Author Garry Friesen writes: When my friend Reilly told me about his first visit to our church, I learned something about prayer. Reilly says that after the service he lingered, talking to this person and that. When he stepped outside, his four-year-old daughter, Melody, did not come out. By then the building was empty, and the door was locked and could be opened only with a key.<\/p>\n\n
Reilly called through the mail slot in the large oak door, "Melody are you in there?" A small frightened voice answered, "Yes, Daddy." Then Melody put her hand through the mail slot so Daddy could hold it until someone fetched a church key. Melody could not see him, but she knew her father was there, and she was comforted.<\/p>\n\n
Prayer is like a comforting hand through a mail slot. The Father is there listening and comforting even when you can not see him.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"template":"","tax_ctp_audience":[310],"tax_ctp_authors":[],"tax_ctp_categories":[165],"tax_ctp_format":[171],"tax_ctp_illustration_types":[411],"tax_ctp_multimedia":[],"tax_ctp_point_editor":[],"tax_publications":[140],"tax_ctp_tags":[3637,3969,4271,4400,4519,4679,4699,4903,4905],"tax_ctp_topics":[],"class_list":["post-48632","sermon-illustrations","type-sermon-illustrations","status-publish","hentry","tax_publications-ct-pastors","tax_ctp_tags-comforter","tax_ctp_tags-fatherhood-of-god","tax_ctp_tags-international-day-of-prayer","tax_ctp_tags-love-of-god","tax_ctp_tags-national-day-of-prayer","tax_ctp_tags-prayer","tax_ctp_tags-presence-of-god","tax_ctp_tags-security-in-god","tax_ctp_tags-see-you-at-the-pole"],"acf":{"scripture_references":[{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null}]},"yoast_head":"\n