In 1973,

when former Vietnam POW Jeremiah Denton stepped off the

plane at Clark Air Force Base in the Phillippines after

more than seven years of painful and humiliating

incarceration, he delivered a couple of lines before the

microphone that sounded rehearsed; then his voice broke,

and he cried, "God bless America!"

It was the

ultimate prayer of praise and supplication of a man

coming home. The crowd broke into applause and tears.

No Supreme

Court ruling could have stopped him from uttering those

words. I'm certain of it.

When

Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo. was being

ravaged by bullets last year and teachers and students

were hiding in closets, under tables and behind what

doors they could lock... when those students who

attempted to minister to their beloved coach had to watch

him die because they could do little more than attempt to

make him comfortable as he gasped his last breaths...

when parents stood panic-stricken for hours beyond lines

that had been drawn to prevent them from getting to their

children... prayers went up in unison.

No Supreme

Court ruling could have stopped such utterance.

Last week,

when my daughter-in-law was having surgery, I sat down on

the stairs of my home with my two grandchildren and the

three of us prayed for their mom. I prayed aloud. I don't

always pray aloud, but the kids need to know it's okay to

pray for those they love and care about. I prefer to

teach daily prayers, daily walking with God, daily

thanking Him... but we all need to know that it's also

okay to cry out to God when we need help or when someone

we love needs help.

No Supreme

Court ruling will ever stop me from praying silently or

aloud in the privacy of my home or heart.

A number of

years back I sat alone on my sofa watching the Dallas

Cowboys compete in a playoff game near the end of the

season. I couldn't tell you who they were playing, but I

can tell you that when Roger Staubach was rushed and went

down and wasn't moving for a bit, I was praying.

Silently, seriously praying.

I do that.

At red lights I pray for folks in the car next to me. I

usually ask that the individual be guided to a full

realization of all God is and how much He loves and cares

for them.

I never

hear an emergency siren that I don't pray for the fireman

or medic or policeman who is responding to a call.

Usually, I pray for their safety, and that God will give

them wisdom and courage to serve as needed. And I almost

always get a lump in my throat as I silently whisper such

prayers.

Years ago,

when I was active as a professional nurse, I was drawn to

the terminally ill. Not always for what I could give to

them. More often for what they gave to me. When folks

realize they are dying, many hone in real quickly on the

important things in life, and if you are ever lucky

enough to share the last weeks or days or hours with one

who is coming to the end of his or her days on earth,

don't take such a privilege lightly.

Though

there was nothing I could do to halt the inevitable, I

could pray for my patients, and I did that as I performed

whatever measures were indicated to give some degree of

physical comfort. I did it in the clinical setting. I did

it in patients' homes. I did it in the privacy of my

heart.

Why am I

writing today about an act that normally is very private

for me?

Because I

do not understand the "Christian" response to

the recent Supreme Court ruling forbidding

school-sponsored prayer before a school-sponsored event.

Does

anybody remember what Jesus said just prior to reciting

the model prayer as an example for us all? As he

addressed the multitudes, along with His disciples,

during His famous "Sermon on the Mount," he

said quite emphatically, "Beware of practicing your

righteousness before men to be noticed by them... and

when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites who love to

stand in the synagogues and on the streets and be seen

and heard of men... but when you pray, go into your inner

room and pray there in secret and your Father who sees in

secret will respond openly..."

So, what

gives here? If Americans want to pray, that's one thing,

but if we want to argue and fight about prayer that's a

whole `nother thing. If the energy and commitment that is

applied to arguing and fighting in the name of the Lord

was spent talking directly to our creator, and serving

others in His name, then there would be no need for any

Supreme Court ruling on prayer. Prayer would rule.

You can

write to me at P.O. Box 246, Gay, Ga. 30218 to respond to

this or any other column.