Daily Bread Sept. 21

Unspoken Prayer
By Evie Kalvelage of Independence, MO, USA


Humble yourselves and continue in prayer to him; cry to him when you are in your field, and over all your flocks; cry to him in your houses, and over all your household, morning, midday, and evening; cry to him against the power of the enemies; cry to him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.  And when you do not cry to the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer to him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you. —Alma 16:219, 222

Some blessings are too big, too far off my radar, to think of as anything less than small miracles, maybe even medium ones. One week before a writing conference I planned to attend, the doctor hospitalized my husband. Although he came home before my scheduled trip, I waffled back and forth whether to attend because of everything that was happening to Doug.

Being the independent guy he is, and knowing how much I looked forward to the conference, he encouraged me to keep my plan. Linda, my writing buddy, was coming, and I had only seen her once in the last nine months. She’d fought and won a long and painful battle with breast cancer during that time. I needed to be with her.

I knew it would be difficult to enjoy my time away. Worry would cloud my mind and make it difficult to shake the possibility I might have to make a screaming trip home at any moment. Was it worth it? Doug was insistent that I go. He promised he would always keep his medicine and his phone close.

Then Doug’s daughter Katey called. She lives in New York and cannot visit often. Her last trip to see us was about a year ago, and there were no new trips planned. We chatted about Doug’s condition. “I’ve been wanting to visit,” she said.

“That would be great. He always cheers up when you call, and especially when you visit. When do you think you could come?” I asked. She said she could come the next Thursday and could stay until late Sunday afternoon—perfect timing for the conference! What? My jaw dropped and I couldn’t talk for a minute. “If you do, you will be an answer to an unspoken prayer.”

I left for my weekend with complete confidence and peace. Levelheaded and practical, Katey could handle anything that might come up with her dad. Not only that, but he’d enjoy the weekend instead of being alone. My prayer was silent but my thanks are verbal and written. What a blessing on the journey.

Prayer for Peace

Listening God, you hear our cries, our whispers, the longings of our hearts. Help us be aware of the unheard cries of others, of the unknown loneliness, of the unseen needs. Help us give voice to peacemaking.

Spiritual Practice: Intercessory Reflection

Sit quietly with your eyes closed as you enter intercessory reflection and prayer. Ask God to bring people who need prayer to your mind and heart. Be open to images of the people or spiritual insight into their needs. Listen for signals from their lives and let the depth of God’s love for them become powerful and real to you. Write, speak, or think a prayer of blessing and healing for these much-loved disciples and friends. Ask God to help you see ways to affirm and support them when you meet them in daily life.

Peace Covenant

Today, God, I will be alert to signals for help.

Click here to comment or read online.

Comments Off on Daily Bread Sept. 21

Filed under Daily Bread Devotional

Comments are closed.