THE POWER OF GLOBAL PRAYER

          Prayer changes things! Every praying Christian knows this is an absolute fact. However, with the help of technology, prayer, itself, is changing. Since the advent of rapid comminication delivery systems, prayer has entered a unified worldwide dimension. E-mail and fax capabilities make it possible to get prayer requests around the world immediately. Thousands of intercessors can be praying for a critical situation within a half hour's time. Then thousands or perhaps millions, networked in worldwide prayer, begin to beseech God for a critical, personal difficulty, a no-hope condition, or an international crisis, miracles begin to happen. Such was the case for Rosalie Willis from Post Falls Idaho.

          On January 15, 1998, Rosalie was at home concentrating on the Christian conference she was planning to attend in Yakima, Washington the next day. Her mind was mulling over what to take and other things in preparation for the trip. Suddenly, she saw bright lights in the line of vision of her left eye. The lights were covered with a paisley pattern. A sickening weakness seized her body but she managed to get to her bed and rested there for over an hour. Feeling that she had somewhat recovered from this strange occurrence, Rosalie continued to get ready for the conference. Not much thought was given to the eerie, bright lights she had seen, for her mind was on the meeting.

          Upon returning to her home in Post Falls, Idaho, following the conference, she had a message on her answering machine asking her to come to Cove,Oregon for the rest of the week. This request concerned her ministry, A Company of Women, of which she is president and founder. Knowing that the trip to Cove, Oregon was important to her and to the ministry, she made the five-hour trip alone by car. The return trip home came a few days later as she drove the uneventful trip at night. She later realized the protective covering of the Lord over her and thanked Him for protecting her during that trip.

          Safely at home, the next evening, she had a repeat experience with the bright lights. The same abrupt weakness consumed her again. So overpowering was it this time that she had to grab hold of a chair to keep from falling. Finally, getting herself in bed, she rested through the night. Morning came and she attempted to see her doctor. Unfortunately, only the nurse practitioner was available. After examining her and cleaning out her ears, she was told that she had water on the eardrums. An antibiotic was given, some antihistamine prescribed and Rosalie was sent home.

          Later that day, even more bizarre, jagged, bright lights appeared before her. She didn’t know what to make of this obstruction of her vision. None of this was making any sense at all. During the night, the truly unexpected happened. She had two seizures, which flailed her body about like a rag doll. These uncontrollable spasms flung her to the floor. When she managed to regain her stability, she called the hospital. The emergency room doctor said to come in immediately. In her condition, she didn’t feel able to drive herself to the hospital. She was instructed to call her doctor in the morning.

          Daylight finally came and was to bring Rosalie a season of time that will be in her memory forever. The day was Wednesday, January 28. Little did she know that she was being primed for a miracle. She attempted to see her doctor but to no avail. Subsequently, she checked herself into the emergency wing of the hospital. Rosalie knew that something was drastically wrong with her body but didn’t know what it was. As she described her symptoms to the emergency room doctor, a barrage of tests were ordered and an immediate M.R.I. Test results the next day showed a problem in the carotid artery. Assuming that it was clogged, surgery was scheduled for the afternoon of the following day.

          Her critical, erratic condition refused to cooperate and wait for the appointed surgery. She stroked at 5:00 a.m. Friday. The stroke left her paralyzed, blind, deaf and unable to breathe or speak. For three hours, she was unconscious. By the grace of God, the paralysis left and all of her faculties were restored. The decision was then made to proceed with the surgery. By 11:00 a.m. Friday, January 30, she was in the operating room.

          To the surprise of the surgeons, the artery was not clogged at all but dissected and shredding, actually disintegrating. Blood thinners had been previously given and she was bleeding internally. While on the table, Rosalie stroked once again. At this point the surgeon came to the room where the family waited in apprehension. His words were not those that the family wanted to hear. He simply, and as gently as possible, told them that he had done all he could. He said ‘There’s not much hope.” Rosalie was then taken to the ICU recovery unit but only for a short time. The monitors reported that she was not responding properly. The repaired artery had not held. By 6:00 that same Friday evening, seven hours after the initial surgery had begun, she was rushed back into the operation area. Another arduous five hours of surgery transpired.

