PRAY: Legacy of Faith
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to share about the legacy of young missionary BJ Higgins, the subject of I Would Die for You (Revell, 2008). As I began, I mentioned a dear friend who went to be with the Lord this week. When I think about prayer, the first person on my mind and heart is Anne Clary Nigels. Anne was a wife, a mother, a grand- and great-grandmother, a teacher, an artist, a comedienne, and especially a prayer warrior and faithful disciple of Christ. When our family first came to Fort Johnson Baptist Church in Charleston, SC, people kept telling me, “Oh, you need to get to know Anne Nigels. You’ll love her!” For some reason, it took us several months to meet (it’s a large church with multiple services). My friends were right. When Anne and I met, we became instant and forever friends. We spoke often because of our mutual leadership in the prayer chain. And we prayed together often—over the phone and in person. Even after our move to Florida, we stayed in touch and never had a conversation that didn’t also include a prayer. What did Anne teach me? I can think of at least a few lessons. •LOVE GOD: Anne had a passion for the things of God. If I dropped by for a visit, I usually found her on her couch or on her back porch, God’s Word in hand. She studied the Word, she knew the Word, and she taught the Word. If you knew Anne, you knew that Jesus came first. •LOVE PEOPLE: I’ve never met a woman who loved her family more. When they triumphed, she rejoiced. When they hurt, she cried. And when her beloved husband Mac died a few months after his diagnosis with pancreatic cancer, she grieved. But Anne’s love spread far beyond her family. Everyone who knew her experienced the warmth of her heart and the personal interest she took in their lives. •JUST PRAY IT: Anne not only received prayer requests—she prayed. Her rule was that if you wanted to become part of our church prayer chain, you had to be willing to pray out loud when a need was shared. This bothered some people, but Anne didn’t care. She taught me by example to pray passionately, fervently, and immediately. These days, I’m much less likely to tell someone, “I’ll pray for you” and much more likely to pray over them right away. That’s to Anne’s credit and God’s glory. •KEEP PRAYING: I don’t think it ever failed. If I mentioned a need she and I had discussed months before, Anne would say, “Oh, yes. I was just praying about that!” and ask for...
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