Oct 9.97: Light For The Day - "Let's Keep Praying!"

Because you prayed --
God touched our weary bodies with His power
And gave us strength for many a trying hour
In which we might have faltered, had not you,
Our intercessors faithful been, and true.
-- Charles B. Dowser
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"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all
kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind,
be alert and always keep on praying for all
God's people." -- Ephesians 6:18 

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"Let's Keep Praying!"

Irina Ratushinskaya's childhood quest for God,
even while she was hearing school lectures promoting
atheism and mocking Christianity, led her to a deep
and unflinching faith. Her poetry expressed that
faith and brought inspiration and hope to believers
all over Russia.

It also brought her to the attention of the KGB.
At age 28, Irina was arrested and sentenced to 7
years hard labor in the Bareshevo labor camp. There
she was subjected to relentless interrogations,
chilling cold, starvation, hard labor, and months of
solitary confinement.

Irina's faith did not break. During the lonely nights, 
huddled against the cold wall of her cell, she composed
poetry in her head about God. When Irina was finally
released, she credited the prayers of believers for
sustaining her. In one of her poems, she wrote:

Believe me, it was often thus:
In solitary cells, on winter nights
A sudden sense of joy and warmth
And a resounding note of love.
And then, unsleeping, I would know
A-huddle by an icy wall:
Someone is thinking of me now,
Petitioning the Lord for me.

I wonder, have we been faithful in praying for people
who are going through difficult situations? Our prayers
can make a difference!

- David C. Egner

You can expect God to intervene
if you're willing to intercede.

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"So Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer for
him was made to God by the church." 
-- Acts 12:5 (RSV)

"The LORD has heard my supplication;
the LORD accepts my prayer. -- Psalm 6:9 (RSV)

"O LORD, in distress they sought thee, they poured
out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them."
-- Isaiah 26:16 (RSV)

"And he told them a parable, to the effect that they
ought always to pray and not lose heart." 
-- Luca 18:1(RSV)

"Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation;
the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
-- Mark 14:38 (RSV) 

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Lord, thank You for inviting me
To come and talk with You;
Now help me to revere this time
And pray my whole life through.
-- K. De Haan

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