I love the fact that, while things weren’t looking all that good for Peter (His head was NEXT on the chopping block), what made all the difference was that fervent prayer was being made by the church on his behalf. If we read the rest of the story, we learn that God heard their prayers and Peter was delivered from the prison. But what amazes me is that, when Peter was delivered, those who had been praying for him couldn’t believe it. The text says that when the young girl, Rhoda, heard someone knocking at the door, she recognized Peter’s voice, and was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door! The response from the church… “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel” – (verse 15). Oh my! Why is it that even we who call ourselves “Christians,” and who joyfully walk in the faith, tend to relegate prayer to being, well, “the least that we can do” for someone? Really… the “least” we can do? And then, when God answers our prayers in just the way we ask Him to, we’re astounded?

You know, until recently, I’ve been privileged to serve not only as a Christian minister, but also as a hospice chaplain. The company I worked with was also a very large and wonderful rehab center serving people at every stage of life; so one “mantra” we often shared with our clients was: “From birth to death, we’ve got you covered!” And as you might imagine, ministering as a hospice chaplain pretty much placed me at the very far end of that “birth-to-death” spectrum. While I do not currently serve in the capacity of a hospice chaplain, still, my ongoing service as a minister of the Gospel often places me in that very same position. By the time a patient becomes “one of mine,” they’ve pretty much exhausted just about everything modern medicine and technology can do for them.  So, what’s left?

Well, there’s still “LIFE”… right? I mean, every one of my patients is a beating heart, a living, breathing soul. There’s still “LOVE” … right? Every one of my patients is a heart full of emotions, experiences, memories, relationships, sorrows, joys, and love! And there’s still “GOD” … right? He who created us, He who love us most of all and knows us intimately, He to whom we owe every beat of our heart, every breath that we take, every thought, every imagination, every desire of our mind.

Sometimes I think I can’t get any closer to God than when I’m at a patient’s beside knowing it’s only going to be a little while till they see Him face-to-face. And in those moments, nothing seems as incredibly precious, powerful, and healing to the heart and soul as the gift of “PRAYER.” Sometimes, when I offer to pray with a patient, it’s almost as if I had just offered them a truckload of diamonds, or something. And, through tears, they cling so tight to my hand as, together, we communion with the One who truly loves us most of all! 

~ Phil