Several years ago when both my wife and our daughter-in-law faced surgeries involving biopsies for cancer, we asked friends everywhere to pray for them. Letters, e-mails and phone calls enlisted the power of prayer in our time of concern for those we love. Thankfully, both of them were found to be cancer-free.

After reporting the good news to churches and individuals who had been asked to pray, an e-mail arrived from friends saying, “What would we do without prayer?” What indeed?