Larry's Prayers, Chris's Healing, and Norman's Collapse

“The more sanctified a person is the more heavily weighted his prayer time is in adoration.” – R.C. Sproul

One of my spiritual mentors, Larry Lufburrow, used to spend an average of five hours per day in prayer. Along with his wife Millie, they dedicated their retirement years to interceding on behalf of missionaries around the world. In fact, there was a hallway in their house that contained multiple bulletin boards filled with missionary prayer cards. Larry and Millie would simply start with one bulletin board, then move onto the next one, and continue until they were done. Then they would start all over again.

Because Deanna and I have been full-time faith-based missionaries, raising our own support since 1994, the Lufburrows had our prayer card on their wall. What a privilege it was to be included on their daily prayer list… and how reassuring it was to know that Larry and Millie were approaching God’s throne of grace on our behalf. Being on the spiritual front lines, we needed that daily prayer covering for our family and our ministry. We also knew that Larry and Millie were motivated by their love for our kids, whom they treated as their own adopted grandchildren.

In fact, when our son Chris was about to undergo eight hours of experimental brain surgery following his stroke in 1994, I made one phone call from the Children’s Hospital of Boston. As you may have guessed, it was to Larry and Millie, asking them to intercede on our precious son’s behalf. Chris came through the operation with flying colors, and I have to believe that the Lufburrows’ prayers had something to do with that.

I also remember a time when Larry, who never played a round of golf in his life but was an avid fan of the game, was watching the 1996 Masters tournament. After the third round, Greg Norman was leading the field by six strokes, one of the largest margins in Masters history. In a post-round interview, Norman credited a form of transcendental meditation for his great play, which included a tournament record 63 in the first round.

“I can’t let him win,” Larry told me emphatically. “Otherwise, he will give glory to a false religion.” And so, Larry prayed for Greg Norman to lose… which he did in spectacular fashion… going from six strokes ahead of Nick Faldo to five strokes behind. I honestly think that Larry’s prayers had something to do with Norman’s collapse and that 11-stroke turnaround.

I used to kid Larry that sometimes when I was praying, God would put me on hold if a “call” came in from him. So, what were the keys to Larry’s prayers? Adoration and expectation. Larry frequently reminded me to pray “expectantly”… and I try to do that to this very day.

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16b

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President