A Childhood Prayer

He had pure white hair and was a deacon at our church. I was a young child. I don’t recall ever talking to him, I just know one day I noticed his absence…he never returned.

As a small child I was taught to pray for others. I still remember the list of names that I prayed for every night before I went to sleep. He was one of them. When I was fifteen I wrote him a letter followed by notes and cards. This continued for over a year.

I was walking home from school one day when he saw me and pulled over to the side of the road.

“You will see me in church one day,” he told me.

My young heart nearly burst with happiness, I continued to pray.

Nearly a year later the white haired man returned to church. For four years he faithfully attended until advanced stages of cancer prevented him. By then I was freshly out of high school working as a janitor beyond the arctic circle.

One day I received a call from my mother, my elderly friend was dying. He had quit eating and was in and out of consciousness. Mom had the idea of taking her new cordless phone to his bedside. He tried to say my name three times before I could hear him.

“I will always remember you Shawna, I will never forget you. Never let anyone lead you astray!”

Days later he was laid to rest.

I’ve reflected over my experience from time to time. Whenever God lays a name of someone on my heart, it both encourages me and reminds me of the need to pray for others. We may never know the outcome of all our prayers but we can be sure the God takes notice of every earnest prayer.

“…Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians 6:18

“…The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results “ James 5:16