Somewhere along the journey through pain and suffering, most of us reach a point where we no longer have the strength, the will, the words, or even the thoughts to pray. And at the same time we long to connect with God. We may long for Him to give us the answers we seek. We may long for Him to reach down from heaven and intervene in an impossible situation. We may long simply to know that He has not abandoned us in our place of pain.

I know I reached that point in my battle with cancer. I was desperate, I was scared, and I found it difficult to talk to God. I found myself praying, God, I know you'll never leave me or forsake me, but right now it feels like You're gone. But the Bible says You'll never leave me or forsake me, so I know You're still here." It was so frustrating to pray that honestly and not to receive a response that I could recognize. Yet somehow I knew that in the midst of it all something I didn't understand was happening.

During that time I was blessed beyond belief with a wife who became God's mouthpiece to me. Jan faithfully searched the Bible and unfailingly shared God's promises that gave me the strength and peace to endure. She made me realize that yes, God is real, He does care, He does love me, and He will provide whatever I need for the journey. I knew God listened to my prayers because Jan told me He did! (And I knew that there was no arguing with her to the contrary!)

Not only did Jan become God's voice speaking to me, she prayed for me. I vividly remember being in great pain and hearing Jan cry out to God in prayer for me. Her prayer wasn't anything fancy. It was real basic. She simply poured her heart out to God on my behalf. Her prayer comforted me and it taught me. It helped me realize that I don't have to "pray well" to connect with God. All I have to do is pour out my heart to Him.

Jan was also one of many people all over the country who were praying for me. It was a tremendous encouragement to know that even when I couldn't pray for myself others were praying for me. Just knowing that encouraged me to press on and pray for myself.

I know prayer gets hard. I know what it is like for God to be quiet - real quiet, I know what it is to have overwhelming needs that seem to go unmet. Even so, our connection to God through prayer is necessary to our relationship with Him, so I encourage you to pray.

If you are suffering, my desire is that this issue of The Encourager will encourage you to honestly cry out to God. He is listening! If you are a friend or a loved one of someone who is suffering, I encourage you to pray earnestly on his or her behalf. There are many things we are unable to do for our loved ones who suffer, but we can always pray. Our prayers for those who suffer are a precious gift. We may be surprised by the ways in which God honors our prayers and helps His precious, suffering children connect with Him.