The birth of Clarence Hagerty—my father-in-law—was a surprise and something of a miracle. His mother had had an operation designed to prevent her from having any more children. And his survival during World War II was also something of a miracle. He was on the front lines at Salerno, Italy, on September 9, 1943.
On that very evening at the Bible College of Wales, students met to pray for the Allied troops. At 9:45 PM they met a second time. The director of the Bible College, Rees Howells, announced that the Lord had impressed upon him the need to pray for the Allied troops in Salerno. “Soon everyone was on their knees imploring God to intervene. Suddenly at 11 PM they broke into spontaneous singing and rejoicing, believing that God had wrought a miraculous intervention…. Then they all listened expectantly to the midnight news. The radio announcer said that unless some miracle happened, the Allies would be pushed back into the sea…. The next day the newspaper headline read, ‘The Miracle of Salerno.’ It reported that the pounding by the Nazi artillery on the first day was so heavy that it was obvious that unless a miracle occurred the beachhead could not be established. Then suddenly, for no accountable reason, the enemy artillery ceased firing—at eleven o’clock.”1
I’m sure the Lord had many reasons to move the students at the Bible College of Wales to pray for the troops in Salerno. But one of them was the survival of my father-in-law. We recently asked him about the battle of Salerno. He remembered all too well, and it was evidently too painful for him to talk about. We are thankful the Lord preserved his life. Not only has he been a great blessing in God’s kingdom, but so have his children—one of whom I was privileged to marry—and their children, including my own.
This story reminds me of the power of God, and how he uses the prayers of his people to move the course of history according to his kingdom purposes. For example, I’m reminded of Elisha, who in the face of “certain” capture prayed that the eyes of his servant would be opened to see the multitude of angels the Lord had sent to deliver them from the king of Aram (1 Kings 6:8ff). The hills were full of horses and chariots of fire—God’s army on behalf of his servant Elisha and for the sake of his kingdom.
I’m reminded also of the time the Father did not grant a request of his Son—that "this cup" pass from him (Mt. 26:36ff). This request was not granted, in part, so these words of Jesus might prove to be true: "Ask anything in my name and I will do it" (John 14:14). The Father, in not granting one request of his Son, was granting other requests: "Your will be done" (Mt. 26:39) and "Glorify your Son that your Son may glorify you" (John 17:1). The Father's response to all these prayers of his Son was that Jesus conquered sin and death.
As a result, we his people may confidently ask him—even in the face of wars and rumors of wars—anything related to the full coming of his kingdom. If we are too caught up in other things to take the time to pray for it, he may pass us by and move others to pray. His kingdom has come, is coming and will fully come according to his promise that was secured through the death and resurrection of Jesus, and is now manifest through the presense of the Holy Spirit. So..."Ask anything in my name and I will do it."
1E. Michael and Sharon Rusten, The One Year Book of Christian History, (2003) p. 506