People of great faith inspire me. People of faith who have journeyed through life encountering difficult trials and held fast to the Lord inspire me even more. I learn so much from them.

Patricia King is one of these faith-filled people that has inspired me over the past 10 years and continues to challenge and grow my faith continues to challenge and grow my faith by her obedience to God and childlike trust in Him.

Patricia tells a story of her father-in-law and the prayers she would pray for years for him to encounter Jesus. She prayed faithfully, even though it angered him to know she was praying. He didn’t want Jesus. He preferred hell.  And he let her know it, time and again.

But Patricia had a promise from God and a love for her father-in-law that no amount of scorn could touch. 

It was Patricia’s childlike faith that believed God for His promise that  “all of her household would be saved.” It’s a pattern found throughout Scripture, beginning in Genesis when God saved Noah and his household from the flood. Entire families were saved from the plague of death during the Passover from bondage in Egypt. Joshua spoke on behalf of his household, that “we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). And in the book of Acts, a Gentile named Cornelius was saved along with his entire household (see Acts 11:14).

Patricia trusted so strongly in God’s promise for her and her household, that because He was the Righteous Judge, she believed He would be faithful to His word—even into eternity. If she stood before Him in eternity and her family was not present in heaven, she had faith that God would call them into His presence based on His promise to her.

She would share this sentiment with her father-in-law every time she saw him, which only made him angrier. Years later, Patricia received a phone call from her father-in-law who was in the hospital. He was dying. When she arrived to see him, he told her that he was ready for heaven. He had decided to become a follower of Jesus. It’s a beautiful story, but it doesn’t end there. Patricia’s father-in-law received a miraculous healing, and ended up walking out of the hospital. He went on to become a pastor, and spent many years in the ministry.

As much as you love your family members, God loves them more.  Jesus lives to make intercession for them. The Holy Spirit takes on our prayers and intercedes for them “with groans too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). There is a constant chorus in heaven voicing prayers and declarations over your family. Join your voice with theirs.  Pray with your spirit, and with understanding.

‘But praises rise to God, for He paid attention to my prayer and answered my cry to Him! I will forever praise this God who didn’t close his heart when I prayed and never said no when I asked Him for help. He never once refused to show me His tender love” (Psalm 66:19-20). The Lord bends His ear to listen to you.

If you need more encouragement on how to pray, please watch this short video I created with a summary of Graham Cooke’s book, Crafted Prayer. It’s a great place to start!