When Has God Answered Your Prayers?

[breezy1077]

I don't want to spark a theological debate - I'd just like to hear some positive stories.

 

[Liberty Belle]

He has repeatedly given me patience when I prayed for it.

 

[kbkids]

I'll share, as this was truly a breathtaking experience for me. At one point in my life, I was going through alot - financial, emotional, you name it. I questioned whether God was really there for me, whether I was truly His child, and one day as I sat in line to pick up my DD from school, I began to pray. I asked God to give me some sign that He truly had me and my situation under control, that I was truly saved - just to show me He was there. When I opened my eyes, immediately in front of me, perfectly symmetrical was a cross in the clouds. I'd have given anything to have had a camera with me that day. I started bawling like a baby - heck, I'm crying now just writing this!

 

[java]

Specifically, with my last pregnancy I had a health scare. The baby had tested at High Risk for Trisomy 18. I was going to genetic counselors and grief counselors. I was told he probably wouldn't survive to delivery. And I prayed every single day to have the doctors be wrong. In the light of all that external pressure I was getting to terminate the pregnancy, praying helped me through it. Helped me stay calm. Helped me carry on.

Thankfully it all worked out well. My son was born without problem. He is a healthy 3 year old today.
Now I am not particularly religious in a public manner- but I do talk to God. I thank him everyday for listening.

 

[breezy1077]

I'll share, as this was truly a breathtaking experience for me. At one point in my life, I was going through alot - financial, emotional, you name it. I questioned whether God was really there for me, whether I was truly His child, and one day as I sat in line to pick up my DD from school, I began to pray. I asked God to give me some sign that He truly had me and my situation under control, that I was truly saved - just to show me He was there. When I opened my eyes, immediately in front of me, perfectly symmetrical was a cross in the clouds. I'd have given anything to have had a camera with me that day. I started bawling like a baby - heck, I'm crying now just writing this!

That's a GREAT story!!!

 

[Cantw8]

Yes, He brought my father back after he flat lined from suffering from a ruptured aortic aneurysm. Not a whole lot of people survive that but Dad is still going strong 10 years later I believe He is also working on a few other things for me

 

[HelenePA]

When my dd underwent open heart sugery at 6months old. She had a very complex defect. The dr's rated her a 9 out of a 10 to fix. Its a very scary and hard thing to just hand your baby over to let them do what they need to do... Knowing that your child's heart will be stopped and you just hope and pray it restarts again after they are done. Thankfully he answered and let her live. Thanks to him (or maybe her) and her I've learned that most stuff is just very trivial in the game of life.

 

[DevilDuckie]

When I wasn't even sure I believed in him. The following is from an explanation to a friend who wandered out of my life when I was miserable and angry and a practicing Wiccan and wondered what had changed when he reconnected with me 7 years later and I was a contented born again Christian.


"Those who knew me back in the day know that I was a very unhappy, very screwed up person. I made bad choices that hurt myself and those around me out of a recklessness that stemmed from self-loathing as much as anything else. When I was married the first time I hit an all time low. There was so much misery and no escape and in a time of spiritual devestation I leaned on the gods of the paganism I was practicing and found... nothing. An empty void where divinity should have been. I have never in my life been so alone and so frightened. Out of sheer desperation I reached for the God of my childhood- the one in whom I less than half believed. He whom I had shunned, disparaged and rejected at every turn. And I found solace. I prayed and there was comfort. I trusted and there was salvation. I believed and there was peace at last."

 

[tchrrx]

A couple years of infertility that finally led to an infertility specialist. Met for the initial consultation & left knowing that God had other plans for our family. Began the adoption process through DHS shortly after. DD had been in foster care for 5 years, but her birth father hadn't signed over rights until about the same time that we began our adoption classes. At the time we began praying for our adopted child(ren), DD was moved to a new foster home. She was this couple's first foster child & they completely loved her & spoiled her. They are a wonderful Christian couple that began taking DD to church. They are also big Disney fans & had a daughter that worked at Disney. Their daughter sent our daughter a box full of Disney princess stuff. They video taped DD opening the box, so we get to watch the expression on her face as she received her first doll ever.

We received a phone call on a Monday (about a week after completing the required classes) that there was a little girl available. We met her on Wednesday evening and she spent Saturday night with us. By the next weekend, she moved home! The adoption process was finalized within 3 months.

It's amazing looking back & seeing just how often God's hand was in this process. DD looks (and, unfortunately, acts!) just like me. She is truly our daughter & we praise God that He had this plan in store for all of us.

 

[shortyK]

Everyday - sometimes the answer is "no", but I believe he answers

 

[LuvOrlando]

All the time, but I don't pray for specific requests, I pray that God help me choose what is best in the end. Obviously my experiences can be explained through co-incidence but since I have Faith, I see God, not co-incidence.

Once as a teen I knew something was terribly wrong with a friend and prayed for him. Later that night I found out he had attempted suicide but his brother found him & saved his life.

