It has been said that the most effective position for prayer might be dangling upside down from a rope, 60 feet down a well shaft with your nose just 6 inches from the water.
All that might be heard coming up to the surface from the dark recess below would be, "God, help!" Yes—short, sweet, well-directed and most effective.
But whether we're in a well or not, our task remains the same. The urgency and sincerity of a personal plea toward a strong hand from beyond to rescue us is part of every Christian's calling.
It is noteworthy that in all the words recorded in the Scriptures, Jesus didn't give His disciples a lecture on how to be public speakers, but He did teach each of us how to "dial in" and pray to the only One who can make a difference in our lives.
Christ made it perfectly clear that He has demands on our time and hearts when He said, "When you pray" (Luke 11:2). The bottom line is simply this: Heaven above has expectations of us here below. We are to pray!
Imagine for a moment if 100 million people were listening in "when you pray" as you offer your deepest, heartfelt plea to the Almighty. And imagine facing a situation so critical that you desire all 100 million to join you in a united prayer to the One who can make things happen. Yes, imagine the very survival of civilization is at stake!
Does this seem too unreal or too large a task? Well, you can put your imagination button on pause, because history shows that this has already occurred and not that long ago.
History hung in the balance
Recently, Steve Padilla of the Los Angeles Times documented this action in an article titled "A Prayer for Extraordinary Times" appearing on June 9, 2007. This special prayer is additionally documented in American Gospel by Jon Meacham under the heading "The D-Day Prayer" (2006, pp. 168-172).
