Edited by author 01-09-2007 12:54 PM

"Cast all your cares on Him for He cares for you". 1 Peter 5:7

Hi:

My name is Glenda and I am an Orthodox Christian from Ohio.

Does God answer prayer? Absolutely.

I was not the one praying, but the one being prayed for. Let me give you a little history first.

I haven't been in good health for over 10 years. I have been on oxygen 24 hours a day for many years now. I suffer from asthma, sarcoidosis, and sleep apnea among many, many other illnesses.
Many months ago I had gone so far downhill in my breathing that my fingernails were turning somewhat blue. I wasn't looking forward to another extended stay in the hospital with what I figured was either blood clots in my lungs again or sarcoidosis again. (a rare disease that leaves scarring in your lungs).
I decided to forgo the hospital for a little longer and go to Catechumen class at Church first. We were new there and I didn't want to miss class. After class I told Father John, our Parish priest, that I was heading to the hospital and why. I asked him to pray for me and he said that he would pray but the he also wanted to anoint me with the Oil of Saint Herman. By this time, after the walk to the car, I was gasping for air so I couldn't hear all of Father John's words but he made the Sign of the Cross on my forehead with the Oil and prayed for the healing of the problem in my lungs. When he was done praying he said goodbye and was hardly pulling from the parking lot when I could take full, deep, cleansing breaths! I hadn't been able to breathe like that in several years!! I started laughing and crying, shouting and praising God repeatedly while I took these Heavenly breaths over and over. My husband and I were both elated and we could hardly believe what happened; a real miracle!
When we got home we quickly called Father John expecting him to be surprised too. While he was very happy for me, he wasn't at all surprised. He said something like.. Expect miracles Glenda! God is alive and He cares for us. I was shocked. I already knew all this but to have it put in that context I was knocked for a loop. Yes, why not expect miracles.
For me and my house, we know that God hears and answers prayers. We've seen quite a few miracles attached to our Church and we know that there will be many more to come. By the way, I can still take deep breaths! What a great God and Savior we have. :p

I recently was sent a message regarding an amazing Father and his story of faith in action. I believe the story to be a reprint from Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated. The video link attached needs no words of explantion.

 Strongest Dad in the World

[ From Rick Reilly, of Sports Illustrated ]

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for
their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.

But compared with Dick Hoyt, what I do for my kids is inconsequential.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in
marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair
but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112
miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.

Dick has also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back
mountain climbing and once hauled him across the **U.S.** on a bike. Makes
taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.

This love story began in **Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was
strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and
unable to control his limbs.**

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him and
his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. "Put him in an institution.''

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed
them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering
department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the
boy communicate. "No way,'' Dick says he was told.
"There's nothing going on in his brain.''

"Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot
was going on in his brain.

Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching
a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate.
First words? "Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed
in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked
out, "Dad, I want to do that.''

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self- described ``porker'' who never ran more
than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried.
"Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. "I was sore for two
weeks.''

That day changed Rick's life. "Dad,'' he typed, "when we were running, it
felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick
that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he
and Rick were ready to try the 1979 **Boston Marathon.**

"No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a
single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few
years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they
found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another
marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for **Boston** the following
year.

Then somebody said, "Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?''

How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was
six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried.

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in
**Hawaii**. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by
an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? "No way,'' he says. Dick
does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with a
cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th **Boston
Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best
time'? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world record,
which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by
a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time.**

"No question about it,'' Rick types. "My dad is the Father of the Century.''

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild
heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95%
clogged. "If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' one doctor told him,
"you probably would've died 15 years ago.''

So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in **Boston,
and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland,Mass.**, always
find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete
in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to
give him is a gift he can never buy.

"The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, "is that my dad sit in the chair and
I push him once.''*

Here's the video.... PLEASE watch it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryCTIigaloQ


Let your light shine! God Bless!

