Please visit Spiritual Sundays for encouraging posts from God's family, hosted by sisters Ginger and Charlotte.
“Jesus replied: It is because you don't have enough faith! But I can promise you this. If you had faith no larger than a mustard seed, you could tell this mountain to move from here to there. And it would. Everything would be possible for you.” - Matthew 17:20
It was barely 45 minutes after I came on to work last night when an emergency call blared over the radio that there was a man down in one of the units.
I went with the nurse who responded, my own stethoscope dangling around my neck. As she toted the red, emergency bag filled with supplies. Our conversations echoing in that long, barren hall.
A row of orange-uniformed men were lined up against the wall. They were all occupants of the upper tier. The deputy must have sent them downstairs and cleared the area where the fallen man was. As we ascended to the top tier, we found the man down on the floor, possibly from falling from the bottom bunk and must have bitten his tongue as a streak of blood flowed from the left side of his mouth. He was very diaphoretic and very restless, his right arm flailing in mid-air. Stabilizing him and after calling for the ambulance, we waited in that top tier: 2 deputies and 3 of us from the medical staff. As soft chattering men’s voices emanated from the lower level, I knew we were in complete view from the bottom, too. And I knew those pairs of watchful eyes were glued to our every moves.
The spiritual enemies were good at trying to throw a dart of fear into my mind. As the thought of these men, if they really wanted to do anything bad could easily empower the 5 of us just like that, was possible. Even if help from other deputies would definitely be there in seconds, some of them could inflict injuries in seconds, too.
As the girl who brought the man’s medical chart was standing next to me, she also whispered the same thought I had in my mind.
I told her that….I was thinking about that…But despite the inmates outnumbering us, I knew about the only One Who is more powerful than them, actually the most powerful One in this entire universe!
I softly prayed in my head….feeling the strength right away…For His protection. For His angels to surround us. Because of Him, fear was replaced with courage.
“1Live under the protection of God Most High and stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful. 2Then you will say to the LORD, "You are my fortress, my place of safety; you are my God, and I trust you." 3The Lord will keep you safe from secret traps and deadly diseases. 4He will spread his wings over you and keep you secure. His faithfulness is like a shield or a city wall. 5You won't need to worry about dangers at night or arrows during the day.” ~ Psalm 91:1-5 [CEV]
Ahhh….the power of prayer should never be underestimated. For the power resides in the God Who is being prayed to. Whatever circumstances you are in, tap into this power. His answers may not be “yes” sometimes, but it is because He knows what’s best for us. But when we pray purposefully and passionately, according to His will, He does respond powerfully!
"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." - James 5:16
Father God, how awesome does it sound that we can come to Your throne boldly, at anytime, anywhere...Because You see Jesus' righteousness in us. Thank You Jesus! Help us remember how vital it is to communicate with You through prayers. That we may call upon You, not only at times of our needs, but mostly to just praise You, thank You and honor You. Thank You Lord, my Abba Father, for loving me [us] unconditionally. Thank You for equipping us and blessing us with things that we need in order for us to finish this work You marked within us. I love You Lord. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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