All You Can Do Is Pray

Does it really help to pray for seemingly hopeless situations? Sarah Torbeck weighs the value of prayer, in light of devastating odds.  

An Ordinary Afternoon

I breezed down the hallway of my elementary school toward the lunchroom to collect my fourth-grade class. I spied the students already lined up in the outer hallway waiting for my arrival. I briefly assessed the line, reminded everyone to keep their hands to themselves, and guided them back to our classroom.

There was usually some friendly chatter as we walked through the halls, but today my students seemed somewhat subdued. I uttered a silent prayer of gratitude as I turned on the classroom lights and began giving instructions about the afternoon lesson.

As I moved to the front of the room, I made another mental note that my students were unusually quiet, and now I looked expectantly toward the children as they put their things away and sat down at their desks.

The quiet seemed to expand.

I stood still and looked at the faces in front of me. Some of my students were staring down at their desks. Others were nervously fidgeting with pencils; still others were staring out the window.

Something was very wrong.

“How was lunch?” I finally asked. “Did you guys eat too much?”

Silence.

A Toxic Discovery

“Is everyone OK?” I asked again; but no one answered. I finally bent down to the student nearest me, and whispered, “Anita, why is everyone so quiet?”

Anita looked at me, and whispered in painful gasps, “Oh Mrs. T., Lucas has a bad book, and he showed it to all of us.” And then she dissolved into tears.

I slowly turned and looked at Lucas — a shy and reclusive child. He had slouched down in his chair and was resting his head on his arms so that I could not see his face. I had to touch him on the shoulder before he would look up.

“Lucas,” I said, “Is there something wrong?” But he didn’t respond. He just sat there staring at nothing. I looked at his face and was suddenly reminded of a caged animal. “Lucas,” I said again, “Is there something you need to show me?” This time he shrugged, but did not look up.

Frustrated, I was about to insist that someone tell me what was going on, when I suddenly felt a soft thump at my feet. I looked down in time to see a large, glossy magazine. It had slipped from Lucas’ desk and landed on the floor.

It took me a few seconds to comprehend what I was seeing, but when I finally realized what I was looking at, I gasped.

Lucas had managed to smuggle a very X-rated magazine into my classroom.

The Fallout

I reached down and picked up the offending media and stared at Lucas. “What is this?” I asked. But Lucas just stared at his hands and remained silent.

I looked around at my students and realized in an instant that Lucas had shared the offensive material with my entire class. I glanced at some of the girls to my right and there were tears in their eyes.

My heart seized as I closed my eyes. "Dear Lord," I prayed. "How … why … did this happen?"

That afternoon, administrators, classroom teachers, counselors, and parents were notified. Lucas was dispatched to the counselor’s office, and we spent the next week dealing with the very real trauma that had been generated by the actions of one wayward boy.

Lucas did not come back to school for several days, and I was relieved at first, but after three or four days, I found myself looking for him.

He finally appeared the following Tuesday. I tried to smile in his direction, but he just slid into his seat and laid his head on his desk. I walked over to him, anxious to let him know that I still cared about his well-being; but when I came closer, I noticed large, angry bruises on his arms and face. Dismayed, I closed my eyes, and once again, cried out to God, "Dear Lord, how can I help this child?"

For the second time in just a week I notified administrators, counselors and law enforcement. Lucas was taken away, and I didn’t see very much of him after that.

Praying for Lucas

As the years progressed, I never forgot that fateful afternoon, and I found myself frequently offering a prayer for Lucas.

Years turned into decades. Yet, I found myself occasionally checking on Lucas through Facebook or Google. I eventually discovered that Lucas had become a state prison inmate. I was not surprised, but deeply saddened. “Lord,” I whispered, “what chance did this child have?”

And then it occurred to me: Perhaps prayer was the only chance this child had.

“I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions and thanksgivings be offered for everyone.” (1 Timothy, 2:1).

Our faith assures us that prayer is essential to the people God has placed in our lives. In fact, it is the most valuable thing we can do for another human being, despite extreme and daunting circumstances. And so, I continued to pray — fervently and consistently ... for Lucas.

Hope in the Midst of Darkness

I recently discovered that Lucas passed away. He was 32.

I poured through narratives and Lucas’ online obituary, but I could not ascertain any salient facts about his final days.

And yet, I did know one thing: Lucas had an inveterate fourth-grade teacher who had never forgotten him, and who prayed diligently for his salvation.

And that gives me hope. Hope that God heard my pleas and granted Lucas one more opportunity in his final agony to reach for the Divine.

So pray with perseverance and confidence for your fellow man, and the people God places in your life. And while you’re at, please offer a prayer for Lucas’ soul …

because there is a God, and hope is His gift to us.

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Copyright 2026 Sarah Torbeck
Images: Canva