These little piggies went "wee, wee, wii, SPLASH!"

Here is the encounter between Jesus and a demon-possessed man. Chains could not bind this man. He broke them. He lived among the tombs outside the town because of his condition.

No doubt the inhabitants of the town could hear the wailing of this man as he is tortured by the evil spirits within and cutting himself with stones.

Cutting was happening in Jesus' time.

Jesus confronts the man. He's not afraid, he's not turned off, he's willing.

Verse 13, "He gave them [the demons] permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about 2000 in number, rushed down the steep bank and were drowned."

Jesus gives the demons permission. Who's in control here?

I read this story through the contemporary lens of prayer. Being a Christian for over a decade now I have been in the habit of wrapping up my prayers to God with the routine phrase, "In Jesus' name...amen."

I've heard spiritual men say these words and I emulate their style. But reading this story puts the closing line of our prayers in perspective. I pray, you pray, to God in Jesus' name because He has authority over the demons. He is MORE powerful than our problems, trials, needs, situations.

I've been telling students recently that in order to pray effectively, we must know who we're praying to. We're praying to the Almighty, yet itimate God, who cares about us. (1 Peter 5:7)

May we refresh our prayer life with the honest belief that God is hearing our prayers and we will hear from heaven.