          Needless to say, everyone was exhausted by this time, doctors and family alike, not only physically but emotionally. If and when a doctor relates there is not much hope, it takes strong faith to over-ride the words of the physician. Human nature tends to listen to what the expert has to say. In spite of great spiritual strength, fatigue has a way of coloring one’s thoughts. Fear and apprehension can cast a shadowy opaqueness over faith and hope. Didn’t the doctor say, “There’s not much hope”? In an exhaustive situation, these words can leave a giant impression.

          Specialists are well trained and most know what they are doing. They do, however, have limitations. Doctors cannot perform miracles. This limits their level of hope in many cases. A man of medicine can do what he is trained to do—that is all.

          At a point of impasse, intercessors must then do what they are trained to do— seek God and believe. An intercessor’s hope and faith must rise above the world’s system by reaching out and touching the God of miracles. Surely, that must have been what happened with the family of Rosalie Willis during that very long day. Certainly, those closest to her who had been alerted to pray didn’t listen to the report of the world. They purposed in their hearts to believe the report of the Lord, standing in faith, knowing that only God can heal human tissue.

          As the surgeon approached the family after the second surgery, he came offering more hope; hope, yes, only if the artery would hold. Both the doctors and the intercessors did his/her part, God was released to do what He does best, to activate the impossible.

          By the end of that traumatic Friday, Rosalie had endured two strokes and 10 hours of surgery, a long time to be under anesthetic. The doctors could not imagine her being able to come through that many hours of surgery in a twelve-hour period, in light of her precarious condition. Their hope was on shaky ground at best. But the saints of God were interceding, and thank God, the artery held.

          After the initial crisis of the first day, her family reached out to other intercessors. Her daughter contacted Christian Women’s Outreach by phone asking that prayer for her mother be put out over the prayer network. She said the next few days were critical to her survival. Immediately, the prayer request went out through the International Prayer Network. Intercessors around the world mobilized for prayer.

          Four days later, however, Rosalie stroked again. Physicians were able to control the stroke this time because the artery was stable. Still, this led to further complications. Her life situation was tenuous during the early part of the 24 days she was hospitalized.

          Her daughter Shanette flew in from Seattle the first day and never left her side, 24 hours a day for the first month. As Rosalie gradually improved, she was finally released from the hospital. During the next seven weeks, she recuperated at home. Her daughter scheduled round-the-clock help from faithful and loving women from her ministry, A Company of Women.

          Rosalie e-mailed the International Prayer Network on April 12th to share the joy of her recovery. She writes, ‘Today is Easter Sunday and I know my day of resurrection, too. I went to church for the first time this morning. The nurse that was with me more than any of the others was there. She didn’t recognize me; there has been such a transformation. What a shocked look came upon her face when she finally realized who I was. People were so totally shocked at what happened to me and now so amazed and their faith strengthened at my recovery.

          There are no words to say how much it meant to me to be included in the International Prayer Network each week knowing there were people all over the world praying for me. I have never known the body of Christ to come together in prayer like they did for me. Every day I’m learning of more who prayed with all their hearts and are so happy to hear the results. I’ve learned more about prayer in the past few months through experience than ever before. It’s been an awesome journey.”

          Our God still shows that He is in the miracle-working business as we pray in one accord! How many people prayed? It’s not known. The only thing we know is that Rosalie Willis is alive and well to continue her work for the Lord. It is also known that there is tremendous power in unified global prayer and, today, it is a reality.

          Christian Women’s Outreach, Inc., and International Prayer Network are dedicated to linking the world in prayer. The network accepts personal, missionary and ministry prayer requests as well as local, state, national and international requests. The prayer requests go out the first of each week by fax or e-mail. In the event of an emergency, the request will go out immediately. We gladly fax in the lower 48 states but will only e-mail outside of the continental United States. If you have prayer requests or choose to be networked to pray with us, please submit to one of the following addresses or numbers: