When God's People Pray

This past week our family was hit with a tragedy.

Huge, out of no where, tragedy. The kind that makes the clock stop and changes everything.

Car wreck- death, brain injuries. Stunning, shocking, knee buckling tragedy.

I got the phone call from my Daddy and right after he told me the news, he said 'Can you call church, so they can get this on the prayer chain?' Of course, the answer was YES! Our poor church secretary had to listen to me try and talk through my tears. Then I put the word out on facebook that our family needed prayer, and my Mother and husband asked fellow believers at their offices.

Prayer, we need, Prayer. Lives hung in the balance. We needed to cry out before Our Father.

As the hours passed and calls came that folks were praying, I was struck by this grand vision of God's people all uniting in prayer.

So, many times we are fractured into our groups: The Frozen Chosen, The Holy Rollers, Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical. But, for these few hours and days, those petty (for the most part) differences were put aside and we united in a cause under the banner of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

I wonder if that makes God rejoice or saddens Him. Rejoice, that His children are uniting together and sadden because it takes a tragedy for that to happen. As believers, we segregate ourselves over things that mean so little.

Oh, I know there are profound differences that need to be talked about and I hold my beliefs in high regard. But, I'm not talking about those. I'm talking about things like who wears what to church, who sings what type of song, who lets a woman pray from the pulpit, which translation of the Bible we use.

But, this week, through our tragedy, we were able to see the Family of God come together in ways that must be a glimpse of what heaven will be like.

I was reminded of this old gospel song we used to sing:

I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His Blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God

You will notice we say "brother and sister" 'round here,
It's because we're a family and these are so near;
When one has a heartache, we all share the tears,
And rejoice in each victory in this family so dear.

Glimpses into heaven are a beautiful thing even through of tears of tragedy.

And I can give an account that indeed God does hear the prayers of His children and He so graciously answers them!