What Is Not Known

Around here it is not an uncommon thing to have some music playing during mealtime.  It is played soft enough to be heard, but not loud enough to hinder conversation.  This morning Cristy Lane was singing from an album entitled, "Footprints."  Lane enjoyed a season of popularity in the country and religious arena back in the last '60's and early '70's.  It so happened that breakfast and the album wound down at the same time.  The last song came to its end and the voice of the singer was heard thanking the listener for listening and then she offered her favorite prayer.  It was a most unusual ending for a musical recording.  As she started praying "The Lord's Prayer" a quiet stillness settled over the breakfast table as my wife and I bowed our heads and prayed along with her.    

As best I could discover Cristy Lane still lives at age 84.  I cannot help but wonder if she imagines that people are still being drawn into a spirit of prayer while listening to music she recorded back in 1981.  The moment around the table set me to thinking about the lasting power of our praying.  When does its effective power end?  Does it ever end?  I have a friend who speaks of prayers we think of as being unanswered as being stored in heaven until God is ready to use them to accomplish His purposes.  It is certainly true that many of the faithful prayers offered to God find their answer long after the saint has entered into eternity.    

The truth is we have no idea how long our prayers remain full of power for the work of God.  We pray them asking that His will be done and sometimes we may find ourselves waiting beyond our own lifetime to know that such has happened.  The prayer I heard and prayed this morning at breakfast began 43 years ago and still had the power to draw me into a moment of worship and prayer.   "Never stop praying"  is a good paraphrase of I Thessalonians 5:17.  We never know who and when our prayer may touch another.