God wants us to ask the hard questions in prayer. He desires that we know His plan for our lives. This doesn’t mean He’s going to reveal the steps to get there all at once, because where is the fun in all that? Where is the faith in all that?
David, when uncertain about his next steps after Saul’s death, inquired specifically of the Lord in 2 Samuel 2: 1, he asked if he should go up to one of the towns of Judah. God said, “Go up.” David then asked, “Where shall I go?” “To Hebron, ” the Lord answered.
I want to share a personal example of answered specified prayer in my life recently and God’s astounding answer.
I sponsor a boy named Martin in Uganda through an organization called Children’s HopeChest. Martin is 14-years-old, loves to draw, listen to music and dance, and is a good student in school, but he’s different from his peers. Martin is a mute. From the time that I became his sponsor, I began praying for him: for his safety, his well being, his health and knowing that he didn’t have one of his own, I prayed that I would somehow, be his voice. I’ve been sponsoring him for a little over a year now and was presented with an opportunity a few months ago to visit his village this summer. Martin is just one of hundreds of orphans who lack adequate resources in a country ravaged by the AIDS epidemic, in-fighting and early mortality. I’m going to see him in July. Soon after I got the opportunity to go, I got specific in my prayers. I wanted more than anything to help Martin, so I started praying for a speech pathologist to go on the trip with us.
A few weeks later, we had our first trip interest meeting, and at that point there were 4-5 “definites“. The meeting at my friend’s house adjourned that night and I stayed behind to talk with her and started flipping through her photo album from her trip to Uganda the previous summer. I couldn’t help it. I broke down in tears, so burdened for all the children we were going to see, but particularly Martin. I reminded my friend that he was mute and told her that I’d been praying for a speech pathologist to go on the trip.
It was one of those moments when time stands still, because she looked up at me and said, “You’re kidding me.”
“Uh, uh.” I shook my head “No.”
“One of the ladies who is still deciding whether she wants to go on the trip, and to potentially take her son along, is a speech pathologist.”
I don’t think I could I could say anything, but the goose bumps on my arms may have spoken for themselves.
“I’m e-mailing her tonight.” my friend said.
Guess who’s coming on the trip?
I know that God has a very special plan for Martin’s life, just as much as He does for all of his children. He sets the lonely in families, He looks after the widow and the orphan.
The Lord He is God, the Lord He IS God.
A few weeks later at one of our team meetings, the speech pathologist (SP for short) casually mentioned she wasn’t sure that she could help Martin, as muteness is generally more of a psychological condition. I thought, “No, God’s not taken us this far to back down. She is going because of Martin.” So I started praying, I prayed that God would release whatever is on his heart, that the peace of God that surpasses all understanding would guard his heart and his mind.
The SP and I had a conversation just the other other night. She told me that she recently attended a professional conference, one that goes to every year and one of the break out sessions was on mutism, she says she’s never been aware of one like this before. She attended it.
Can’t wait to see how God’s going to work.
How about you? Would you like to share any answers to specific prayers in your own life?
PLEASE come back Friday for more thoughts on prayer and a review on the book, The Art of Listening Prayer with a *bonus* short author interview!! You don’t want to miss this, people.
Photo Licensed under Creative Commons by echiner1