Once I had a terrible feeling about my DH driving home from work & prayed for him. When he got home he told me he saw a deer run into the car behind him on the highway through his rear view mirror but that he was fine.

My DD was a preemie and I was on a prayer chain. I also prayed deeply every night to help me make the right choices. I might have terminated the pregnancy based on the Dr's feelings but I pushed for more tests (which were negative) and trusted God to help me bring her into this world safely. My DD was born at 28 weeks perfectly healthy.

I am Catholic so I will also ask our Saints to pray for me too (we don't pray to them we ask for their prayers just like we ask other people). My blood relatives were horrible and I have suffered at their hands for ages so one day I was terribly depressed and prayed desperately for help. I also asked St. Jude (patron St. of lost causes) to pray for me that I might find peace. What followed was an unimaginably painful period where horrors were revealed to me. But that knowledge allowed me to walk away from them forever and find my way to real peace and happiness.

I ask St. Anthony to pray for me to find things I have lost and he always helps.

I always ask St. Francis pray for God's creatures that I love and he never fails me either.

Again, some people see happenstance but Faithful eyes see something altogether different. I do not think that good things = God and bad things = none. Sometimes the answer is no and that's all there is to it. Still, since I ask for what is best I usually see the reason for a no in the end... it just requires patience.

 

[mom2boys77]

Please don't flame me but here is my story: We had a golden retriever named Molly..for various reasons we couldn't keep her. I didn't want to put an ad in the paper because I wanted to be sure that she would go to a very loving home. We found a shelter near us. I prayed very hard that she would be adopted fast and not have to be stuck in a cage very long. Well Dh brought her down and when he got there a woman with another older golden came up to him and asked if he was turning Molly in..he said yes and she asked if she could have her..we discussed it over the phone and decided that it would be ok since she was already checked out by the shelter. Molly never had to go in the shelter..she went right home with her new "Mom" and Mo the other golden. Molly's new mom sends us new pictures every few months for which I am so grateful and Mo is her best friend! I really couldn't ask for a better family for Molly. I believe God knew how hard it was for me to give my dog up and he stepped in! It's been a year and Miss Molly is doing wonderfully in her new family!! I believe God answers all prayers it's just that sometimes they aren't answered the way we'd like!!!

 

[Minniemom97]

My daughter was born at 28 weeks - 2 pounds 1 ounce. At 10 days old she had a portion of her bowel removed. I prayed like I've never prayed before. Every day was a rollercoaster ride. After 3 1/2 months in the hospital, she is perfect.

Of course, I prayed for her physical well being, but I also prayed that He give me the strength to handle what was to come our way. Before, I was the person who always wondered how people "got through" what life threw at them. God answered my prayer to be a stronger parent and person and for that (and my healthy daughter) I am forever changed.

 

[Jennasis]

I've been answered so many times that I sometimes wonder if he has time to work this hard for anyone else. I have a very close, personal relationship with God and Jesus. My prayers have been answered time and again in bright flashing NEON lights, just in case I was feeling doubtful.

The day before my DH and I moved from NY to NC (leaving behind everyone and everything I knew), my DH was having severe panic attacks. It was so bad I thought I might have to actually hospitalize him and forget moving. We finally got DH calmed down enought to move the moving truck from our apartment to his mom's house where we would depart in the morning. I was driving my car loaded with boxes, following behind DH in the moving truck. As we got on the expressway I prayed..."Lord, I don't know if we are doing the right thing here by moving. I'm scared. But if this is your will, then I will follow whever you lead."

Just then, a car with North Carolina plates pulled in front of me and stayed there the whole way from our apartment to DMIL's house (about a 20 mile trip).

I couldn't believe it. I didn't need a sign THAt huge, but I was so grateful for it.

On another note, I went through a long period where I was TERRIFIED of death and dying. I was petrified at the thought of "not existing" anymore. I wasn't sure if there was an afterlife or anything. I was paralyzed with fear. I was afraid to leave the house (might die), afraid to do anything alone (might die alone), stopped eating etc. It was nightmarish, with no relief from anywhere. One night, my Mom confronted me about my attitude and I told her what I had been feeling. She basically chastised me...as a former religious instructions teacher, she explained that questioning the afterlife is questioning the existence of God. You can't believ in one and not the other. I told her I DO believe in God....but her words made me feel even worse! Now my faith was called into question in addition to this crippling fear! My mom left to take my little sister somewhere and there I sat, alone, now hysterically crying in the living room.

I fell to my knees with my head on the couch and screamed "God PLEASE...send me comfort! I can't live like this anymore! Please help me!"

And then It happened.

The room went completely silent, like the air itself had been sucked out and I felt His presence. It was like nothing I could even begin to describe. Jesus came to me...in my living room...sat on my couch...put his hand on me...and said "Don't be silly. Of course there is a Heaven. Everything is fine. You are ok."

