MEMORIAL DAY -- Remembering a Great Warrior for Christ

In my new daily devotional, Battlefields & Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II, I was honored to be able to include several stories about a young British soldier from Scotland named Dan Snaddon. The reading for September 30th is as follows:

Do We Believe in Prayer?
Dan Snaddon grew up in a small town in Scotland, joined the Royal Army Medical Corps, and became a prisoner of war when the Japanese captured Singapore. For almost four years he lived in utter deprivation and was witness to horrible abuses against himself and his fellow prisoners. His story is an amazing witness to the power of his relationship with God and how his prayers sustained him through conditions that seem impossible for anyone to have endured.
After he was released he had time to reflect on what prayer meant to him. He first thought of his mother's promise to "go (every morning) into your bedroom at 8 am and kneel at your bed and pray for you." He thought of his hometown church and all his brothers and sisters in Christ who kept praying for him, even when they didn't know if he was dead or alive. He concluded firmly that, "I believe that God answers prayer." He then went on to challenge other Christians about the strength of their beliefs:

"Worldly men laugh when Christians mention the power of prayer. We are not altogether surprised at this, but let us take ourselves to task. Do we really believe in prayer? I am inclined to believe that deep down in our hearts we really doubt the power of prayer, although we acknowledge the power with our lips. This was my own experience, but prayer is real. It is something tangible. I have found out from my own personal experience that prayer moves the hand of Him who moves the universe. God answers prayer. It is one of the most powerful and potent means that God has put into the hands of the believer. In fact, one has written that ‘Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees.'"

We know that God does not always cure the sick or save those in danger. If we believe the Apostle Paul's words that "to die is gain" (Philippians1:21), we can safely assume that God's plan is at work no matter the outcome. But we can take even stronger encouragement from Dan Snaddon's witness that he has seen God respond to specific prayers, and especially, that he has been sustained through the direst possible circumstances by his relationship with God through prayer.
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. ~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
(Note: the quoted passages are from Dan's book, Through the Valley of the Shadow, published by Christian Missions Press)

Postscript:
Dan Snaddon came to the United States in 1959, where he devoted himself to teaching and preaching about the Savior who sustained him during the many hard times of his life. Dan passed away in Texas on May 17, 2009, and will be memorialized by his nephew and pastor, Jim Hislop, on Saturday, May 23. Throughout his life, Jim considered Dan as his spiritual mentor and his own "apostle Paul." On this Memorial Day many will honor and mourn this great soldier for Jesus Christ.