Edited by author 11-19-2006 04:37 PM
My crisis was not one of health, or family emergency, but one of great fear of death. My fear concerned my destiny after death.
I was a church going pagan, as I think the vast number of church attending people really are.
I heard the message of salvation by the blood of Christ, but why did I need it? I asked of myself this question, "Why did Jesus die for me?"

Would being a Christian help me through life, would it make life more fun, or loving, or bring me wealth, and prosperity?

I found faith in Christ brought me none of these things. So I had no real need to commit my life to Jesus. In fact proclaiming a faith in Jesus brought the exact opposite effect! People mocked my attempt to share the good news, even those in the church I attended thought me a to be a nut.

So I fell back to my pagan ways, I became a back slider. I was in a state of fear once more. I went back to fooling myself, we all do it. I said to my self "My God is a fair God, he will see the good things I have done as well as the bad things. These will balance out, and he will judge me a good person sending me to heaven."

One month ago God rewarded my seeking him, by opening a door to me. My life has changed, my destiny is forever changed. I aquired the secret the modern church has lost. The reason everyone must be in Christ.

Every person on this earth believes there is a God, a creator, they may not know Him, but they know he exists. Now the atheist is the acception, but they are all the god they need.

Now for the secret.
Answer this questions: "Would you consider yourself to be a good person?"
The bible says no one is good no not one, we all seek to do evil all the time. None of us seek God.

"Do you think you've kept the Ten Commandments?"
Have you ever told a lie? What does that make you?

Have you ever stolen anything? Don't lie now.

Have you ever used the Lord's name in vain i.e. have you used the name of the God who created you as a curse word?

Have you ever looked at another person with lust?
Jesus said you have commited adultery with this person in your heart?

Now by your own admission you are a lying, thieving, blaspheming, adulterer.

"If God Judges you by that standard, will you be innocent or guilty?"

"What's your destiny going to be....will you end up in heaven or hell?

Does this concern you? Do you say my god would never judge me like this. You're correct your god wouldn't, except your god doesn't exist. You have just broken the first commandment. Thou shall have no other gods before me.

Would you sell one of you eyes for a million dollars, how about both eyes for 20 million, no? How much more valuable is your soul?.

If I told you some one just paid a $25,000 fine for you, would say so what, or huh why did they do that?
What if you where arrested, sitting in jail because you did not have the money to pay a $25,000 fine for speeding in a blind child area. Suddenly you were released, a total stranger paid your fine asking nothing in return.

My friend this is what Jesus did for you! If you reject him your fine will not be marked "paid in full. "On the day of judgement you will be standing with all you sins on your head. Your good works will do you no good, the Bible says all our good works are as filthy rags to God.

You must repent ask God for forgiveness, turn from your sins, and God will fill your soul with his loving spirit. Read his word, and grow in your love of him.
 
Therefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Gal. 3:24

For Godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world works death. 2 Cor. 7:10

Please examine yourself make sure you are in Christ, we are just vapors on this earth we could be called to judgement in the next moment.

Edited by author 10-22-2006 08:16 AM
This bulletin board is a place where people of all faiths are welcome to visit to read and share inspirational stories of answered prayers. Posts that do not fit that description should be posted elsewhere and will be deleted from this site. I am sorry but I felt that A Short Treatise on the Reality of God that someone posted was better suited for another site and was therefore deleted from this one.

Well, I guess this is where our testimony would come in. Myself being a hard ex-Satanist, drug user/abuser also addicted to cigarettes and alcohol. In one night. Not over a period of time. IN ONE NIGHT I was delivered from the hands of Satan and put into the loving hands of our Lord Jesus Christ. My own testimony confirms my faith each day. I tried many times over to stop cigarettes and drugs/Alcohol. I wore the Patch, I went to AA. and NA yet nothing and I mean nothing could stop this desire of my flesh, I was to weak. Yet one night the Lord answered my prayer, And I have not touched a cigarette or marijuana/Meth/LSD/Shrooms/Cocaine again.. You ask does the Lord answer prayers?? Ask those who you see a difference in because of the Lord. Ask someone who was at the bottom in their life and by the Grace given to them they were lifted out of bondage. Then and only then will this question be answered!!!