It was instantaneous. The fear was immediately and totally replaced by SHEER overwhelming joy. ABSOLUTE knowledge that there was God, Jesus, Heavan and all that wonderful stuff. Not a doubt in my mind, just FACT.

I started calling everyone I knew and telling them! It was the most amazing experience of my life, and I vowed at that moment, to NEVER allow myself that fear again and to never doubt again.

 

[KikiFan]

I feel like God has answered my prayers many times but this time was probably one of the most profound experiences.

It was June of 96 and I was in a really bad place in my life. I was really struggling financially (I was on the verge of being evicted again) Some homeless jerk had set my car on fire. I was strugglig with being a single parent, and trying to find some balance between being a good parent and still trying to fulfill my dreams and ambitions. On top of all, that I'm pretty sure I was suffering from post-partum. I was pretty much on the verge of giving up on everything, my daughter, my career, and truthfully my life.

I woke up that morning sobbing - I really felt I'd reached the limit of what I could handle. So I told God that I needed a sign - something.... anything.

Then I got up to walk my dog before my daughter woke up. My neighbor was down at the end of the exterior hallway taking out her trash; not realizing that she'd been dropping pieces of her Sunday paper the entire length of the hallway. I looked down on my doorstep and right in front of my door, facing the right way even, was a copy of Parade magazine. On the cover was George Clooney. I didn't really care for Clooney in those days but as I picked the paper, the quote caught my eye, "The only failure is not to try" It gave me chills. I knew without a doubt that was my sign from God to keep slugging it out. To keep trying no matter what illusions of failure the world threw my way.

 

[NY Disney fan]

I don't really believe in God. I'm agnostic. But in a moment of desperation I got on my knees and said a prayer for my manager who was just laid off from his job. They only hired him 7 months ago and he relocated his whole family to take this job. He *just* bought a new house plus his mother died last week. I asked God (I NEVER pray ever, ever) to please let him get another job. Then I found out yesterday he got one. Not sure if my prayer meant anything but I felt like doing it.

 

[Erin1700]

I think God often answers my prayers but I have been waiting for a long time for him to help me with the one area of my life that needs work. I am not praying for specifics, just for a way to feel better about myself. I have a feeling this could now, after all this time, be answered in September. So, please ask God to answer this prayer for me.
But I know that my DD7 never had another seizure after have 2 25 minute long ones, I know DS 15 months has not had an asthma attack in months so he is there answering some of my prayers!

Oh, and St. Anthony finds stuff for us all the time!

 

[Amy&Dan]

I love these stories.

When my mother first got diagnosed with cancer and was given six months to live, I prayed she might live longer so that all of her grandchildren would remember her. My twin nieces (my mom's youngest grandkids) were just 7 months old when she was diagnosed. My mother ended up living over six more years, she died a week before my nieces turned seven. While they are young, I know they will have many memories of their Grammy they wouldn't have had if she had died when they first told us she would.

Later, I prayed my mother would die, so that her suffering would end. And she did. But as I sat at her bedside at the very end, I was suddenly filled with the usual doubts, supposed this was it? Suppose she had nothing left after this life? I wanted so much for her to be reunited with my father who had died 35 years earlier, I wanted, needed, to believe they would be together again very soon. The next morning my brother told me that as he lay in bed trying to fall asleep the night before, he saw shadows that looked very much like two people dancing, sort of twirling around, as if they were hugging. I took that as a good sign that my parents had been reunited!

A month after my mom died, I went to see a medium. Not some weird, scary Madame Leota type, this woman is a Christian. The first thing she told me was "when your mom got to heaven, she and your dad danced together, they were so happy to see each other". She told me she had a vision of two people, twirling around, hugging each other. I guess those shadows my brother saw were indeed the images of my parents dancing together after a 35 year separation. It gave me great comfort and made me feel that God had answered my prayer to give me and my brother some sort of sign that our parents were together again.

 

[NY Disney fan]

Oh, and St. Anthony finds stuff for us all the time!

Dear St. Anthony, please come around
Something's been lost and can't be found.

 

[Aisling]

This wasn't an answer to prayer, but God had saved me from two catastrophies in my life.

I was driving out of my mother's very long driveway late one night, driving fast toward the road, when I hears someone call my name. I slowed down and looked back, thinking my mother was calling me. No one was there. Just then, a car zoomed by speeding on the road. If I hadn't slowed down, I would have been hit hard by this car, and I probably would have died. I just broke down and cried.

Another time I was pulling a bookcase out of my son's bedroom to move into another room. It was a tall case and I had it leaning against me as I dragged it. I didn't know that I was backing myself toward the staircase until I felt my foot not on solid ground. Instantly, I felt a pressure on my back, and I was back on the landing. OMG I could have fallen down the stairs backwards with a heavy bookcase on top of me. It was a miracle.

I do believe God answers prayer, even though it may not be exactly what I'm asking for. But it always seems to work out in a way I couldn't have imagined, and I'm so grateful.