"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving."
Colossians 4:2
The other day I was reading one of Carl's books and came across the following ballad set in the Civil War era.
And So They Prayed
A young golden-haired soldier stood in the ranks of
the brave
And the captain said, "Guns to the shoulder!"...and
they quietly marched away.
His blue eyes once thrilled his mother, but now they
were filled with fear
As he heard the cannon's thunder, and the field of
the battle drew near.
But in that moment, far away, a mother whispers,
"Amen."
'Cause she thought of her son and so she prayed, and
O how she prayed for him.
His young hands, once they were steady, when he'd
hunt by his father's side
But now they trembled as he readied his gun, and
the enemy came into sight.
But in that moment far away, a father whispers,
"Amen."
'Cause he thought of his son and so he prayed, and
O how he prayed for him.
How quickly his legs once carried him, when he'd
run with his sister to town
But he could not run from the bullet within, and so
he fell to the ground.
But in that moment far away a sister says, "Amen."
'Cause she thought of her brother, and so she
prayed, and O how she prayed for him.
Well the letter arrived, it was stained with blood, and
it was sadly received
And gathering around were the ones he loved, and
they began to read.
But in that moment far away, a young soldier whispers,
"Amen."
'Cause he thought of his family who would hear of
his wounds, so he prayed for them
O how he prayed for them
'Cause he knew they must have been praying for
him.
One day last week my friend and I were talking about how when a loved one comes to mind unexpectedly we should be alert and pray for that person. That's what the family in the song did for the soldier, and that's what I want to do as well.
Maybe you have never considered using sudden thoughts of your family/friends as a cue to pray for them. All kinds of wars are being waged in the hearts of humans. A child at school, a spouse at home or at work, or a friend in a faraway place might be facing a spiritual battle. Is it beyond God's ability to move one person to pray for another? I don't think so! Today as you go about your day, be on the alert for God bringing someone to mind whom you can lift up in prayer.
Beth
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