Washington Metro Train Crash Survivor Powered By Prayer

This is not a story of religious zealots we read about all the time when they act against what Christ taught. This is not about one faith over another. This is about faith and the power of prayer, especially in times of crisis.

Papa Roy sent this today and it fits this story very well.

Good morning, and Happy Birthday, America!

There is no need to give up

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.

Paul is saying, “Whatever honor is ascribed to me has its source in you Thessalonians.” It is Paul’s honor to introduce his converts to the Lord Jesus Christ. When he sees the Lord, he will know that his team’s glory will be people in heaven because of their witness. This is legitimate pride because it is based on what God did through them. Our reputation in eternity will be based, in part, on winning people to Christ. Do you have a part in building up Christ’s Kingdom? Will people point to you that you had a part in bringing them into the Kingdom? You can shape tomorrow by starting today. (K. Krell)

In God we trust: The LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace. (Psalm 29:11)

Papa Roy

One last thought: Don’t give up!” Paul encouraged them. “Lay hold of the spiritual resources you have in Jesus Christ. You have the Word of God within you, the people of God around you, and the glory of God before you. There is no need to give up.” (Wiersbe)

USA Independence day hope

We hold these truths to be self-evident-that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

If you believe you have been targeted by God, then you carry that within you in everything you do. You will struggle with every single event in your life searching for something to bring you comfort. You will search drugs and alcohol, sex, riches, possessions and power. You will seek to hurt others so that you will feel better about yourself justified in your attacks against others. Yet when you seek your own, you wake up empty, bitter, lonely and still wondering why you were picked on by God. Yet when you believe thru faith and understanding about what God truly intended for you, blessing you with the strength you needed in times of crisis, then you are filled, sustained by love, rejoice with what you are able to give to others and thrive on lifting others up out of their own despair. This is a story about such a young man.

'I Really Believe God Was in There With Me'
Metro Crash Survivor Says His Long Reliance on Prayer Saw Him Through
By William Wan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, July 4, 2009

At 6 feet tall and 240 pounds of muscle, Daryl Smith Jr. cuts an imposing figure. It was that brawny build many passengers recalled after last week's deadly Metro train crash.

Survivors from the first car of the colliding train -- the one that ended up half-demolished -- recalled a big man who smashed his way through the backdoor and helped fellow passengers escape.

As investigators have looked for clues to the crash's cause, Smith, who is 19, has been searching his memory and pondering his faith, trying to find meaning in the wreckage.

Smith, who comes from a deeply religious family, said he felt God's presence amid the crash. He doesn't understand why the crash happened, but he said that he believes God intended for him to be there and that prayer helped him survive.

"As a kid, I was taught that if you needed something, you ask God for it," he said in an interview a few days after the crash. "That's what got me through this thing -- prayer. I really believe that."

Of the crash, Smith said what he remembered was the sound. One moment, he was sitting with his girlfriend, cracking jokes to make her laugh. The next, there was a boom. When it was over, he was lying on a pile of seats, his right foot cut and pinned by debris.
go here for more
I Really Believe God Was in There With Me