STORIES OF PRAYER

Stories of prayer 2017

At 10 years old, Josh and his grandfather had been praying together each day at 5pm since before Josh could talk. His grandfather was sick and near death.....Josh prayed he would get better.
A letter with a silver cross was given to Josh several days later at the funeral. It read: Josh, a long time ago when I was 18 and getting ready to head overseas to WWII, I prayed that it would all end and I would not have to go.

While at war, I saved the life of a solider that was badly wounded about 15 years later back in Georgia... a knock on my door..... that soldier had become a preacher and went on to do great things..... he gave me this cross and for a long time he and I prayed together at the same time each day.... yep, 5pm.

Always know God is smarter than us.... stay true to him.... pray everyday. Love, Granddad

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6.

Hi. My name is Jennifer. I am 33 years old. I struggled with drug addiction for 9 years starting when I was 15. My dad passed away when I was 16. My first boyfriend was a drug dealer. That was when I began using every day. I was in and out of treatment and was arrested four times.

In January of 2007 when I was 24 years old, I found out that I was pregnant. I immediately stopped using everything. I even stopped smoking cigarettes. My boyfriend at the time, did not stop using. It was because of this that we broke up. Finally, he was arrested. I knew I would be taking care of our baby alone.

I had been clean from drugs for a few months. I had been going to church and NA meetings. But I was still learning to take care of myself and not use drugs. And I had no idea how to take care of a baby. My Mom brought up adoption to me.

During my pregnancy I cried a lot. I didn't know how I was going to take care of a baby. And I was mad that I was pregnant. I was mad that God allowed me to get pregnant. My mom took me to another state to visit my aunt and uncle for a week. They both knew I had struggled with addiction since my father had died.

My uncle and I took a walk on near the ocean. I shared my story and shared that I had considered adoption. After our walk I realized that I was in a safe place, and maybe I could go through with adoption if I stayed here. I applied for MediCal, found a doctor, and found a pregnancy resource center, which led me to Bethany Christian Services.
With the Bethany pregnancy counselor, I looked at profile books of families who were waiting to adopt. I found Scott and Brandi and asked to meet with them.

My uncle asked friends who he had known for 20 years, Rob and Cheryl, to pray for me. They shared that their nephew and his wife wanted to adopt. My uncle explained that I already had a family in mind.
My PC set up a visit for me to meet Scott and Brandi at the nearest Bethany office. Just a few days before our meeting, my uncle's friends called and said "we think that your niece actually picked my nephew and his wife. Truly, this was something that God had orchestrated.
Now we are more than friends. We are family. I go visit every year and I even stay with them. And Garrison, my son, knows me. He knows that I am his birth mom and he is comfortable with me. He will never have to wonder or question anything about his adoption or why I did what I did. He can just ask me.

Adoption has changed my life. I now work for Bethany. God has blessed me with a story to tell. So I will continue to share it so that He will be glorified through it. It is God who saved my life by allowing me to get pregnant. The very thing that I was mad at Him for is what saved me.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29: 11-13.

I'm 6' 4" and my wife is almost 6 feet, so our son Gregory was a big boy going into 8th grade. Slightly uncoordinated at 14, at 6' 3" and about 200 lbs. Coaches had been asking him to play football for the entire prior year. He told them he did not feel he was good enough
The odd thing was that he really did want to play, but he just was so nervous about not doing well or failing that he had decided not to do it. During the summer, Greg had a parent (Bill) that was helping out with his youth group at church and he had played college football. They really hit it off and Greg told him about deciding not to play, about the coaches and that he felt scared about not doing well. Bill handed Greg the Bible and said for them to read through Exodus 3 and 4 together. Exodus 3:11, 4:1, 4:10 and 4:13 are about when God appeared to Moses with a pretty important mission and Moses was scared, made excuses and pleaded for it not to be him. He explained that this is one of the most highly regarded leaders in the Bible, but most people do not remember Moses's doubt and fear at the beginning. I really was not aware until Greg walked in one morning in the summer to eat breakfast and said he prayed about it and he was going to play football.

God has a plan for each of us and he sends people to help us get there. Three years later, I look forward to sitting with Bill to watch Greg play this season. Colleges are interested but most of all I am just proud of my son for his journey of faith and our God that guides us.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10.

