What If He Had Not Asked....

March 2026

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When disaster strikes, human beings help those most vulnerable to despair through a variety of    actions. We rush to the scene with offers to help, or give money so needs can be met. Our assistance might be a meal brought to a home or just sitting with someone who has experienced significant loss.

But we must not minimize or forget to do what our critics call “senseless, magical thinking;” we must remember to pray, which keeps alive the watchfires of faith on dark and dreary night seasons of life.

Max Lucado, in his book, For These Tough Times, highlights an individual we seldom notice; the anonymous person sent by Mary and Martha to tell Jesus that Lazarus was sick (John 11:3). His (or her) identity is not mentioned by John; maybe he did not ask or had simply forgotten the name. No matter: the name was less important than the act of going to Jesus on behalf of a friend.

The request began a movement in Jesus’ ministry and thoughts, directing Him toward the village of Bethany and the home of His close friends. Jesus hears the prayer, stops what He is doing and takes note.

God is able to silence everything else and listen to us; a rare privilege! Our voice matters in heaven; God takes us seriously and listens intently and carefully to our words.

Prayer activates God’s power! Because this unnamed individual makes a request, one of the mightiest miracles in history happened. We are left to wonder if the resurrection of Lazarus would have occurred if the  request had not been made.

The next time you question the effectiveness of prayer, remember this: when you speak, Jesus hears, and when Jesus hears, the world changes!