Somebody Prayed for Me

— By Hattie Whitehead —

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and shall praise the name of Jehovah your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you; and my people shall never be put to shame. (ASV)

Joel 2:25-26

There is a song that we occasionally sing in our church that says, “Somebody prayed for me, had me on their mind, they took the time and prayed for me.
I’m so glad they prayed, I’m so glad they prayed for me.” 

That has recently become more clear to me than ever, that somebody prayed for us and that people are still praying for the lost, the least, and the left out and looked over. People of all races, colors and nationalities, male and female, rich and poor are taking time to intercede for others in prayer. 

I have long thought about what happened to my family and the many families of Linnentown, how we were driven from our homes and how an entire community evaporated into thin air, just so that someone else could build the future at the expense of our future. As I have embarked upon this journey of “Giving voice to Linnentown,” it has not gotten this far without prayers of so many people, people I knew, people I’ve known over the years, and people I’ve never seen nor known their names. 

With prayer, not only are the people interceding, but God intervenes on our behalf; He intervenes and rebuilds, He restores, and if we allow Him, He will reunite His people. What has happened over the past couple of years with Linnentown has been nothing short of a miracle, and it’s due to the love, the prayers, and the concerns of countless people seen and unseen who labor in prayer for the underprivileged, the under-counted, and those who have had their lives and their future exploited and sabotaged by the greedy, the powerful, and the selfish. While reparations is a good start to repairing the damage done, it in no way compares to the restoration that God provides. 

“Lord help us to esteem others better than ourselves, and help us to understand that as we do it or not do it unto the least of these our brothers and sisters, we do also unto you.” Amen.