 (NIV) stood out to her, “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.” That night Fern knew why she had prayed so fervently, as she got a call from her husband explaining their struggle he and their son had that afternoon. Their canoe capsized in raging waters of the Fraser River, and for an hour they and their friends were in the icy water. A helicopter finally rescued them and the paramedic told her husband that their son would have died from hypothermia had it been just 10 more minutes in the frigid water. Fern realized that the very time they were their fighting for their lives, was the same time she had been praying! Four people were saved through her prayers and how thankful she was she paid attention to the Spirit calling her to pray. Perhaps we can all think of instances when we have suddenly been led to stop and pray and later find out how the Lord intervened. When our son was in his teens, I was awakened to pray for him and later he shared how he had witnessed such a great power of evil and was able to get set free. We don’t always know the reasons we are to pray for someone or something but we need to respond. Paul told the Ephesian church to pray in the Spirit at all times and to stay alert and persist in prayers. Let us be faithful and persistent in prayer!

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to use you as a prayer warrior and respond to the Spirit when He prompts you.