By Rev. Doug Forbes

A while back my daughter Joy and I had the privilege of visiting with Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of Evangelist Billy Graham. Anne has written many wonderful books and she is a popular conference speaker. During our visit we discovered that Anne is not only a gifted speaker and writer, but she also has quite a sense of humor!

I am currently reading Anne’s latest book, The Daniel Prayer. Her stories about her world travels are riveting, and the principles of prayer she gleans from the Bible Book of Daniel are thought provoking and inspiring.

The Daniel Prayer teaches us that God always listens to our prayers, and that He has the power to change our hearts, our lives, our families, our communities and subsequently our world. Some of the questions Anne answers in her book include: How do I know that God listens to our prayers? How do I know that God cares about my prayers; and will He answer them? Why should I pray? Does it matter where I pray? What difference does my prayer make?

In Daniel Chapter nine, Daniel poured out his heart in prayer. What happened? Heaven was moved and his world was changed for the better.

This wonderful book reinforces for me the power and importance of prayer. I was reminded that prayer still works today, and I was encouraged to keep prayer a vital part of my life. We are never too busy to pray for a friend, family member or neighbor. Prayer is a most valuable gift that we can give to others and it costs us only a few minutes of our time.

I would encourage you to take the time to read Anne’s new book, and even more importantly take the time to pray for someone in need.

Caption: Rev. Doug Forbes visiting with Anne Graham Lotz.