Lynda and I were pleasantly surprised to find “The List” in our local video rental store. It’s an adaptation of Robert Whitlow’s book of the same title. We hadn’t heard of it, but Lynda had noticed a book by that title on the “best seller” rack at the Christian book store an hour or two earlier. That’s what initially caught her eye. What surprised us initially was the the mention on the jacket that there was a group Bible study guide included in the extras. The movie’s theme surprised us even more – the prevailing power of prayer. It had established actors and was very well done.
I took two lines from this movie that I’m adding to my collection of quotes:
“God’s children and His enemies make the same mistake; they underestimate the power of prayer.”
and
“I have said prayers for you that I believe will be answered after my death.” (In a note left for Lenny, one of the main characters, by his mother before her death.)
— This last one reminds me of my aunt’s prayers for my cousin.
In an article reproduced on the movie’s web site (http://www.thelist-themovie.com/index.html), filmmaker Gary Wheeler says that he tells audiences that the movie can be condensed into one phrase – “the prevailing power of prayer.” He says, “We very much had someone on set praying all day, every day, because it’s a movie about the power of prayer. We had to live it out.”
Another line that struck me, which I didn’t copy exactly, is about forgiveness. The same character who referred to our mistake about prayer, Lenny’s landlady – a retired missionary – told how she was able to forgive. She wrote down all her complaints and took them before the Lord and let them go. Then she burned the list. (This isn’t the “list” of the movie’s title.)
Bottom line: We need to be taking prayer much more seriously.
“The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness.” James 5:16b (NET)
