My Final Prayer For The Rambling Man
April 19, 2024 4:59 PM
Bro. John in Mo.
Greetings in the name of Jesus to all the Saints. I had no intention of writing again so soon, but I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to say something to those who are called as intercessors in prayer. I had something that happened to me that I felt led to share with you. Perhaps you may have heard about death yesterday (Thursday 4/18/24) of Dickie Betts, one of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band. As a guitarist myself, Dickie had a HUGE influence on my style, and in my learning how to play the guitar. My parents bought me my first guitar back in 1972 (a Sears Silvertone acoustic) when I was 8 years old.
By the time I was in my teens, I then had “graduated” up to an electric guitar and an amplifier that was always turned up LOUD….to the utter dismay of my folks! From my early teens, on up into my mid twenties before I was saved, playing the guitar was one of the ways I used to escape reality. (unfortunately, drinking mass quantities of Jim Beam whiskey, and smoking weed was another) I remember back one time many years ago, I was teaching myself to play the slide guitar on the song “Statesboro Blues” by the Allman Brothers, when I happened to look up at the clock, I noticed to my shock that nearly eight hours had gone by! I could barely lift my head up without it causing great pain in my neck, because I had been looking down at my guitar for so long.
For some reason I was drawn specifically to blues and Southern Rock…..such as The Marshal Tucker Band, Charlie Daniels Band, The Outlaws, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and of course, The Allman Brothers Band, with Dickie Betts. Then one day I heard Stevie Ray Vaughn…. my mind was blown away by the sounds that were coming forth from this man manipulating six strings on a guitar. I saw Stevie Ray in concert four times. (Just to be clear…I’m not saying that any of this was or is a good thing, because it is not. Also, please forgive me for the speaking about the things of this world….I’m going somewhere with all of this to make a point)
Getting back to Dickie Betts, the past seven or eight years, I have used youtube to learn a lot of the guitar scales that he used in his playing technique and style. To be perfectly honest, I have never in my life heard anyone match the sweet, soaring, melodic and uplifting notes played by this wonderfully talented man….if only he had used his talent for the Lord! Dickie had been married five times, and had a lot of personal problems and addictions in his life that he struggled with for many years. The drug culture lifestyle of being on the road and playing gigs year after year has killed many musicians throughout the years. It’s actually a wonder that he even made it to the age of 80!
Some one may be thinking to themselves…”Okay, Bro. John…what exactly is the point that you are trying to make by talking about all of this worldly music and such?” Here is the key point. For the past several years, the Lord has been putting it on my heart to pray and intercede for the salvation of Dickie Betts. The past few years, I have sort of got myself into the habit of playing the lead guitar part (the part Dickie played) on the Allman Brothers song “Melissa” and all of the lead guitar parts on the song that Dickie wrote called “Blue Sky” to help me stay in practice… and to help keep up my speed and my guitar playing agility.
This past Wed. (4-17-24) I had been playing my guitar and practicing some lead guitar licks for a while, and it was time for me to start getting ready for bed. So I pulled the guitar cord out of my Fender Stratocaster, laid the guitar up against the bed, and shut the amplifier off. Right as I turned to walk out the room, suddenly it pops into my mind out of the blue: “IT’S BEEN A WHILE NOW SINCE YOU HAVE PRAYED FOR DICKIE BETTS….PRAY FOR HIM!”
I firmly believe that it was the Lord that impressed that thought into my spirit. So I did… right then and there…I asked for the Lord to send Holy Ghost conviction into the heart of Dickie Betts,.. that he would call on the name of Jesus Christ for the salvation of his soul. That very next day, Dickie Betts stepped out into eternity, due to cancer and other health related problems. I had no idea that he was in failing health at all.
Dear friends, GOD HATES ALL SIN…..BUT HE LOVES ALL SINNERS! The Lord is “Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9) That word that I believe the Lord spoke to me in regard to praying for him, and then his passing away the very next day has greatly impressed upon me a greater urgency to intercede for others. Those of you that are called as intercessors have one of the most important jobs in the universe! Please do not disregard the importance of your intercessory prayers for others.
The intercession for souls means the difference between life and death, and heaven and hell. I personally have many that I intercede for on a daily basis. The ones that you are interceding for TODAY may be leaving the planet TOMORROW…just like Dickie Betts did. Whether or not Dickie reached out for the Lord before he passed, that I don’t know, but I am so glad that I did not ignore what the Lord prompted me to do in interceding for him this past Wed. night. That very next morning, that man’s soul was required of him.
Please make the intercession for souls a top priority at this this very dangerous hour that we are now presently in. We may never know whether or not some of our prayers ever made a difference until we get to heaven. I sincerely hope to see Dickie Betts in heaven, because I’m up for an eternal, VERY LOUD, Holy Ghost powered.. praise the Lord jam session, with the guitar hero of my youth! One thing is for sure though, there is great and mighty power in our prayers. If you feel led, please go to youtube and type in: “Allman Brothers Seven Turns” Dickie Betts wrote that song “Seven Turns” and plays and sings on that video made back in 1990 out on the Navajo Reservation. A very uplifting and moving song that many of you probably can relate to. Until next time, may God Bless and keep you all safe. Come soon Lord Jesus! Maranatha!
Bro. John in Mo. 4-19-24
Photos courtesy Depositphotos
