The Power of Prayer

by Ruth Erickson

Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayer and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 

In the spring of 2003, my husband John was on his way to Southwestern Community College for his first class of the day. As he was en route another car ran out of control on the icy bridge and hit him nearly head on, which resulted in knee, back, and hip injuries. Rest, pain pills and therapy became the daily routine. The knee injury limited his range of motion to 70 degrees, but the doctor wanted 110 degrees. He sent a therapist out to the house and she worked with him about 3 times a week. We continued to pray as my husband and the therapist worked with his knee, but she was unable to break it loose. The doctor decided to put him in the hospital, as an outpatient, and bend the knee for him, but even this was unsuccessful. It looked like John would have a stiff leg the rest of his life. But we still continued to pray.
One day he was in the backyard with our granddaughter, Emily and her dog, Chayote. The dog headed for the woods and Emily called her back. Immediately the dog turned around and came running back so fast she couldn’t stop. She slammed into John and the impact was so hard that John found himself on the ground in severe pain. When the pain subsided and he began to get up, he noticed his knee had bent. His heel was touching his rump. He’s been able to bend that knee and walk without stiffness from that day on. God answers our prayers often in unexpected ways!

Prayer: God, when our problems look overwhelming, help us to stay calm and not grow anxious. Help us to trust You to work out our situation knowing You can answer our prayers in ways we never dreamed possible.