December 6, 2018

​Luke 18:1  And He spoke a parable unto them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint.
 
On October 29, 2018 I was in an automobile accident. I fell asleep as I was traveling alone from Grandview, Missouri to Corinth, Texas.  I have made the trip many times before. I am a careful driver. The trip is a familiar route, seven and a half hours of about 520 unremarkable miles.
 
As much as I want to tell about the accident, and what it felt like to spin out of control after waking from a miniscule nap at 75 miles an hour, it is extremely hard to relate a moment that appeared like a blink in a whirlwind. I can look back and say I know that the Lord kept me from being taken out of this world.
 
My husband reminded me that this was the third time that I have almost been taken from him in death. He counted the time we were traveling together and spun out on a rain slick highway, and my breast cancer diagnosis which included a double mastectomy with months of chemotherapy, and then surviving this horrific wreck. However, I can count many more times. I realize that if I could see as clearly as God sees, I would know there are multiple times more.
 
The hours leading up to this accident was an amazing time for me. I was going back to Texas after visiting my grandchildren while their parents had a rare time away. The children have grown to amazing levels of adorable, so we had loads of fun although it was also a lot of work for me and I didn’t sleep much. I was praying for my family, talking to God about things going on in my life and asking for wisdom, help, guidance, and maybe a million dollars to take care of a few necessary things. Then I started singing out loud in my car without the radio or CD. I was singing songs of thanksgiving and praise, improvising, signifying and realizing that I had God’s attention and his anointing and great joy.
 
After this awesome prayer meeting, I stopped to get snacks and use the restroom. Back on the road, I was making good time because I had started out so early. Then the accident happened. It seemed I was just sitting there in the car upturned on its side for a short while before people started coming toward me. Someone asked if I was alright and I said I was. One man said, ‘I am so glad to see you. I wasn’t sure what I would find.’
 
I thank the Lord God for protecting me from bodily damage. I thank Him for giving me peace in my mind and I thank Him for answering prayer. Most of all, I am thankful the memory of that time alone in my car in His presence has never left me. Mainly because I know that somebody prayed for me and I don’t want to imagine what condition I could have been in if not for prayer. For this reason, I am determining to make prayer a priority.
 
Yes, I have read books about prayer, attended the lonely weekly prayer meetings, raised my hands to request prayers, tried to figure out how to pray for an unspoken prayer request, and I do pray. But lately I have been reminded of the lyrics of an old song: “Somebody’s praying. I can feel it. Somebody’s praying for me. Mighty hands are guiding me, to protect me from what I can’t see. Lord I believe somebody’s praying for me.”
 
When my mind goes back to the accident, I think about how little time I had to assess my situation, realize I was in trouble and say, Lord help me. All I could say was Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.  I am convinced that Christians need to pray. Ephesians 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. And watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
I am thankful for the prayer that Jesus prayed in the garden in John 17, that I would believe in Him through the word that the apostles preached. The realization that we have the privilege to pray to the God of Heaven and every prayer is heard, every prayer is answered, every prayer is eternal make me wonder why we don’t pray more often. Why is the admonition to pray without ceasing such a seemingly monumental task for me? I don’t know about anyone else, but I have had a problem with this one.
 
Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus to thank You for answering prayer. Thank You for the prayers of the saints. Help us to remember to ask, seek, and knock because it is Your pleasure to give good gifts to Your children. And even more shall You our Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.
 
Marylin Padgett