God is amazing and the way he answers prayer is mind blowing. I was at a juncture in my life, so I ask God and he answered want for me so I asked him and he said a Social Worker. I had no money and no means of going to universities but as the scripture states in Matthew 6:33 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall be opened on to you: for everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. God use my aunt who lives in England to get me here to start studying for Social Work, I just looked on as God work for my life career.
God put thing in place for the plans he has for our life, he is always on time, something we are impatient and we think we are ready for what lies ahead, but God knows best. He hold the future and he knows you end. Presently I’m looking for a part time job and I know that God is working it out for me.

   My wife Clarice was told, at age 29, that the 3 tests that the hospital had given her all indicated that she was going through 'early menopause' since her WOMB was 'dead'!!! (She had Not ovulated for 5 months when we went to the hospital... the results from the 3 tests being completed by the end of the 6th month.)
   As we parked the car in the lot alongside our apartment building, since our pastor had always Stressed that GOD's WORD is ALIVE, and that "...by HIS Stripes Ye Were HEALED..." (Isaiah 8:17) and "...by HIS Stripes Ye ARE HEALED..." (I Peter 2:24) and Isaiah chapter 53 says something to the effect that "...HE was Bruised for Our Iniquity, the Chastisement of Our Peace was Upon HIM, AND By HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED...") And someone had made a profound point, by saying "If you have a NEED and Don't Know What To DO About It, --- SEE WHAT The BIBLE SAYS ABOUT IT!
   So, as soon as we got into our 2nd floor apartment, (as my wife went to our bedroom to ponder the Enormity of the DEPRESSING NEWS we had just been given! -- [since I had been chronically unemployed since I had been hit by a car when 15, and in a COMA for 5 weeks..... and so 'we had been WAITING to have children until we could afford them!' --- meaning we had NO children!!] -- I immediately ran over to our CONCORDANCE to the BIBLE to look up the word "BARREN" -- to see what GOD had to say about it!
   The first reference was somewhere around Deuteronomy 8, where GOD's WORD says something about "...the FRUIT of your WOMB shall Be BLESSED." BEAUTIFUL Promise, BUT Clarice's WOMB Was DEAD --- so I did Not see how That Applied to our situation!
   But as I read the 2nd Scripture reference, (Psalm 113:9) I heard a 'Still, Small VOICE' fill my mind --- "This Is GOD Speaking To YOU." SO I hurried into our bedroom where Clarice was SULKing, and I handed her the Open BIBLE and said, "LOOK WHAT I FOUND IN THE BIBLE!!!"
   And as we Read, "HE (GOD) gives the BARREN Woman a Home, and Makes Her The JOYFUL MOTHER of CHILDREN. PRAISE The LORD!" --- I explained to Clarice what the HOLY SPIRIT had said to me when I first Read that AWESOME and LIFE-CHANGING Verse: "THIS IS GOD SPEAKING TO YOU."!!!!
   So we KNEW What we HAD To Do! (Let me just mention a few of the verses that governed our lives over the next 12 weeks!)
   The BIBLE says: "Imitate Those Who Through FAITH And PATIENCE Inherit the PROMISES."() and "We walk By FAITH, and NOT By Sight" () and "MY WORD shall NOT Return unto ME Void, but IT Shall Accomplish what I Please, And Prosper in the Thing whereunto I Sent IT. () and something about "GOD Inhabits the PRAISEs of HIS People!" () so we KNEW that as we Continually PRAISED HIM, HE Would HONOR HIS WORD -- HIS PROMISE -- and Bring IT To Pass According To HIS GOOD PLEASURE!
   It had been about 10 weeks since the Dr. had given us the WORLD's view of Clarice's symptoms, when my wife and I went to Church. After about 20 minutes of PRAISE and WORSHIP, everyone sat down as the Pastor walked around the auditorium, giving the announcements. Right in the middle, he abruptly stopped, and SAID, "The LORD is HEALING a Woman in Her FEMALE Organs."
   Then as quickly as he stopped he resumed the announcements, and the service continued without incident. But After the service Clarice explained to me that she had noticed a 'GLOWING WARMTH, like WARM HONEY COVERING MY WOMB" - just seconds before Pastor Jim interrupted his announcements -- to PROCLAIM GOD's HANDIWORK!!
   Monday morning Clarice excitedly told me, "MARK! I had the Same Sensation Last Night AND AGAIN This Morning!!!" --- so we just Continued PRAISING GOD, for the next 12 days, "...Imitating those who through FAITH And PATIENCE INHERIT The PROMISEs."!! Then Friday morning, Clarice Greeted me with, "MARK, I Had My First PERIOD In 9 MONTHS, Last Night!!!"
   Sorry, I Must get to bed! But our MIRACLE Daughter's name is Felicia - "Happy and Prosperous", ELISE - "Gift of the LORD" --- and she will be 21 in February! JUST REMEMBER --- With GOD, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!
   I say unto you, "Hear the WORD of the LORD: HE gives the BARREN Woman a Home, and Makes Her the JOYful MOTHER of CHILDREN; PRAISE The LORD!" "BE HEALED, In The NAME Of JESUS!"

