The Power Of Prayer
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Several years before I went to prison I had destroyed a
wonderful friendship with a lady I'll call Jo. Her and her husband, along with
her mother, where really wonderful to me during some rough times in my life.
She suffered long with me through the grueling, pain staking process, of
rehabilitating my leg as I learned to walk again. I was strung out on all kinds
of pain pills, and drinking a quart of whiskey a day. I was a functional drunk
for the most part, but I could really get out of hand, and at I one point I did
something that completely destroyed this family. I never dreamed that , her, or
her mother, would ever forgive me or speak to me again. I later found out that
Jo would periodically check the DOC web page to make sure I was still in prison.
She was really scared of me and I suppose she had good reason. After I got to
prison and the Lord begin to change my heart, I developed some spiritual
disciplines of spending time with the Lord in His word and prayer. Every morning
I would get up around 5am, and would spend till 8am with our Lord. In prison
these are the quietest times before all the craziness starts, most of the other
times it's just loud and crazy. I loved these three hours every morning, and I
had some awesome prayer time. During these times with my Lord, I would pray
earnestly for Jo and her family. They all grew up in and around church, but
other than the mother, they weren't really living for the Lord. For seven years,
I don't recall very many mornings, that I didn't hand each of them personally
to the Lord for Him to watch over, and put forgiveness in their hearts for me.
About 31/2 years before I got out of prison I received word that Jo's mother had
a stroke and had been put in a nursing home. It wasn't long after that I
received word she had full blow Altimers and didn't know anyone. I remember
praying she would never have pain. After I got out of prison I didn't think much
about them at first. I still prayed daily for them, but I begin to get busy in
the Lords work and didn't have time to think much about it. After being out
about 3 months, Jo had been hearing all about what the Lord had done in my life.
I was speaking all over town, testifying of the incredible changes the Lord had
made in my life. To give you some kind of ideal of what a miracle my life is,
people are always coming up to me saying, Dennis, �don't take this wrong, but we
are so glad you are back in our lives, because you are evidence that God is
alive, and still working miracles. If He can do this kind of miracle in your
life, then He can do anything.� I had several newspaper write ups, so the word
about my life was spreading around town and Jo finally got in touch with me
after a mutual friend persuaded her she needed to see for her self that I was
indeed a new man. Well after a couple visits on the internet, I finally got to
write the letter to her, that I had only dreamed about. I spent many hours
putting the words together, after praying seven years for her, this seemed like
a dream come true...To the glory of God Almighty, today we are better friends
than we ever where before. The Lord has used me to be an encourager in her life
through some very difficult times. It's funny she told me the other day,
Dennis, �the Lord knew exactly when to bring you back into my life, and there's
know way I would have gotten through this as I have, with out your encouraging
me alone.�
The Lord is able to do exceedingly and abundantly, above all that we can ask or think, and you are about to see the truth to these promises of God. As I mentioned earlier the mother hadn't recognized anyone in three years. She is 82 and in really good health, has not had any pain, praise God, but don't know anyone. Jo has been going faithfully to see her for three years, she told me it was so hard to lay there with her mother, and her having no ideal who she was. Jo and I have been doing some really fervent praying and Spiritual warfare on her behalf over the problems in her personal life. She has really had a tough time the past several years, but it's only pushed her closer to the Lord. I felt God was wanting to show Himself strong on her behalf. One morning while I was praying for her 2 Chor. 16:9 popped into my mind. �The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth that He might show Himself strong on the behalf of those who's heart are loyal to Him.� It hit me like the Lord Himself spoke these words to me, Jo's heart has been loyal to Him, it didn't say perfect, but loyal. For 5 years she had put the Lord beyond, and above all else. She desperately needed to see God move on her behalf. She needed some new found confidence in the promises of God because she had been wearied from all the warfare she had been battling against. I asked her if she would like me to ride to the city with her to see her mother. She was overjoyed with my offer, and as we were making the final plans as to how she'd pick me up, I had to speak that same day at a high school, God put a scripture in my mind. I had been praying the Lord to show Himself strong on her behalf because her heart had been loyal to Him. As I thought about the words to the verse God had put into my mind, I begin getting excited, I said to her, Jo God has given me a word. I don't know what this means, but lets pray this verse back to the Lord and see if He'll do some kind of miracle for us today. So I quoted Romans 8: 10-11, which says, �And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.� Now I knew that this lady had the Spirit of God living in her. She was a devote Christian all her life, and she was also a light to the world, she done all kinds of charity work at the hospitals before her illness, and help our community in hundreds of ways. She had fulfilled Jesus' very on words when He said, � let your light so shine before men, that they might see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven.�
Prior to going up there, Jo had sent me some pictures of her mother. As I was looking at these pictures, I became really sad in my heart. Here was this dignified lady, who always had so much life and integrity, who took such good care of herself and everyone around her, and she was lifeless, there was know spirit in her. So before we went that day we both cried out to the Lord, and I prayed those words. When we got to the home, we had to go through a security, door because some of them, like her, where more severe and would wonder off. As we entered into her room I could see life come all over her. She begin to smile and they hugged for a long time. I could tell Jo was overwhelmed with excitement because of the life in her mom. Soon she said mom, do you know who I am, and her mom said, �well of course, you are Jo, my baby.� She hadn't recognized her in three years, and she hadn't know any of the family in the pictures on the walls for that long as well. She knew everyone of them and begin telling stories about them. God had put life into her mortal body, and we witnessed a miracle that day. As we were leaving my heart broke because now she wanted to know what she was up there for. She wanted to go home because she didn't need to be there. We will see what else God might do so join me in praying for this Godly saint. God bless you, and I hope you get encouraged by this testimony, and the power of fervent prayer mixed with Gods promises. Charles Spurgeon's once said, �that expectation is the child when prayer and faith come together.�
dennis hall
If you are interested in donating to this ministry make checks to Dennis Hall Ministries Inc., P.O. Box 2117, Duncan, OK. 73534-2117