The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. – James 5:16
I have seen the love of God through the lives of many wonderful people. One of those special persons is Doyle Bigham. Doyle was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Lawton. Doyle made a great impact on my life. He wasn’t my teacher or my preacher. Doyle was a member of my home church. Decades older than me, Doyle and I did not hang out in the same circles. I did see Doyle every Sunday morning at worship. He was a faithful and active leader in our congregation.
One summer, our youth group was going on a mission trip to Juarez, Mexico. We loaded our bus with tools and luggage and a lot of teenagers. The front seat of the bus was occupied by Doyle. He decided he needed to go with us. I loved getting to know Doyle on that trip. I learned so much about his life and his faith.
As I was entering college, I was also making plans to enter the ministry. Doyle was an active participant in the Gideons, an international group of businessmen who are dedicated to sharing Christ through the distribution of Bibles and the sharing of their testimonies when they have a chance. When Doyle found out that I was pursuing a career in the ministry, he shared my name with his local Gideons’ chapter. They began to pray for me, and I am sure many others, at their Saturday morning meetings. Doyle had made a difference in my life through how he lived and now he would make a difference in my ministry through prayer.
I deeply appreciated Doyle sharing my name to this group of men. Their long-term consistency of prayer and care made a significant impact on my life. Throughout college, seminary, and my first several years in the ministry, Doyle and the Gideons in Lawton, OK lifted me to God in prayer. No matter what challenge I was going through, I knew that Doyle was going before God on my behalf.
Doyle Bigham showed me the love and grace of God. He taught me that when we are willing to invest our time and our prayers on behalf of others, we will have a great influence on them. Doyle impacted my life through his faith and his prayers. I give thanks for the grace that was at work in Doyle’s life and I am thankful that the same grace is at work in our lives today.
Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