    (The LORD has Spoken! Are You LISTENing?!?! "He who has EARs to HEAR, let him HEAR.")

    In the NAME that is ABOVE ALL NAMES - JESUS!!!


    a servant of the MOST HIGH GOD,

    Mark

Edited by author 10-01-2006 01:07 PM
If NLS or Rick Henderson would e-mail me at Untoldmiracles@yahoo.com I would like to explore the possibility of including your answers in my book. Please contact me. Thank you.

This is difficult to describe and very personal but, In the 1st week of August, I was praying and meditating on my back yard steps at night, when God spoke to me. "I will amaze and astounded you but something bad is going to happen to you soon and I want you to have faith and trust me." Being a mother, the 1st thought I had was that one of my children would die, as that is one of my main fears in life, but I realized Satan was trying to distract me from what God was saying, so I went and grabbed my Bible to read for comfort, and the msg I received was that God did not say something tragic or devastating would happen, just something bad, so I took comfort in that. The next day, I told a few fellow Christians what God had said to me. I kept it in my head and pondered it, because I did not want to forget. Well, the last week of August, I was invited by a co-worker to go to a concert with him and his girlfriend, I have been witnessing to him for a while, so I agreed to go. The afternoon of the concert, when I met with them, I realized this was going to be the "bad thing" God had told me about, but God gave me His peace and told me to get in the car with them anyway. I did and as we were driving to the concert the couple started drinking alcohol, at 1st I refused, but then I did accept a drink. So I was a guilty as they were for drinking while driving. We got to the concert and drank more alcohol there, but we stopped drinking for the main band's proformance, because we would be leaving after it. When it was time to leave, we were headed to my car when I felt compelled to suggest we go out to dance. They agreed and we when to a few bars, I had a few more drinks with them, then at 1am Sunday morning, we started to go back home, when the female became very upset and began insisting that we were on a different road than the one we really were on. I realized she was drugged but didn't know how that had happened. She opened the car door on the passenger side as we were driving and my co-worker stopped the car and let her drive just so he could prove she didn't know where we were. "This is it," I heard in my head and realized, this was the bad thing that I was involved in. I made sure my seatbelt was secure as I was in the back seat behind the driver's side. I pray to God to do what He would and keep us safe. She tore off in the car and within minutes took a turn on a rocky curve and lost control of the vehicle, we spun around and the car slid into a ditch. They got out and she began to run away and he followed her. I got out of the car and saw that we had come to a stop right next to a church. I caught up with the couple to take the female by the hand and lead her to the church to show her that we were not were she thought we were, while I was doing that he was calling friends to come and assist us. Some one in one of the homes nearby called the police and my co-workers girlfriend ran off into the woods. His friends arrived but we could not get the female to come with us. I went to the church and prayed and then we all got into the car without the girlfriend and went the couple's home to decide what to do. When we returned, the police were there and we didn't stop. But the police followed us and pulled us over to ask if we knew anything. The couple said they were just trying to help and my co-worker got out of the car to talk to the policeman. Another police car arrived and I sat in the couple's car to wait. They found the girlfriend and arrested both her and the boyfriend, I got out of the couple's car and exlained with tears in my eyes, that it was my fault and my responsibility, since I wasn't drunk, but I had let the others drive. I told the police what had happened and they went back to the friend and his girlfriend to see if our stories matched. I sat in front of the church and prayed while a towtruck pulled the car out of the ditch and confiscated it. My co-worker was arrested because he had