My most recent tours were in Afghanistan, after I was able to conclude my military service and finally be at home in Atlanta full time. I have not been back that long, but something just has not been right. I could not put my finger on it for a while, but I finally realized that it was that people take freedom for granted. It was mostly from interacting with negative people in general and I could see some of that in my kids.
Passover for the Jewish faith is coming up, all the miracles God performed to provide freedom after 400 years of captivity in Egypt will be celebrated. Read Exodus in the Bible if you have some free time and let all the miracles sync in. Easter is approaching, as all Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ, the miracle of miracles with God's promise if anyone believes in his son Jesus, that they will have everlasting life. Read the book of John, it is my favorite.
I did not grow up religious, but when you wake up each day not knowing if the next roadside bomb, suicide bomber, enemy attack or even friendly fire mistake may make it your last day..... it has you think a little different about life, family and opportunities while you are on this earth. It was not easy for my wife and kids while I was gone and I am very proud of them, but since all of us started learning and committing ourselves to God, attending church and truly enjoying the freedoms that God has blessed this country with....... I find our family and each person at peace and focused on their dreams. This might be the proudest moment in my life as I have watched this happen in a fairly short time.
I wish each person who reads this the opportunity to see through my eyes. God and God alone has given us the freedom to choose each day how we see life and live. There is a lot of negative out there. I hope you take the opportunity to ask God to lead your family and I hope you find more peace, love and smiles all around.
Respectfully,
An American soldier.. and solider for God

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. Psalm 57:1.

I am a manager at a technology company with usually around 10 people reporting directly to me. I was here long before computers were introduced and being 70 years old with this job is never dull with the young people around.
My initials are WBH, and the younger team members say it stands for "Way Beyond the Hill", since most were not born when I turned 40. There is a lot of turnover and I am constantly interviewing and hiring for my team. My teams % of turnover was about average for the company, but I always wondered if some that left just did not like me or my style.
I have enjoyed the stories each Monday morning and felt compelled to share my story. I spent most of my life with no real desire to care about religion. I knew there was a God but always found a way to not be involved, change the subject or get busy doing other things. I have attended my fair share of weddings and funerals, you would think I would have listened some to the preachers. Some people can be very good at blocking things out they don't want to spend time thinking about.
I remember the month cause I was turning 68 when I interviewed Hilliard. I have probably conducted over 1,000 interviews in my time and very few I can remember anything out of the ordinary. Hilliard was in his mid 20s, never stopped smiling, not your show me your teeth smile but just a very pleasant smile that showed me calmness and he really wanted to be sitting there talking to me. As we talked, lost his parents at age 10, grandparents raised him, both were now in bad health, he had student loans and just had a lot on his shoulders that usually hits people much later in life. He was fairly qualified for the job, but I ended up asking him Why he was always smiling and seemed so calm. He said "Sir, when you know when all my work and life is done, I know where I am going and how great it will be. Why don't you join me on Wednesday night when a group of us get together and learn more about why I have this peace. You know, the peace is free, but you do have to ask for it".
I did become a part of that group! I did ask God to help me and take control of the things that I can't! I am not sure if I will ever find Hilliard's peace, but the peace I have found is a great feeling each day. Oddly enough, I started to get to know my team members better. The company would frown on me pushing God on anyone, but I find I'm asking questions more about life than work and things are different in a better way around here. Maybe it is that I smile a lot more! There were a lot of things in my life that I was never going to be able to control, although I was trying very hard. What a peace it was to finally turn those over to God and have me focus on things that I enjoy . Oh, and this last year, maybe it is just a coincidence, but not a single person has left my team. Even a few have joined our Wednesday group!

"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12.

Sitting on a plane, I usually do not talk much with people next to me. Roland, looked like a skinny Danny Glover with the same great smile, he sat down in the isle seat next to me. Probably close to 65 years old but looked more like 50 in the face.
He got up for the bathroom but I had to wave at him as he had a hard time realizing which was his seat when he returned. Just had a feeling I needed to talk to him, so reluctantly I ask him the normal questions. He had been in Atlanta getting prostate cancer treatment and was going back home to St. Thomas. I could figure out the treatments were pretty rough as he had to go back to Atlanta in a weeks time. He got confused very easily about locations, time or numbers. I was not sure if this was the effects of the treatments, early onset Alzheimer's or something else.
I took out my notepad and had him write down his name, and simply said that I would pray for him and that my bible study class would pray for him too. His eyes got wide and a big smile was on his face. He talked about his sister and they would pray often on these trips, that had been going on for 4 years. It was like his mind started to work, 8 years in the military in construction, his church at home was small, son was 36 and worked for the government downtown, daughter had several children..... and I must come see the garden area on the hills they have created to feed the needy families in the area.
Why would he not be able to convey much to me at all, just fragments of facts for a long time and then after simply mentioning prayer, he lights up and we talk for 30 minutes about life?
A friend gave me a book "Into the Light" by John Lerma. Sad but amazing book of people in hospice care and their stories. One of the best accounts was a 9 year old boy that by all accounts should have been more than miserable, hating life and sad..... but was joyous, wise beyond his years and was so accepting of God's plan that he just knew it was good. It reminded me of Roland, whose mom had recently passed, he was having memory issues and major health issues and things that he was passionate about were declining without his focus. Even as he explained this, he was as pleasant as a person without one issue and more focused on his desire to help others. I love these examples of light in places where there should be darkness. Thank you God for the lights you put into this world.

