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Five hours before the Allied troops hit the beaches of Normandy, glider pilots flew troops and supplies behind enemy lines. Towed by a cargo plane they flew at low altitude over the English Channel. Often the cargo plane’s props sprayed salt water over the gliders, along with the spray of water; they had to fight the wind and fog. Once across the water the planes had to increase altitude to avoid hitting trees. The exploits of these brave men are included in The Silent Wings Museum located near Lubbock, Texas.

“Silent Wings”, what a great way to describe intercessory prayer. As our prayers go up to Heaven, God’s power and grace reaches out to those who are in need. One of the best things we can do for a person is to pray for them. When we pray for others we are on the spiritual front lines. A person may not be able to sing well, or may not be a good speaker, but everyone can pray.

One of the goals of prayer is to build a relationship with our Creator. We grow spiritually as we expand our request to include others. The focus is no longer ourselves but becomes “thy will be done.” Just as the pilots had to stay focused on their mission, we should also stay focused on the needs of the ones we are praying for. The glider pilots were more concerned about the larger picture then their own personal safety.

This doesn’t mean the person we are praying for, will sail through their day without any problems. We don’t wave a magic wand and say, “Be thou blessed.” Just as the soldiers were sometimes hindered in getting the supplies, our prayers sometimes get hindered. If in the Bible Daniel’s prayers were sometimes hindered, I know Danny’s prayers are too.

What it does mean that as we pray for someone, God supplies them with extra love and grace. They have a continuous supply of his power. Like the soldiers who were able to keep going because of the supplies, our prayers can give strength to others.

The glider pilots had instructions to follow and we have guidelines as well. My dad once worked with a man that was a glider pilot. The man told how they would tape a string holding a pencil to the ceiling of the plane. If at anytime the pencil wasn’t hanging straight down they knew they were flying either upside down or sideways. In the same way we have the Bible as our guide. If our prayers don’t match with the Bible, we know our prayers are off course.

Intercessory prayer is not a one time hit or miss operation. When we look at the epistles Paul wrote we find words like, “always”, “day and night”, or “without ceasing” not exactly your temporary words. It is easier to keep up with when Paul didn’t pray instead of keeping up with when he prayed. Whether it is long hours of prayers or short prayers throughout the day, prayer is a way of life.

If you were brave enough to fly a defenseless box through the air you qualified to be a glider pilot. If you are willing to give of your time you qualify to be an intercessor. The prayer needs are endless. If you start setting time aside to pray for the needs of others you will see God start answering your prayers. To be a Prayer Warrior is one of God’s highest callings. In Heaven there may be a place set aside for those volunteers who served as spiritual silent wings.

Copyright 2005 by Danny Woodall