a felony warrent out on him due to failure to comply with child support. The girlfriend was arrested because she was intoxicated and had been driving at the time of the accident. I was told I could be arrested also, and I told the police I understood. I gave them my statement, then they released me to the couple who had come to assist. It was 2am and I spent the night at the couple's home, they would take me to my car in the daytime. For the rest of that morning, I prayed and slept on the floor of the house, because I didn't deserve to sleep in a bed while my co-worker and his girlfriend were in jail. When the couple brought me back to my car that day, I went to my Bible, and sought out passages to use to pray for my co-worker and his girlfriend, every passage related to freeing prisoners came to me and I fasted and prayed all of Sunday and all of Monday until I could find out what was happening. I returned to work Monday still fasting and my co-worker's brother came to me to tell me what was happening. The girlfriend was released on Sunday, but since there was a felony charge against my co-worker, he could not be released. The girlfriend called me Monday and we talked. I told her to pray. Later that day, she called to say bail has been set to release my co-worker and everyone was surprised. Twenty thousand dollars. Two thousand was needed to release him. We could not come up with that much money, but I did not want my co-worker to remain in jail. I continued to pray and fast. Then, a bail-bondsman just happened to arrive at the jail at the same time the girlfriend was there and she explained the situation to him and he said he would put up the bail if she came up with one thousand dollars and someone with property to sign for his release. We had one thousand dollars and I agreed to be the one to sign for him since none of the others had property worth all the bail. When we had done all we could, the jail released my co-worker. It was Monday evening and I took them all(his brother and sister-in-law, the girlfriend, and my co-worker) out to eat to celebrate his release, I broke my fast and ate with them and thanked God. I gave my co-worker the Bible I had prayed for him with and explained to him all that was done on his behave by God. He sould never have been released at all and should have been transported to the state where the felony warrent was at. He promised not to flee and to appear at court when he was supposed to. We were able to contact the state where his felony was and arranged to have everything taken care of in this state. He was amazed. He finally acknowledged and took care of the child-support issue and was able to go to court and have it all taken care of. I continued to expain to him how impossible this situation was, that it was so easy. Only God could have made it so easy. I no longer work there, you see I was given one month's notice at the beginning of August that my last day would be the 1st of September. When I left, he thanked me for all I had done, and I again told him it was God not me. One of the other workers at the job attends the same church as me and I asked him to continue to pray for and invite our friend to attend our church. I know he is a Christian, but he has fallen away from the church and needs us. He is afraid he will be judged by others negatively. I tried to explain that true Christians don't judge. I recently returned to my old job to pick up my final paycheck and the co-worker came to me and told me he had stopped drinking and he was very positive about his situation. I pray that he will return to the Church soon. God is working in his and his girlfriend's lives, and I know there was a reason behind the bad situation God had told me about. I know I was supposed to be with them the night of the concert and I know that even though I sinned by drinking with them and getting into the car with them that night, God was in controll and His purpose was served. This situation is miraculous and should be recognized as such.

I was a very angry child due to some things I will not go into. I remember the only time that I felt joy was when I was hitting another child under the chin with all of my body weight behind the blow. That is a sick situation. I am sure that If my two Christian Grnadmothers had not been praying for me I would have ended up in prison.

