The Power of Prayer

In a Television studio a couple dressed neatly and looking like born again Christians spreading the word. Mike in an older style suit and Pat is dressed in a twin set. They are co-hosting a Christian news called “Jesus Moves”. After all the top stories of the day the co-hosts segway into the next segment called “The Power of Prayer” featured once a week.

MIKE: At this time each week we like to feature moving stories about the power of prayer as examples of the Lord moving in our lives. Sometimes they will make you laugh. Sometimes they will make you cry. Always you will be moved by the power of the Lord to manifest his power through our prayers.

PAT: Yes indeed Mike. We start off this week with a moving story of a little girl in the mid west plains of America. Little Jessica Callum aged nine prayed to God to make her area more picturesque because she lives on the great plains of visual monotony in the tight knit community of Lesterville. She would like some hills or mountains to admire. And in a really heart warming story God is answering her prayer. A magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit the area uplifting the ground by one metre. Some hundreds of people have been killed in her community and Jessica herself sustained some injuries and is recovering in hospital. The people in her community are very devoted believers. The Reverend Ian Smyth said the people are very thankful.

Crossover to the reverend being interviewed.  

REVEREND: The fact that thousands of people were NOT killed is evidence of the benevolent nature of God and his love for us. God has today saved thousands of lives. This is a very devote community and today we witnessed how God is moved through prayer. This has only increased our love for the Lord. That God should make himself manifest in the life of a child so young is real cause for hope.

Cut to Jessica in her hospital bed.

JESSICA: The mere fact that I was not killed is proof of God and of his love for me. How else can you explain the fact I am alive? My love for God has only increased today.

Cross  to a geologist.  

GEOLOGIST: The earth moved today although it will take longer than little Jessica’s life time to create the beautiful mountain range which will one day rise up in this area.

Back in the studio.

PAT: How about little Jessica saying that the fact she wasn’t killed is proof that God exists and of his love for her?

MIKE: Such wisdom out of the mouths of babes. What a touching story. It’s an example of how God is at work creating beauty in our world for us.

PAT: Yes we can give thanks to all the carnage in the past which went into creating all the beauty we see in the world today. Everywhere we look we can see evidence of God’s love for us in the beauty of landscapes. God today showed his love for the community of Lesterville.

MIKE: God is building them a mountain range. While a certain unnamed other prophet of a certain unnamed other “god” (Mike makes a inverted comas sign with his fingers in the air\) of a certain unnamed other religion may be able to move mountains but ONLY the one true God can actually build them. (Chuckle) The Lord be praised!

PAT: Amen to that. And talking of praise that is what Neil Watson of Columim is doing today after witnessing God answering a prayer to his advantage yesterday. Like so many of us he was frustrated looking for a parking space. I’ll let Neil tell the story in his own words.

Cross over to an interview with Neil

NEIL: I was running late for an important appointment plus I had shopping to do and I had been driving around looking for a park but to no avail. So as I was driving along I closed my eyes, bowed my head and prayed that God might find me a parking spot quickly. I opened my eyes and drove on. Suddenly the car in front of me was hit by another car driving a enormous speed that just came out of nowhere and then just vanished. His car was totalled and as I drove around him there was a parking which I pulled into. I realised that for that accident I would never have had that parking space. The parking space would have gone to the car in front instead. God had answered my prayer. So off I went and did my shopping and I made my appointment on time. When I came back to my car the area was filled with the flashing lights of all manner of emergency vehicles. I realised that God moves in mysterious way and that he does answer prayers. I was in a buzz for the rest of the day, walking on light air. I matter to God and he answers my prayers. Oh what a feeling. I am saved! Jesus take me! I’m on my knees! I am yours!

In the studio.

MIKE: And the name of the driver of the other car was Sam Mathers, 39 of Clinchborn. He latter died of his injuries in hospital.

PAT: What an inspirational story.

MIKE: Right you are. It sure is. This just shows how God moves in mysterious ways. When God’s agency works for us it is God’s benevolence and when it’s not it is God moving in mysterious ways. Proof that God truly exists..  

PAT: It sure is. As the good book says. “Ask and you shall receive”.

MIKE: Yes and the fact that Neil closed his eyes to pray while driving shows his faith in the Lord is indeed strong. I tell you the good news is everywhere. And the good news just keeps coming. Pat. Next we have the story of a grandfather close to death and in need of a kidney. His grandchild Kym was so looking forward to presenting him with her present on his birthday in a few weeks. As you know the waiting list for most organs is long and donor organs have to be compatible with the recipient. Clem Richards has been waiting for three years and his health has been deteriorating in all that time in spite of the very best medical care he has been receiving.

PAT: What happened next is truly an act of God answering the prayers of another little girl. It is the touching tale of a little who was able to share the joy of my grandfather’s birthday all thanks to the intersession of a little girl of faith. She had made a gift for his up coming birthday, a birthday Clem was not expected to see.

MIKE: Clem needed a miracle and thanks to his loving granddaughter a miracle was delivered. Clem was on life support and he was not expected to hold on too much longer. All hope vanishing but for the arrival of a suitable kidney. This is where Kym in her nightly prayer before bed asked God to find a kidney for her grandfather so that she could enjoy her grandfather’s birthday. She was so looking forward to the appreciation of her loving grandfather of her handy work in which she had invested many hours of effort. Here is Kym’s mother Trudy Tobin.

