An airliner was bound for New York City. The flight was routine until the pilot began the descent. Then he realized that the landing gear would not engage. Working the controls back and forth, he tried again and again to lock the gear into place. No success. He circled the landing field, getting instructions from the control tower. Airport personnel sprayed the runway with foam as fire trucks and other emergency vehicles moved into position. Disaster was only minutes away.
The passengers were told of each maneuver in that calm, cheery voice pilots manage to use at times like this. Flight attendants moved about the cabin with cool reserve. Passengers were told to place their heads between their knees and grab their ankles just before impact. It was one of those “I-can’t-believe-this-is-happening-to-me experiences.” There were tears, no doubt, and a few screams of despair. With the landing only seconds away, the pilot announced over the intercom:
We are beginning our final descent. At this moment, in accordance with International Aviation Codes established at Geneva, it is my obligation to inform you that if you believe in God, you should commence prayer.
The belly landing was pulled off without a single injury. In fact, when a relative of one of the passengers called the airline the next day to ask about the prayer rule, the airline was back to cool reserve, and responded, “No comment.”
Chuck Swindoll tells this story and then says, “Amazing. The only thing that brought out into the open a deep-down “secret rule” was crisis. Pushed to the brink, back to the wall, right up to the wire, all escape routes closed … only then does our society crack open a hint of recognition that God just might be there and— “if you believe…you should commence to pray.” [Charles R. Swindoll, Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life (Portland, OR: Multnomah Press, 1983), 273].
When the Apostle Peter was in prison and the church had already lost one of its great leaders, James, they decided not to have a demonstration outside of government headquarters demanding his release. They prayed. They prayed earnestly and passionately for his release.
Acts 12:5 (NASB) So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.
Fervent, not halfhearted prayer was made for him. This was a spiritual war. Peter, their leader, was in grave danger of losing his life. His friends, the church, prayed. God answered. Peter was supernaturally delivered from that prison through the work of an angel.
When the spiritual war is raging around you and your family, it is time for you to set apart time to call on the Lord. The man or woman who learns to pray and does pray can see the Lord of the universe send help. Things really do change. Help really does come. Situations really are turned around, not because we are so miserable, but because we have exercised the great weapon God has given us …prayer. It works.
Psalm 6:9-10 (NASB) The Lord has heard my supplication, The Lord receives my prayer. All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly dismayed; They shall turn back, they shall suddenly be ashamed.
I know for many this sounds super spiritual or even other-worldly, and it is. If Christianity is anything, it is a powerful religion where God and His forces soundly defeat the forces of His enemy and ours, the devil.
When practiced, this weapon of prayer brings great resources to the Christian. Courage and comfort, yes, but not comfort so that we feel better about losing the war. As I have said before, Jesus does not see a man drowning and throw him a valium so he can feel better about himself as he drowns. No, no, no- Jesus is a Savior. The Bible describes God as a “valiant warrior”, ready for battle. Nowhere is God described as losing the spiritual battles of life. God gives us courage to fight the good fight of faith and win genuine battles that are being waged against us and our families. When we pray, help really comes. Do not get paralyzed… pray!
James 5:16 AMP The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].