I had made up my mind that if a man ever hit me I would kill him. This was not a childish fancy I meant every word of it.

My Grandmother's prayers were answered and my husband-to0be came into my life when I was twelve. He was the older brother of one of my classmates.
He started coming to our home every evening and on the weekends. I was older than my physical age due to the growing up situation and I began to be very serious about him and reflected his caring. My mother after four years of seeing us become so close began to fear I would want to get married and told him he could not see me anymore. Of course we just decided to run away and get married in Reno.

I still did not completely trust him, after all he was a man. I watched him closely for several years still intent on making any response his actions would determine.

After about six years together I was listening to the Radio and heard "It Is Written" by Elder Vandeman. I began listening to him every day and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

I was completely changed. The anger was completely gone. I felt loved and values for the first time in my life. It washed away all the ugly feelings that I had grown up with. I was able to trust my husband. I was able to feel peace and joy. Praise His Name!

This happened because I was blest with two Christian Grandmothers who prayed "without ceasing" for me. Please do the same for your loved ones. It can make a major difference in thier lives.

God bless and keep each and everyone. Your sister in Christ Jesus, norma

Christian
All through the summer of 2002 I was suffering with chest pains. I had just returned to the Lord in Nov 2002 when I finally got the bad news from the doctors that I needed a heart valve replacement. This shook me to my knees as I had lost two close friends the year before to this operation. When depressed I listen to music, and I went to a P2P site to download some. While downloading I noticed this "chat" button. I clicked this button and scrolled down to the first Christian chat room I could find. I personal messaged the host of the room and asked for prayer. We prayed together and on the "Amen" my chest pains disappeared, never to return. Following through on the doctors visits and a subsequent angiogram, I was completely healed. The doctors found nothing. Thank you Lord for answered prayer.

Christian. My needs have been many in this year, and I am still trusting God for complete healing in my body from metastatic thyroid cancer. I am currently feeling much better physically from the disease, but I have great difficulty in standing or walking due to bone lesions on the lower spine.

But, earlier in the year, my 83 year old father very suddenly became weakened and we took him to the emergency room at St. Mary's Hospital little realizing it would be the last time he would leave his home. God knew what lay ahead in the next two and a half months for him, my mother, and the rest of our family. And, each day and each step we took we knew that Dad was in the hands of the Lord. My biggest fear was that he would die alone without any of us near him, but our Lord allowed us all to be at his bedside for several hours before he died. We sang hymns, read Scripture, spoke words of love and comfort to him and he died so peacefully and without struggle. Since he died, my own health has been severly challenged and I am grateful to God for keeping me all through that time and able to visit him and be with him.

I am a Congregational (Christian) minister from Wales.

Many years ago, when I was fairly new to the ministry, I was asked to conduct a funeral in a Chapel in a village some ten miles from my own. I knew the Chapel people, but did not know the family to whom I was to minister, nor did I have a chance to meet them before the funeral.

It was a sad little coffin that was brought into the Chapel, for the funeral was that of a healthy baby who had died inexplicably. It was a cot death.

The family filed in. The child's Mother looked full of grief, but in control of herself. His Father was white and shaking. As the service proceeded, I could see that he was about to collapse and would not hold together to its end. My heart was filled with compassion for him and, almost without thinking, I prayed, "Take the strength out of me and put it in him." As I prayed, I felt myself getting weaker and saw him shake, almost like a dog, straighten up and take control of himself. He remained calm and in control for the rest of the service and was able to comfort his wife on the way out.

I was able to complete the service, but I have seldom so suddenly felt so drained. I went home and could do nothing but sleep for the rest of the day. God had taken me at my word and answered prayer swiftly and effectively.

