Pray-ers

by Kathy Ross

Imagine yourself at the breakfast table in a crystal-chandeliered ballroom with a few thousand-that's not a typing error-men and women, young and old(er), from 160 nations, praying in the name of Jesus, sharing songs and testimonies of His love and of His desire and power to change the lives of those who repent and receive His salvation. Another thousand or so sit in an adjacent room, linked by closed-circuit television. Now imagine that the ballroom crowd includes the president of the United States and the first lady, the vice president and his wife, the Speaker of the House, the Senate majority and minority leaders, scores of congressmen and congresswomen and senators, the chairman and other members of the armed forces' joint chiefs of staff, cabinet members, supreme court justices, secret service agents, newspaper reporters, clergy and lay people, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and the Reverend Billy Graham. Does this seem a bizarre fantasy, a wild dream? I would have thought so too if I hadn't been there in Washington, D.C., to see, hear, and taste this scenario in person.

I'm still digesting the National Prayer Breakfast-and I don't mean the food! The beauty and blessings of this event, actually a cluster of events over two days, exceeded my expectations in every way. Actually, I didn't know before going what to expect. I must admit I suspected that national leaders would be less than direct and bold in their witness for Jesus, especially in the presence of their peers and leaders of diverse religions. Was I ever wrong! And was I ever uplifted!

Of all the encouraging stories I heard, the one that most powerfully impacted me came from a Japanese man. A former boss in Japan's version of the Mafia, he now serves the Lord as a pastor and evangelist, leading hundreds to Christ. A young Korean woman loved him enough to pray for him "without ceasing."

I thought of the people who seem to me "impossible" prospects for salvation, and I laughed at my puny faith. From now on, this man's story will remind me that God delights in answering our prayers for those who seem beyond hope.