Gift of Prayer

I know now the reason why I've been sick for so long. It's given me more time, empathy and sincerity in my prayers for the healing of others. Since my “Power of Prayer” column of 9/1/25, where I asked people to contact me if they needed prayers, I have been gracefully blessed with a multitude of requests. I say “blessed” because it is a blessing and a privilege for me to be able to pray for other people.

I cannot be overwhelmed, like I tell my Creative Writing students when they dump a 10,000 word manuscript on me the night before class. Whether I'm praying for 10 people or 100, I do not grow weary, I energize, like the Energizer Bunny. The room buzzing and swirling with the power of the Holy Spirit working only intensifies as the number of people I pray for grows. I'm not having to rush off to work, or get breakfast ready for my family. If it takes an hour, it's an hour well spent in His presence. Just to be near Him brings peace and healing, and the knowledge that everything's going to work out.

What I've found is that as I pray for people's healing, I'm being healed. It's like one alcoholic helping another. (When I help another alcoholic, my sobriety is strengthened.) Some of the prayer requests I've received for healing are so touching, so emotional, so personal that I feel the reason for my illness and disability is that I have been placed in a position to pray for other people. This brings so much peace to me that I can only say, “Thank you, God, for my suffering.” It's like Corrie Ten Boom thanking God for the fleas.

When people ask me to pray for them, they invariably say they are praying for me also. So, between our church, readers of my newspaper column, and people who ask me to pray for them, I have a plethora of people praying for me. You can't be too thin, have too much money, or have too many people praying for you.

Some of the people I pray for don't even know I pray for them. I'll read about some person's hardship on Facebook and add them to my prayer list. I pray for politicians, too. I'm not one for joining a demonstration or going door-to-door stumping for a politician, but I can sure pray. Pray for your enemies, too. Pray for them for everything you want for yourself. What's harder, praying for your enemy or carrying a resentment that has the power to destroy you?

I'm not big on prayer groups. I feel more spiritual when I'm alone. I know the Bible verse about, “When two or more are gathered together...” Saul was all alone on the road to Damascus when he was confronted by Jesus Christ.

In my early days of sobriety, I was confronted by a figure that was either Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit or an Angel in my bedroom. (I had been praying and thanking God for another day of sobriety.) The apparition pointed its long, bony finger at me, and an electrical bolt shot out of its finger into my body and traveled from my head to my feet. I have been clean and sober ever since — 36 years.

Some Christians are heavily involved in community and church work, like food pantries, teaching Sunday School, Habitat for Humanity, etc. I am seeing that my form of service work may be praying. I'm short of breath, not stable on my feet, and have to stay close to a restroom. But I can sure isolate and pray. We each have our gifts: some have prophesy, others speaking in tongues, still others, interpretation of tongues. My gift might be praying, in addition to writing.

Today, as I write this, I stop and pray for Charlie Kirk and his family, also for Tyler Robinson, his assassin. We need more prayer, not hate.

Have a good story? Call or text Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526 or email him at curtswarm@yahoo.com. Curt is available for public speaking.