1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”
James 5:16 “. . . The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.“
All of my life I’ve had a terrible habit that I haven’t been able to break. My mother always lets me know how unladylike it is – and I agree – I just can’t stop! No matter how hard I try I just can’t keep my hands out of my pockets.
Over the years I’ve lost my ability to remember things (even my name once or twice). To compensate for my memory “challenge”, I have been known to write myself notes and stuff them in my pockets. Sometimes the notes prove useful, but most of the time they get wadded and creased and become illegible by the time I truly need them.
One day, while browsing through a Christian Bookstore (my very favorite pastime), I came upon “A Cross In My Pocket” coins and medals. They come in several shapes and sizes. I began to search for five separate medals, each with its own special purpose. Before long I had found just what I wanted – the miracles had begun.
The largest coin has a cross on the front with “Dad” engraved over the top. On the back is a prayer of thanksgiving for who he is. This coin would represent my husband. With a silent prayer I slipped him into my pocket.
The next largest coin says “Jesus” across the front and it cites a scripture on the back. It is the heaviest coin and represents my heaviest burden at this time, my teenage son. So easily he could turn the wrong way, yet through prayer and intercession I have faith that he will remain on the right path. With a silent prayer I slipped him into my pocket.
Next comes a nickel with a cross stamped out of the center. It was new and shiny, and the perfect coin to represent my 9-year-old son who has not yet shown an interest in drawing close to the cross. With a prayer I slipped him into my pocket, along with the other two.
Next is a coppery penny with a heart stamped out of the center. This is the coin, which represents my 7-year-old son. This is a child abundantly filled with a love of God. This is a child that will, one day, help the broken-hearted heal from their wounds. With a prayer he was slipped into my pocket.
The last coin is a light aluminum coin with a cross on one side and the “Cross In My Pocket” story on the other. This coin represents the special needs of the people of the church. One day it represented my two youngest sons’ birth mother, the next day an ill friend, and the next an evangelist with a special prayer request. This coin changes daily, yet it rests in the closeness of my pocket, in covenant with the prayers for my family.
This is my pocket full of miracles. Every time I thrust my hand down into my pocket I feel the coins and I begin to pray. I caress each coin, identify the shape and design with my fingers, and say a special prayer as I hold them.
Like the bit of sand that irritates and festers in the shell of the oyster, the small metal coins that fill my pocket, and jingle as I walk, will bring forth a precious gift, more beautiful than a pearl, in miraculous answered prayer.
What a small price to pay to always be reminded of those people I love, dozens of times a day, and offer up specific prayers to guide their precious lives.
Lord, remind me daily that I can never pray too often for the wonderful people you’ve placed in my life. And, even though I may never see the answer to all of those prayers, may I always remember that You have the answers in the palm of Your hand, and that you will release them when the moment is right.
Linda J. Humes 
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