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From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Dear Rev. Graham: I have been praying for a particular person for several years. I don’t really know her, but I knew her grandmother. The granddaughter grew up in a troubled home, and my heart ached for her and the abuse she endured. I’ve lost track of her and don’t know if there is value in praying for her. For all I know, she may be deceased. – P.P.

Dear P.P.: Those we know the least may need our prayers the most.

For 20 long years, a dear woman prayed for three boys who lived on her street. She wanted them to know Jesus, but the boys’ mother prevented her sons from talking to the woman about spiritual things. Nevertheless, the faithful lady called their names in prayer – even after they left the neighborhood. Years went by, with her having no idea where they were.

One of the boys, while in college, was drawn into a Christian bookstore. He bought a Bible and began to read it. Soon, he started attending a church and gave his heart to Jesus. That was the home church of the lady who had labored in prayer for this young man and his brothers. How thankful she was that she had kept praying. That young man became a pastor and a preacher of the Gospel of Christ.

The Bible says that we should never stop praying (see Luke 18:1), and this is especially true when the Lord impresses on us to pray for people who cross our paths and are in our thoughts. Never stop praying, no matter how impossible a situation may seem. Our responsibility is not to tell God when to answer our prayers, but to trust Him to act according to His will.

(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)