PRAYER REALLY WORKS

Dave Ramsey, known for his plan for dumping debt, has 5 steps out of debt (not to be confused with his 7 baby steps to winning financially). You might find the third step surprising. It is: Prayer really works. That's right, positioned right in the middle of stop borrowing money and get an extra job is this step: Prayer really works. Dave by the way tends to be pretty direct about the message he wants to get across. He doesn't say, "Try not to borrow so much." He says "STOP BORROWING MONEY". And when it comes to prayer, he doesn't say, "Try praying about it". He makes the statement that "PRAYER REALLY WORKS". We all know that anyway, right? So why do we usually pray as a last resort?

I am reminded of last summer when my mother-in law was in the hospital with a broken hip. The biggest problem wasn't that she had a broken hip. The biggest problem was that she was terribly confused and agitated. She kept trying to get out of bed so she could "get to the hospital". Trying to be the helpful daughter-in-law, I first tried using logic. I very calmly explained that she had broken her hip and needed to stay in bed. In a very irritated voice, she informed me that she knew she had a broken hip and that's why she was trying to get to the hospital. Next, I tried using authority to get her to calm down and stay in bed. I told her she wasn't allowed to get out of bed and the doctor had given orders for her to stay in bed. This approach was no more successful than the first since she felt she knew better than any doctors in the place and was happy to correct them at any time. Feeling desperate after 2 days of trying to get her to calm down, I suggested we pray about her situation. I was somewhat surprised when she took me up on it. I held her hands to pray and she started immediately, telling God that she was in a terrible fix and she didn't mean to irritate the people around her who she knew were trying to help her, but she just didn't know what else to do. I followed her words with my own request that she be able to rest and put her confidence in the people around her who were there to help her. It was an amazing moment. It didn't miraculously clear her mind or calm her down but she was more cooperative and she didn't try to get out of the bed again prior to her surgery. Like Dave Ramsey, I have to say, PRAYER DOES WORK--IF YOU USE IT.