The Perfect Prayer

THE PERFECT PRAYER I was leading the service at church Sunday night. We were deep in the throes of a spiritual fight. The preacher was gone, emotions ran high. My first thought was no, but I knew I must try. When it came time to pray, I wasn’t prepared. I was feeling the pressure as everyone stared. In searching my mind for guiding direction, my wondering eyes made an easy connection. He was a principled man who never said much. Most knew him for his compassionate touch. Before I could weigh all the risks it involved, I had asked him to pray, my problem was solved. He reluctantly agreed with a nervous little smile, then started in, “God…” and paused for a while. He struggled intently for words to compose. As each moment passed, the room-tension rose. A silent prayer, not what I first had in mind, but we all had one going for words he could find. A long awkward silence; I had counted to ten, when he finally yelled, "Help!" and a quiet, "Amen." Laughter burst out over what had occurred. He summed up our anguish with one masterful word. This spirit-filled man, I had put on the spot, had patiently waited for the answer he sought. Our healing began from that heartfelt plead. When we give it to God, He knows just what we need. With hope now replacing any thoughts of despair, I thanked him for praying the perfect prayer. The Perfect Prayer was based on a true experience I had at a high-school youth retreat. The scenario was slightly different, the impact was the same. This piece, one of my favorites, has been published in several publications. Sometime, I think, we make prayer too complicated.