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."
Matthew 18:20.

Let me share a fond memory that I have as Spring practice comes to a close this year. A few seasons ago, our coach looked tired, it had been a long two weeks since a couple parents had complained about the coach leading a prayer before we took the field. It had been the talk of the school and even some newspaper articles were written. That Friday was the biggest game of the year, our rivals that were having the best season on record. We were not given much of a chance since our team was so young.
I lead our defense and Will was the quarterback, he called us into his office and said that he would not be leading a prayer prior to the game this week. There would be a time of silence and each player can choose what to do with that. But, he said with a slight brightness in his eyes while he looked at us, each player chooses what to do with that. He said, " I choose now to keep this bible on my desk and look there, it has a bookmark in it.". It was Deuteronomy 31:6.
There was no prayer said in the locker room, only the time of silence. Will and I decided to have the team take a knee and say the Lords Prayer on the sideline just before taking the field for the game. You could see the tears in the coaches eyes as he called the kickoff play.
We lost by a field goal, but I have never seen coach so proud of our team, not even our best wins. We had his bible verse put on a plaque and most all the team signed it after the season
The next season, coach hung the plaque in his office and at the first game he welcomed the crowd and said "I have learned more from these boys than they have from me, please bow your heads in prayer." He did that each game and said he was fine with any trouble it caused him. What a great role model!

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6

I'm retired, and although we are highly advised to do mission work with a group in certain areas.... I ignored that rule for some reason.
Before I had walked down the 2nd street, my hands were held high.... and I said "don't shoot". The man with a mask on said give me your wallet and watch.. and those shoes too. This is not recommended by the way!!... but I told him I was not giving him anything and I am dying of cancer (which is true) so if he wanted to shoot me .. that I am ready to go meet my God and savior. But, if he wanted to listen for a minute... I could introduce him to the God that loves him too and it would be more valuable than any amount of money.
Well, I'm still here... for now.. until my wife learns of this encounter.. ha ha. If your wondering, we do mission work in areas that have a lot of crime/drugs around Atlanta... and one can say it was my fault for being in that situation. The man listened to my story, I pulled a small Bible out of my pocket handed it to him and told him I would be praying for him. He was shaking.... took a step back... and said "thank you". He walked away. I wish the story ended with a hug, but I'll have to just pray that God took over and had him open to the page he needed to read.
No recognition needed here, so I won't include my name. Just know God is at work and don't think things happen just by chance... the last few years of this work has been some of the most exciting and rewarding times of my life.... I wish I had started at a younger age.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalms 23:4.

Before Claire was born, doctors told her parents that she would never walk or talk, never eat or breathe on her own, and may not live past birth. Doctors suggested many options, but her parents decided to continue with the pregnancy. They were confident that if they trusted in God, things would work out according to His plan. They prayed that she would be born healthy and without complications.
Claire's first year of life turned out to be very difficult. She developed seizures shortly after birth and was hospitalized on and off throughout the year, spending nearly one quarter of her life in the hospital by her first birthday. With such a sick little girl, Claire's parents often wondered whether their prayers had ever been heard. In their hopelessness, they remembered God's promise: Things will work out according to His plan.
A few weeks ago, Claire turned six. Today, she is a sweet and happy little girl who loves American Girl dolls, Disney princesses, and animals. And, although some of the doctors' predictions turned out to be correct, Claire leads a rich and happy life. She has a sparkly pink wheelchair and communicates by clicking her tongue "yes" to answer "yes" or "no" questions. She has many friends-both typical children and those with special needs-and participates in activities like Brownies, Choir and swimming lessons. God certainly showed His promise in Claire: Things have worked out according to His plan and for His glory.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28.