A Prayer Most Definitely Answered!

On a weekend where I had been particularly upset about the financial issues and school worries regarding our new home our pastor said this, “You are in the house you are in, the neighborhood, the community, the town you are in, because that is where God wants you to be. You have a purpose there.” Wow, what a slap in the face! I had a lot of these moments on Sundays!

I also began truly praying for the first time. I realized I really didn’t know how to pray. I used to just ask God for stuff and be disappointed when I didn’t get it. Selfish, meaningless stuff mostly. Now I learned to give thanks first, to express my love for Him first, then ask for guidance or help rather than ask for divine intervention. We had been trying to contact the sellers for a while in the hopes they would pay the amount owed on the taxes. Letters went unanswered. We were looking at the possibility of having to take them to court. I began praying that God would work in their hearts and encourage them to do the right thing and to cover what they were responsible for. A month would go by and I’d send another letter. Finally, I sent a letter in March telling them that they needed to respond in some way within 30 days or we would be hiring an attorney and moving forward. It was the week before Easter and they had about 10 days left so I started to go ahead and research attorneys so that I would have everything lined up when that last day passed with no contact. My church was planning a Good Friday service that would be done online so that everyone could participate from their homes. We were all to have some bread and juice available to take Communion during the service.

Good Friday rolled around and my husband was going to be out as a good friend had passed away that week and all of the old school buddies were getting together to figure out arrangements and reminisce. I was lying in bed with our son, he needed me to stay until he was asleep, and while I laid there I prayed for guidance on handling the hiring of an attorney and wisdom to make the right choices. After our son was asleep I gathered my bread and juice and set myself up at my computer to watch the service. I was feeling particularly emotional, reflecting on Jesus’ sacrifice and God’s immense love that He would send His Son for us. I had never felt quite so full to bursting with the gravity of it before. I cried as we thanked Jesus in our Communion prayer. As soon as I had eaten the bread and taken the juice my phone went off with a text message. When I looked at it I was in shock. It was the sellers and they were letting us know they were getting our payment together and would be in touch soon. Let’s just say I lost it. I had goosebumps. If I ever had a doubt in the power of prayer it was completely obliterated in that moment. I just bawled and looked up and thanked Jesus with all my heart. I called my husband, I called my parents. There was a presence with me that night, all alone in my office; that was indescribable.

-This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. -1 John 5:14