Somebody’s Praying!

Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

In the wee early morning hours of July 4, the first reports of flash flooding began to come in from local officals in Kerr County, Texas. Around 7 am, people were being evacuated from the Guadalupe River in light of catastrophic flooding and multiple fatalities. By early afternoon, it was reported that this “devastating and deadly flood”, had far surpassed the flood of 1987 making it the highest flood on record.

The flood was even more devastating because it came at a time when most people were asleep. Camp Mystic, the “girls only” camp along the Guadalupe River lost power and wi fi capabiites. In a letter to parents, the camp told them that if they had not been personally contacted, their daughters were accounted for. What about the parents who got no such communication?

The mayor of Kerrville asked the nation for prayers during this dangerous time as he reported the death of 59 people, 21 of them children. It was heartbreaking news, but it was brought close to home when we heard that the grand daughters of two of our friends were at Camp Mystic. There were tense hours before it was confirmed that their girls had been rescued by helicopter. Finally, this family could take a breath, but there were so many others still missing or confirmed dead.

On Sunday, the news only got worse as we learned of more and more families who had still not heard the fate of their loved ones. We went to church with mixed emotions as we faced the reality of this devastating disaster. Even though we had been praying, deep down I’m sure many of us were wondering if all these families could feel the love and prayers we were sending.

The service proceeded, then the beautiful ladies of the choir’s ensemble took the microphones to sing the anthem. The name of the song was Somebody’s Praying, and from the first verse, we felt as though we had the answer to our questions.

The song was written by John Elliott, but it was Ricky Scaggs who made it popular when he included it on his 1991 album. The following words tell the story.

Somebody’s praying, I can feel it; Somebody’s praying for me. Mighty hands are guiding me, to protect me from what I can’t see. Lord, I believe. Lord, I believe, Somebody’s praying for me.

Angels are watching, I can feel it; Angels are watching over me. There’s many miles ahead ’til I get home, Still I’m safely kept before your throne. ‘Cause, Lord, I believe; Lord, I believe, Your angels are watching over me.

Well, I’ve walked the barren wilderness, where my pillow was a stone; And I’ve been through the darkest caverns where no light ever shone. Still I went on ’cause there was someone who was down on their kness. Lord, I thank you for these people praying all this time for me.

Somebody’s praying, I can feel it; Somebody’s praying for me. MIghty hands are guiding me, to protect me from what I can’t see. Lord, I believe. Lord, I believe; Somebody’s praying for me!

As of this writing, over 170 souls are still missing and 120 deaths have been recorded. As the numbers of the missing increases and rescue missions become recover missions, we will probably never know the number of folks in Texas who are being touched and strengthened by the prayers of so many. However, we can be assured that God is seeing to it that they feel those prayers and the strength they bring to them.

In times of crisis such as this, prayers can be our source of comfort, strength, and guidance. This week as we continue to pray, remember to petition God for His intervention and trust His power to handle it. As we move forward, remember to trust His promises and find peace through faith.