The "Long Toms" Prayer

From: Charlie Dean - deacharles@gmail.com

“And call upon me, and I will answer him… Psalm 91:15.”

“The Lord is far from the wicked, but he heareth the prayer of the righteous… Proverbs 15:29.”

My Dad was a WW II veteran. He served in the United States Marine Corps in Artillery. I used to sit and listen to him talk to my Uncle, a former Air Force Pilot, about WW II.

Dad told me a story about a call for help that came in. The enemy was attacking and they needed artillery support. Dad said that there were no guns that could reach out that far. But Dad was in charge of the biggest pieces of artillery in those parts. He manned three 155 Howitzer artillery pieces. He used to call them "Long Toms." Dad, being a country boy, used to call guns that name when he had to shoot game for the table and it was too far away for normal rifles. But old Long Tom would reach out and touch things that thought they were safe.

He said he put the guns on those coordinates and the men worked in unison as one team. Like a well-oiled machine, they worked, and soon the rounds were screaming onto the designated targets. The men at the other end said they could see the surprise of the enemy when the rounds started coming in. They thought they were too far away. Yet, when the artillery rounds start coming in they scream, or made this loud noise, as the round goes through the air. The sound gets louder and louder until it hits with devastating results. The enemy knew before the rounds landed, they were in trouble.

In Vietnam, I was a radio operator and also received calls from outpost where the enemy thought he was too far away to be reached. They thought they were safe. We were fighting to free people from oppression and doing so under adverse circumstances at home and in the field. They called me, I called back to the base and they called out our version of Long Tom. Now I've had a chance to see the new Long Tom then. It was a 175 Howitzer and when it fired the ground would move up and down and you had to cover your ears. You just knew someone was getting an answer to a call of trouble.

As Christians, we too can call on a power that can reach the need we have no matter what. Dad was a Christian and so am I. We both believe in the power of prayer. Jesus took that walk to Calvary to set into motion the machinery that could set us free from sin but also make it possible that our prayers could reach heaven without having to go through a third party. We can boldly come before the throne of grace and in Jesus' name have our prayers heard by God; heard by an authority that can do anything. It can reach any need; it can put down the enemy no matter where they are.

Just like in Vietnam and in W.W.II, when you pray, if you have ears to hear, you can see the enemy responding even before the prayers are finished. They ask, "What’s he doing?" The answer, "Praying," "To Whom," the answer, "To God," through whom, the answer, "Jesus." Then the answer of the prayer that's in accordance with the word of God comes and the enemy runs for cover. Oh, they thought they were safe, too far away to be reached, but not by the Great I Am for he loves those that are called Christians and follow his Son, Jesus.

Don't think God can't touch your need, don't think God can't reach even your greatest need. The machinery is there, ready to fire out your answer, but to fire, the call must come in, you must ask, you get not because you ask not, ask and receive and praise God for Jesus and what he's done for us all. The enemy's greatest hope is that you give up on prayer. If you don't ask, prayers can't be answered. Pray, ask, received the answers you need.