“Keep us from harm and danger, in both soul and body. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.” I can not tell you the times I have heard my Daddy pray that at the end of nightly family prayer. It was always comforting to know that Daddy was praying. As the years go by, the more that prayer means to me. I look back over my life, and I believe Jesus remembered that specific prayer being prayed in consistency.
A time when my family was riding to church together comes to mind. At one point another road intersected into the road we were driving on. Cars coming from this direction must stop at the stop sign before proceeding on. Unfortunately many cars do not acknowledge this directive and continue at their current speed. This was the case this particular night. I remember we all watched in horror as the car did not stop, but miraculously we were never hit. To this day, we have no explanation of how the car did not hit the side of our car. Surely Jesus remembered Daddy’s plea.
My Daddy has done so many things that impacted my life. He provided for me financially by working multiple jobs. Because we lived on a poultry farm, he used the opportunity to teach me the value of hard work. He instilled in me the value of an education and promoted learning daily in our conversations. Daddy encouraged me to become an active voting citizen with a love for the history of America. Aside from all of these contributions that have made me the woman I am today, I would say Daddy’s Christian walk and faithfulness in prayer has impacted me the most.
I find myself today with my own children and husband setting up an alter of prayer in our living room. I often listen to my husband begin our prayer with, “Lord, we thank you for all the blessings of life.” I never want to forget where prayer has brought me, and how we should always turn to the Lord in thanksgiving. My desire is that my children will continue to pray as their Mama and Pa have prayed before them, “Keep us from harm and danger, in both soul and body. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.”