That was when I was in my mid-twenties. Now in my late-fifties, I find that He is just as quick to answer prayer. In the past few years, my work has caused me to make a number of visits to Syria, the country in which Christians were first called by that name. Christianity is very ancient here and has many ancient traditions. I am by inclination and by belief a Non-Conformist, but am pleased to worship with Christians of other traditions in their ways. Thus, when Orthodox friends took me to the shrine of St. Tekkla, (A lady who was converted by St. Paul & who went on to make many converts of her own), I was happy to join them in prayer, asking St. Tekkla to join her prayers with ours.

I had with me a young man who had never before been out of Western society. We had been for a week in Beirut which cosmopolitan city, before the recent sad war, he had loved. I have young friends there and he had quickly become one with them. Damascus was different. This is an Eastern city and people kept staring at him. The reason was easy to understand. He had a fashion stud through his eyebrow and they had never seen such a thing, but it un-nerved him. He became so frightened that I called my friends in Beirut and asked them to come and take him back there. Our visit to St. Tekkla was partially to try to distract him whilst we waited for them. I prayed about this. Within half an hour, he had come to me and said, "I am being stupid. These are friendly people and this is a fascinating country. I want to stay for the rest of my visit." Since then, he has visited several times and become a firm friend of Syria.

On my next visit, I was travelling with a guide who was rather lazy. St. Tekkla's shrine is in a cave to which one has to climb a long rock stairway. He said he would wait at the bottom while I went up. I was on my way to a very important meeting in Aleppo, preparing the way for a visit to the Churches there by Welsh Church leaders. I wanted to be clear-headed, but I could feel a cold coming on, so I prayed that I might be allowed to avoid the cold. The next morning, my head was as clear as a bell and the guide had the heaviest cold I have ever seen!

Last November, I again visited St. Tekkla's Shrine. The same young man accompanied me. Just before we left, his Mother had been informed that she had cancer of the mouth and must have surgery at once. We both prayed for her. On our return to Wales, we heard that the surgeon had told her that he had never seen so quick a recovery from such an operation.

I have known God take His time to answer prayers and to answer them in ways that are less obvious and, to the human mind, less satisfactory than these, but I have never known Him fail to answer.

Two thoughts to add to the site.

The first is in response to Bob's message. As Bob knows, the respect that Jill and I had for the MacFarland family well before Debbie became ill was higher than any family we knew. We watched the five of them sitting on the other side of church (notice how we all find our spots in church and never leave them?) and admired the strength, humor, and manner in which they interacted as family members. A family of friends and a model for us with our three boys. The pertinent point, however, is that their strength of faith in God carried not only themselves but so many others throughout Debbie's illness. God's presence radiated from the MacFarlands, including Debbie, in a way that quietly allowed so many of their friends to deal with the illness and, in turn, help to support the MacFarlands through friendship. It was a marvelous circle of strength – a circle of faith – that resonates with me to this day.

For me, the answers are many and multi-faceted but I tell one story.

My father regretted for 30 years the fact that he was not with his father when he passed away, something that occurred because of my grandfather waking from a semi-coma while my father was home resting after many days bedside at Abington Hospital. My father told the story so many times to me over the years that I can hear his voice to this day expressing his deep regret.

On October 19th, 2002, I was scheduled to be visit colleges with my oldest son. That Saturday morning, literally minutes before departing for Washington, the hospice nurse called to say “Today is the day. Not later – now.” So I was blessed to be with my father, my brother, and Ray Roberts, praying over my father, as he passed into the Lord’s hands that morning. Three years later, I was able to pray over my mother as she passed away as well, also at Rydal Park and also with Ray Roberts with us. Two wonderful gifts from God and both provided, in my view, based on God’s understanding of my father’s experience. He answered Still family prayers albeit one generation removed!

My story is about how God worked in my life during a terrible crisis in our family. My wife and I have 3 children. In 1996 our 28 year old daughter Debbie was diagnosed with cancer (Hodgkins Disease). We were devastated at the news but hopeful because that disease can often be beaten. What we didn’t know was that she would not be able to beat the disease even after many, many rounds of treatment. She went through an operation, radiation treatment, chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant, and finally an experimental sibling transplant. Although every treatment was extremely difficult for her and took its toll on her body, her spirits remained high and she would improve for about six months before the cancer recurred.

