"Yahweh is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous" (Prov.15:29, NKJV).

It actually took the form of a dream I had in which I found myself in the world. All around there were groups of people, large and small, as well as individuals. I saw several groups of people fighting each other (within their groups) and having no idea why they were fighting - they were locked in a meaningless cycle of violence. It was important to steer around these people as they would not only never respond to the voice of reason byt would try to kill you for reasoning with them in the first place. The breaking of the cycle of violence would either have to be ended by the combattants themselves or they would destroy one another.

I also saw groups of children huddled together in places that were safe havens from the anarchy and violence around them. They were being watched over by adults. But by far the most interesting part of the dream for me personally concerned individuals in danger and how they were protected by Yahweh.

I have had many questions for Him about this subject and I feel I was getting some of the answers I have been seeking as I have often wondered why our part is important.

In the dream I saw, in the distance, a woman approached by a man dressed in a pale coloured business suit. He looked middle-aged. I instantly sensed something dangerous about him and without hesitation lifted up a catapult and a stone - a really thick catapult like the one Chinese our cook in Malaysia used for hunting monkeys - and fired the stone at the man, striking him in the forehead just as David had done with Goliath with his pebble and sling. The man, only inches away from grabbing the woman, staggered under the impact. The impact seemed to sufficiently disable him as to allow sufficient time for the fatal blow to be delivered. For then a large vehicle struck him and that was the end of him, and the woman was saved.

What was interesting about this was that no sooner had I struck the assailant with my own stone than a stone game whistling past me and struck someone intent on doing me harm. He was virtually on top of me - I had been in as much danger as the woman I was protecting! The stone struck my assailant and that is when I awoke - I assume that he was taken finished off by other means just as the man in the light business suit was taken care of by the truck.

Our prayers ARE important - they can mean the difference between life and death.

This has got me to thinking. We are commanded to pray and we are told that the prayer of a righteous man or woman is most effective! Prayer is a partnership with Yahweh with us taking early action under the direction of the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) and Yahweh taking care of the rest. I still do not udnerstand why Yahweh has this arrangement, I only know that this is how He works with us. We have our part and He has His. He inititiates, we make the first prayer-response, and He takes care of the rest. It is important that He does the initiating for each one of us otherwise prayer is useless other than to perhaps senstitise us to care about others in general.

"I will pray with the ruach (spirit), and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the ruach (spirit), and I will also sing with the understanding" (1 Cor.14:15, NKJV).

Prayer us still a mystery to me and I may never fathom it in this life or even in the next. I only know that Yahweh commands it, that it is effective if the Ruach (Spirit) leads us in it, and it can often be the difference between life and death. So join with me, please, in renewing your commitment to listen to the Ruach (Spirit) and to pray as Yahweh leads - you may save someone's life! Others are praying for you and they may already have saved your life!