Cross to Trudy.

TRUDY: Kym has always been close to her grandfather. Naturally she was upset when I had to inform her of the serious nature of her pop’s illness and his need for a transplant with no guarantee of a suitable organ donor providing the much needed kidney. I walked past Kym’s bedroom when I saw her kneeling on the floor praying to God and asking that a kidney be found for her grandfather. I smiled and walked on. The next morning at around 4.00 am I was woken from my sleep by a call from the hospital. A kidney was now available. This was a result of a fatal accident in which a heavily pregnant woman had died of injuries along with her baby after being hit by a bus.

Cross to a police spokesman.

POLICE SPOKESMAN: Marie Cornes, 25 was waiting for a bus late at night when the bus veered on to the footpath.

Footage of the police talking to the bus driver. The bus driver talks to the camera.

BUS DRIVER: (Read eyes from crying and shaking) I was just driving pulling in to pick up passengers. The next thing the bus seemed to have a mind of its own. I don’t really know what happened. I couldn’t do a thing. The bus picked up speed and veered on to the footpath side swiping this woman who I could see was pregnant. It was awful.

REPORTER: (To the Police spokesman.) What will happen to the driver?

POLICE SPOKESMAN: The driver has been charged with dangerous driving. A charge of manslaughter may follow. It is likely that he will lose his licence and his income. He has been bailed. At a meeting between the driver and his wife there was tension in the air in what I understand was already a difficult relationship before this incident and it is likely that their marriage is over. Naturally the driver is in an extreme state of distress.

REPORTER: And the woman?

POLICE SPOKESMAN: Unfortunately she died at the scene and the baby she was carrying was also lost.

Back in the studio.

PAT: We have further developments on that story. Ms. Cornes was a donor and her organs will be useful to others. Her kidneys were found to be compatible with Clem Richards. It was this news which the hospital where Clem was on life support rang so early in the morning to give to Trudy Tobin the daughter and caregiver of Clem.

MIKE: With this good news an operation was scheduled at the earliest possible moment. Here is more of the interview with Trudy Tobin.

Cross to Trudy.

TRUDY: The hospital said they had a perfect match for a kidney from a woman who had died that night in an accident. Naturally I was delighted at the death of this woman and opened a bottle of Champagne straight away and we celebrated. The operation occurred a few hours latter and I made my way to the hospital.

CLEM: As you can see I am now out of hospital and quiet fit. No more tubes and no more dialysis 3 or 4 times a week. I can now lead a close to normal life. The doctors expect that I can live a high quality of life for many years. I just need to keep to a course of immune suppressants and undergo periodic biopsies.

Some home made footage of a birthday party with Kym, Trudy and Clem.

TRUDY: Kym and Clem both enjoyed the birthday party last night and Clem just loved the art work Kym had spent so many hours working on. What can I say? God delivers on his promises and he delivers on prayers. Ask and you shall receive. We have Kym to thank for God saving Clem for a few more years by killing that pregnant woman and her baby and destroying the life of the hapless bus driver.

The last scene of the footage is of Clem and Kym embracing before going back to the studio.

PAT: Such a lovely moving story of one girl’s prayer saving her grandfather by God instead taking another life. Life is beautiful. I live for moments like this. Isn’t it just so nice that a little girl prays to God for a kidney for her grandpa and that God can answer her prayer by taking the life of a pregnant woman and running off with a kidney just for Kym’s beloved grandfather?

MIKE: It just tugs at the heart strings. Finally today we have the story of some drought stricken farmers saving by the grace of God answering their prayers. Farmers in Australia have emerged from the longest drought and have had very good rains for the last year. We now know that enough farmers got together to pray to the almighty for rain.

Cross to meteorologist

METEOROLOGIST: The delivery of rain is dependent in large part on the El Nino/La Nina effect of the Pacific Oscillation Current.  When one side of the Pacific warms up relative to the other that side experiences good rains and floods. And vice versa.

Cross to Reverend Turner.

REVEREND TURNER: Which way the oceanic current flows depends on a tug of war of prayers from farmers on both sides of the Pacific. For the moment God is more impressed with the praise and adoration of Australian farmers. This is why American farmers are having such a hard time of drought this year and many face ruin. God has been especially impressed by the church known as Catch the Flame Ministry under the pastorship of Danny Nutter.

DANNY NUTTER: It is good to see La Nina triumphant over El Nino with the water shortages in many American cities and American farmers going to the wall. God does truly move in mysterious ways. This has prospered Australian farmers. God has answered our prayers.

Cross to studio.

PAT: Yes indeed. More evidence that God will move against one group to answer the prayers of another. Ask and you receive. Ask for a miracle and it will be delivered.

MIKE: And that’s all for this week’s segment of The Power of Prayer. God bless. May the Lord answer your prayers. Don’t forget to check out our web site for extended interviews and you can also download this program from the site. We also have inspirational books and DVDs or sale or you click on the link on the home page to donate towards keeping this program on the air.

PAT: Goodbye. May the Lord bless you and keep praying for a miracle..

MIKE: Amen and goodbye.

Closing credits to the tune of the hymn “Lord, Slaughter the little Children”.