What Can God Do With One Woman's Hour of Prayer?

As darkness fell over the sky last night and stars shone through, one middle-aged mom slipped out to the back deck of the house. She had signed up for one hour of prayer a day for three days, from 9 to 10 in the evening, over the time of the American pullout from Afghanistan.

 It was supposed to be a 24-hour prayer chain for the Afghanistan situation, but that idea (which happened to be the mom's) kind of fizzled. Heart-warmingly, several people responded about the prayer chain with extra prayer, and the middle-aged mom herself ended up praying at other times rather than from 9 to 10, to make sure she got the time in, or she was discouraged about the prayer chain and sluffed herself. 

Which left her feeling like not the greatest prayer warrior in the world. 

More like one who went to pot.

And then there was last night.

Determined to spend the hour she'd signed up for, the mom went out to the deck in the semi-darkness, with the lights of the house shining through the windows, just enough to keep her from stumbling around the swing her son had made and the dog sleeping curled up in front of the door. Oh, and I must not forget the two half-grown kittens leaping about on the railings and scuttling underfoot in the darkness, being totally and unequivocally irreverent.

And the first thing the mom asked God was, "What can You do with one woman's hour of prayer?"

One woman's one hour of prayer was not very much compared to the vast needs in the world.

She folded her hands together by the back door and reached up to the sky that was full of stars, like she was taking hold of God's hand, and--it felt like she really was taking hold of God's hand. 

The clasp was so strong, like she could feel His hand taking hers.

Strengthening her grasp.

Maybe it was just her imagination, but faith is about what you cannot see--or feel. 

When there are no words, hands can pray, too. 

And God can reach down and take your hand. He really can, when 

hands pray in the night.

No pictures were taken, so I have none to share. 

Just the question, "What can God do with one woman's hour of prayer?"
 

Can He do what He did with one little boy's five little loaves and two fish?

Can He multiply an hour of prayer like He multiplied the loaves and fish to feed thousands of people?

Can He multiply one hour of prayer into the worth of many thousand,

and reach down to take the hand of thousands of broken and frightened people in Afghanistan?

Can He rescue many, protect many, blind the eyes of the bloodthirsty hunters of Christians?

Can He grow the small church in Afghanistan even in these awful times?

Can He break the heart of murderers until they throw away their AK-47's and choose to take on the name of Christ, like Saul of Tarsus?

Can He block the evil plans of unrepentant men and women?

Can He turn many wicked plans upside down, bring on their own heads the plots of evil men,

 work even all this evil for good in Afghanistan and around the world?

In China, North Korea, Iraq, and yes, America?

What can God do with one woman's hour of prayer?

What can He do with your prayers?

I wonder.