Devotional 3-17-14

The Power of Prayer

Last Fall my husband, Steve and I took a 45th anniversary trip that included two days in Israel. To say that it was a profound experience would be an understatement. For me, one of the most moving sites was the Western Wall. It is the outer retaining wall of the Temple whose destruction Jesus predicted. It is all that is left of the Temple which was destroyed in 70 AD. For generations it was known as the Wailing Wall. It became the Jews' holiest place of prayer--the closest they were allowed to get to the site of the sacred Temple. As I made my way to the women’s side (yes, it’s divided), I felt a sense of reverence. But nothing prepared me for what I felt when I put my hand on the wall to pray. The wall moved! It felt like it was alive as it vibrated under my hand. Wondering if I had imagined this, I asked a friend if she had also felt it. Yes, she felt it too. (The men's side was too crowded for our husbands to actually touch the wall.) It wasn’t until I was home that I realized that what made the wall move was so many people praying softly. The Jewish people, unlike us, were praying softly out loud. At first I was disappointed to have a physical reason for the wall moving. But the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a wonderful metaphor for the power of prayer.

Margaret Williams