The Power of Prayer

Reva Lachica Moore
revawall@bellsouth.net

You've probably seen it on television. You've probably read about it, also. A study was made on the effect of prayer on sick people. A hundred patients were prayed for daily, while another hundred were not. The result: those who'd been prayed for had less complications and got well much faster than those who were not. If you believe in the Divine Power, you won't question the result. If you don't believe, you might think that what happened to the first group were mere coincidences.
I attended a 50th anniversary of Dr. and Mrs. Barney McLarty of Memphis , TN many years ago. Dr. McLarty is the kind doctor who brought me to the U.S. over 30 years ago. During the short program in honor of the couple, many folks got up and gave their praise. One special comment by an attendee was: "The doctor always prayed for his patients." I admire a physician who doesn't take the glory for himself but trusts God to do the healing.

A believer…..
Two weeks ago, my friend Louise came to work very sick. Besides a nagging cough, she looked very weak. Louise is the cleaning lady for our laboratory. I always looked forward to seeing Louise. She and I had become good friends. But her condition that day worried me. On my way home that afternoon, I prayed for Louise. She told me she was praying also. The next day I learned that Louise had pneumonia.
I was so glad and quite surprised to see Louise today. She's a picture of health again. And, in just one week. Then she told me her story. She was so sick and had not eaten for two days. Her family was ready to take her to the hospital. She told about seeing a vision. In the vision she saw her dead mother talking and asked Louise to go with her. Louise said she didn't want to go. Louise thought she couldn't go with her mother since she's dead and that she's alive. Then she saw God. His back was turned around while He spoke. He told Louise that she would get well. In front of her, Louise saw two buckets with a mixing stick on each. One bucket was short but full of liquid. God told her that the full bucket was her joy. Then there was a tall bucket with a mixing stick that reach very high. The tall bucket was empty. God said, "The empty bucket represents all the good things that you've done for others that you didn't ask for anything in return." And God also told her, "You don't have to worry, I am your best friend."
Right away, Louise got up. She started throwing up. Then she got very hungry and started eating. Immediately she started to feel better. Her siblings were very surprised at her sudden healing. Could her mind have made all of that up? Louise believed that God Almighty came to heal her.

A non-believer…...
Twenty years ago I heard that my friend Skip in Memphis had surgery for colon cancer. I felt very sad so I called him right away. Skip was told that his condition was in its latest stage. He was dying. If he lived another year, he'd be lucky, he was told.
Each night, Skip called me and talked for a few hours. He was terrified and needed to talk with a friend. His condition had turned for the worse even more. I got very concerned. Skip called me at home and at work. There were nights when I didn't get any sleep because I couldn't turn my friend away. Many times he cried on the phone.
One night while at work, my supervisor, a godly man, suggested that we pray for Skip. So we did. At 11:00 p.m. we went in the office, closed the door behind us and prayed. My supervisor's prayer went like this: "In the name of Jesus, devil, leave the body of Skip. In the name of Jesus, devil, leave the house of Skip."
The next day Skip called to tell me about a very unusual happening the night before. I listened anxiously. He told his story that at 11:00 o'clock he was awakened. As if someone had hit him on the head. He got up and turned on the light in his bedroom. Then he turned on all the lights in his house while screaming, "In the blood of Christ, devil, get out of here." He said these words till 5:00 in the morning!
I was quite amazed at the exactness of the happening. For how could that be? Skip was in Memphis while my supervisor and I were praying for him here in Louisiana . That year Skip became well that the doctor told him he was in remission. Even the doctor was amazed. Skip lived another 20 years after that with no sign of cancer. Last year Poor Skip died of a heart attack at the age of 55.
Here are two people who experienced a very unusual healing. Louise believed in God while Skip did not. But someone prayed for both of them. Could what had happened to both of them be coincidence or Providence ? You decide for yourself.

I believe that God hears our pleas even for another person. The Holy Scriptures says in Isaiah 65:24: “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” The Lord bl