Ms. Helen

The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with (James 5:16b MSG).

Ms. Helen always sat on the left side of the sanctuary. She was always at church early, and she could be found sitting near the front, Bible in hand, head either bowed or eyes focused on the stained glass window above the baptistery. There was never any question what she was doing, because Ms. Helen was always praying. She was a tiny wisp of a woman, but her presence filled every room. An otherworldly peace radiated from Ms. Helen, and people were drawn to her. I often sought her out in the quiet moments before service started, and almost as soon as I would sit next to her, “How can I pray for you, Jessica?” would leave her lips. 

In that season of life, I was a newlywed, college graduate then fledgling teacher, and young mother, and Ms. Helen lifted my weary and teary requests to the Lord on countless occasions. She prayed with me in each circumstance that came up during those years–bold and audacious prayers for the good, the bad, and the ugly–and I know she continued to pray for us after we moved away. When Ms. Helen said she was praying, she meant it!

We’ve learned a lot about living a life that’s Integrated with faith these last four weeks, but prayer is what brings it all together. How should we respond to trials and temptations? How can we practice living out our faith and good works? How do we live our faith outside the walls of our churches? How do we avoid showing favoritism to one group of people over another, and what to do about our unruly tongues? The key lies in prayer. When we’re “living right with God (v16)” we know what and when to pray, and we’ll be bold in doing so. 

Ms. Helen’s faith was so intertwined with everything else in her life that it was hard to see anything but Him when you looked at her. She was in her 80s when I knew her, and she talked frequently of the years and years she practiced walking daily with God in all areas of her life. She lived a righteous life, and in my mind and many others, her name is still synonymous with prayer all these years later. Proof of a faith Integrated that we all should strive for.

Ms. Helen spent hours each day in prayer, but your challenge today won’t take that long. Just pray! If you need a place to start, try this: “Thank you for another day, God. I’m alive, and I’m thankful. What are we going to do today?”

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