More from Ronda Lehman

Since I wrote my devotional for The Upper Room, I have been amazed at the continued opportunities I have had to pray with people and share with them the comfort and peace that only God can provide.

Several months ago, I was alerted that someone was in the hospital and was very frightened about his recent diagnosis. While I know his wife, I did not know the patient quite as well. When I walked in his room (with his permission), he looked visibly scared. He didn’t know what his future might hold, and he was very uncertain. His wife was not in the room at the time, and I was a little hesitant about what I should say or do. He immediately reflected that his earliest memory of me was seeing me at our “little country church.” I visited and tried to provide comfort, then asked again if I could pray with him. He was receptive. 

What I found out later was that he had “refused pastoral care” when they tried to visit earlier in the day. Yet, when I offered to pray, he said yes. This is another reminder that God uses everyone, not just those called into ministry, to share the gospel and provide words of assurance. He later told his wife about our encounter, and she cried as no one had been able to offer these words of hope to him. He died just a few weeks later, and I hope and pray that God’s words through me were helpful.