The Power of Prayer

The most amazing thing just happened. At 8:49pm I powered down my computer, saying to myself, "Kristin, for real--walk away." Seriously. The computer is so addicting. (and yet, here I am--back to it. You'll understand why. I just had to blog!!)

I mentally forced myself to head not for the T.V. or for bed, but for my leather easy chair to spend some time with God. 

As much as I teach teens the importance of daily time with God, I struggle to put it into practice. I know you understand--do as I say, not as I do. Yaddy yadda. 

Well, tonight was going to be different. As I sat down in the chair, I checked my CrackBerry one last time and noticed a prayer request email from a friend at church. I read the email, and started to pray. Pretty much I decided to pray because if I don't pray then and there when I say I'll pray for someone, I often forget to pray at all. So I've made it a practice to at least send up that very first prayer when I make the promise to pray. Make sense?

Praying for this young man undergoing lung transplant surgery, led me to pray for a young dad at our church who is struggling with cancer. I was, for the first time in weeks, spending real prayer time with God.

Not prayer time on the fly, at the stoplights, in between feedings, and amidst emails. I was actually sitting still, eyes closed, no other sounds around me. 

It had been a while since I'd done this. Man, did it feel good to talk with my Father. 

Prayers for others led to prayers for myself, prayers to change me, convict me, discipline me....those prayers led to praise and thanks. Praise for being the God of Peace, Strength and Love. Thanks for answered prayers and guidance.

I was getting all misty eyed, talking to my Savior when the phone rang--Erik's ring tone.

Hmm....keep praying to God? Or answer call from the Husband? I figured God would understand that I needed to make sure Erik didn't need something. So I answered.

And that's when the amazing thing happened. 

See, for a week, I've been praying HARD for a certain someone to come to a certain student retreat next weekend.

Well, tonight, that certain someone signed up.

God answers prayers. Period. Sometimes He takes a long time (i.e. Joshua Nelson Lindeen). Sometimes His answer is not what we wanted (i.e. all the prayers for healing that didn't end with healing). And sometimes, He answers quickly in the way we had imagined.

Praise be to the God of answered prayers! 

May He continue to answer, as we continue to pray.