During her 5 year battle our family rallied around her and made the sacrifices necessary to care for her. My prayers were always that God would be with her, her husband, the rest of the family and of course I prayed that she would beat the disease. We were also supported by many others who reached out to Debbie and our family with helping hands, hearts and prayers. We not only saw and experienced this support but even more important we felt it in our hearts. Our daughter mentioned on many occasions that she felt as if hands were lifting her up. I am convinced that it was God’s hand at work directly and through all of us. With that kind of support and faith she was able to keep her spirits high through the most trying times. That support helped us make it through the trying times. Amazingly it also gave us glimpses of Debbie that we never anticipated and that showed a quality of life I only hope to achieve myself.

I saw my child grow even during her significant “down times”. And her growth and spirit were contagious. Debbie had an unbelievably positive impact on everyone she touched. I saw this happen with the children she taught during the first 2 years of her disease, the youth group at our church who she worked with throughout her battle with cancer and with all the friends and family who supported her. She taught us that life is more important than the petty little things we normally worry about. And that quality is about what Jesus teaches us; things like respecting others, having caring relationships, always caring about others and turning your life over to God. When Debbie died her body was frail and beaten up by all the treatments but her heart and soul were whole and healthy. Although my heart still aches and on occasion the tears still come, I praise God that our family is whole, healthy and stronger for having had Debbie with us and that Debbie is in a better place.

Years ago I worked in a nuclear facility, each month all the staff had to be tested for excess radiation. I wore a radiation shield which would warn me if my exposure was greater than normally allowed. The staff got some terrible news, it seems the radiation shields had not been checked in some time, they were not operation properly.
Two of my coworkers tested positive for cancer, I was found to have an unusual growth in my lung.
I am a Buddist I got in touch with my inner healing self, after a three day fasting meditation I felt ready to face the medical system.

To my amasement the doctors found no sign of the growth.

Submitted by Andrew Smith, Christian, Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, USA Smith3637@msn.com

My middle sister, Martha, and I had an agreement. My sister lived in Florida with her husband and three young children. I had promised that I would call if our maternal grandmother was ever near death. I knew that if she could - my sister would come to say goodbye. The time had come to make the call. In truth, I had waited too long. In the most important way our beloved grandmother had already died. She had checked into the hospital with one of the many merciless problems of old age but this time something had gone horribly wrong. Grandma had gone into the hospital with a frail body but with a strong mind. Now she was at deaths door and her mind had already gone. The doctors didn’t give us any hope that her mental faculties would return and they told us that it was likely that her body would soon follow where her mind had gone. My grandmother was dying. The grandmother who had beaten me in innumerable games of scrabble and gin rummy now sat in a hospital bed drooling and babbling and recognizing no one.

When I called with the bad news my sister made arrangements to fly up immediately. I would pick her up at the airport and we would drive straight to the hospital. On the way to the airport I prayed a lot. I remember thanking God for my grandmother and for the good life she had lived. I also told Him that I knew that Grandma was ready to die but that she would want to say goodbye to Martha. I was also concerned for my sister. I had heard through the family grapevine that Martha's marriage was falling apart. I knew that my sister was unhappy and under a lot of stress. Most of all, I knew that Martha would want to say goodbye to Grandma. I remember praying and asking God to restore my Grandmas mind long enough for them to say goodbye.

How much hope do we ever really put behind our prayers? I drove to the hospital with a very real sense of dread. I felt badly for my sister How depressing would it be to travel 1,000 miles to say goodbye to someone you love who wouldn’t even be able to acknowledge that you are there? But that’s not what happened. We walked into the hospital room and my grandmother was sitting up in her bed. There she was - a frail little old woman with a gleam of intelligence in her eyes. When she spoke it was in a hesitant voice that was filled with love. “Ohhh it’s Martha”.

My sister and my grandmother got to say their goodbyes and my faith in God and sense of wonder in the world hit an all time high.