Eight O’clock

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

James 5:16 NIV

Howard Cadle started drinking at age twelve and was soon in the grip of every kind of addiction. He also became caught up in a sprawling Midwest crime syndicate. His worried mother could do nothing but pray. “Always remember, son,” she said, “that at eight o’clock every night I’ll be kneeling beside your bed, asking God to protect my precious boy.”

One evening in a rampage, Howard pulled a gun on a man and squeezed the trigger. The weapon didn’t fire, and someone knocked it away. It was exactly eight o’clock. Shortly afterward, Howard made his way home, penniless and ill. “Mother,” he said, “I’ve broken your heart. I’d like to be saved, but I’ve sinned too much.”

His mother, using Isaiah 1:18, led him to the Lord. Howard Cadle went on to become a successful businessman, Christian leader, and one of America’s pioneer radio evangelists, preaching on Cincinnati’s powerful WLM. “Until He calls me,” Cadle once said, “I shall preach the same gospel that caused my sainted mother to pray for me.”

Don’t forget to pray for your children, and never give up. The prayers of a righteous parent are powerful and effective.