The Power of Prayer

By Ken Akers

A recent event in my life reminded me that prayer is both important and powerful! On February 6, my wife, three volunteers, and I traveled to Haiti. This year marks 20 years since I began making trips to volunteer with Mountain Faith Mission. Over the years, I’ve experienced many miracles and blessings.

On this recent trip, the day after we arrived, the country erupted in turmoil. Chaos and riots against the current president swept the country—what Haitians call manifestations. Roadblocks of rocks, trees, trash, and burning tires piled in the streets. You don’t dare drive through or around them. Many people are hurt or killed during these dangerous events.

While we felt safe where we were, we knew we needed to leave the country. We hoped after a few days things would calm down, but that was not the case. Things went from bad to worse. I began to use Facebook to reach out to prayer warriors in the States. We were located 45 miles from the airport in Port Au Prince, the nation’s capital. The trip normally takes two to three hours. Information we gathered indicated no way to reach the airport due to the roadblocks at many points along the way.

As we began to pray and ask for prayer, we knew God was listening. Without going into great detail, we secured a helicopter to pick us up in an open field and drop us off in a secure area of the airport. Once there, two Haitian airport workers met us. They helped us through security to the Delta desk then back through security, customs, and immigration. We reached our plane with minutes to spare.

These terrifying and exciting events are not the only answers to prayer we have encountered in Haiti. We met a man who told us he had been brought back from the dead through prayer. We spoke with a Haitian pastor who gets up at 3:00 a.m. every morning to pray. One morning while we were there, as he started praying, the demons showed up (not uncommon in Haiti), and he fought with them through prayer.

Then I recall a moment in 2006. After two heart attacks, I had been scheduled for bypass surgery. My surgery started at 6:00 a.m. and was supposed to last until noon. After complications, it lasted until 4:00 p.m. It was 9:00 p.m. before I woke up with all the tubes out of my throat, so I could talk with my family. A few days later I learned my Haitian friends gathered at 6:00 a.m. to pray for me on the morning of my surgery. They continued all day, praying until 9:00 p.m. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

I know some people may be skeptical when they hear these types of stories of God’s direct intervention. But I can tell you firsthand: there is power in prayer, and God is listening!

About the Writer: Ken Akers is CFO of North American Ministries and director of Free Will Baptist Master’s Men. Learn more: www.fwbmastersmen.org.