“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 6:16b (NIV) / Pixabay
Not long ago, I attended the funeral for a lovely lady in our community. The eulogies given by those who knew her were warm and endearing. The last person to speak was her son. What he shared with us challenged me to take a look at my own life. Maybe it will challenge you as well.
After a time of exchanging cherished family memories that caused laughter and tears to spill out at the same time, her son then reflected on his mother’s prayer life. He called her a “Warrior on her knees”! He shared that he’d often wondered how much of what had happened in the lives of his family was a direct result of their mom’s fervent prayers. In addition, he was also curious about the number of bad things that hadn’t happened to them because of their mom’s fervent prayers. Then this grieving son asked a powerful question:
“Now, who will take her place?”
Who will take her place? Who will take over where she left off? What a testimony to a life! A woman remembered for her prayers; an intercessor, so dedicated, that her passing would leave a vacancy, not easy to fill. Just imagine… WANTED: Someone able to lift heavy burdens. Must be available all hours of the day and night. Dedication to, persistence, and confidence in results required. Needs to be prepared to work in private. Able to manage large case loads. Now, who will take her place?
Driving home after the service that question kept playing over and over in my mind and I started thinking about the testimony my life offers to those around me. Guess what? In the area of prayer, Worrier came to mind before Warrior! Let’s be honest, NOBODY needs to fill that position!
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
I didn’t know Mrs. P. well. I wish I had! This quiet, behind the scenes worker, a Sister in Christ, lived a life here that affirmed a great faith, declared her abundant love, and professed the power of prayer. Even from her Heavenly home, her witness has challenged me to spend more time on my knees than I do wringing my hands. I can’t think of a better testimony of a well-lived Godly life than that! Can you?
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
I’ve written this in memory of Mrs. P. to the prompt “Testimony” and have joined the other writers over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com
I look forward to seeing the directions others have taken their writing in today. I encourage you to click over and read for yourself! I pray Mrs. P.’s testimony has touched you in some way and if it has prompted you to think about your own life testimony, I’d love to hear about it! Just leave me a note in the comments! As always, thank you for being here!