Do you believe in the power of prayer? I do. But I will forever and always believe in the miracle of prayer after I prayed this:
Most of you know my Mom passed away in 2011, after suffering a stroke. For two months, she fought to stay with us. She knew who we were, but the stroke had left her unable to speak.
After she died, I grieved her terribly. My prayer for months became this: “Lord I wish I could see Mama just one more time. Just one more time Lord. I know that’s not possible, but I just want to see her. I miss her.” I never thought to ask if I could hear her voice. My brother had heard Mama speak to him the night she passed away. She told him “It’s more beautiful than you can imagine.”
I’ve always loved that he heard her talking. And, yes, I was a tad bit jealous. But it never occurred to me to pray that I would hear her. I knew she hadn’t been able to talk after the stroke, and being the practical person that I am, I knew better than to pray that prayer.
Of course, wanting to see someone who has passed away is a pretty impractical prayer, too. But isn’t that the way it is when a dear one passes? Don’t we wish for one more chance to sit with them? One more chance to see their face? I did.
One particular Sunday, almost a year after Mama died, John set up his camera to get an updated picture of the both of us – a cute couples shot! He’s a great photographer, but, like the dentist whose kids have cavities, he forgets to take our own picture. After church, when we were both dressed in our finest, we went outside and struck a few poses. It was a beautiful day, I had good hair – which was a miracle – AND my make-up looked good. The picture he took was wonderful. But there was more.
When he showed it to me, I kept staring at my face. I wasn’t staring because I looked so good. It wasn’t a self-indulgent stare. It was a stare because my impossible prayer had been answered: I saw my Mama. In my face. I looked at my face in the picture, and it was a reflection of her. I knew God had answered, as only He could.
For days I would stare at the picture in the frame. I gazed at it for minutes at a time. But only when no one was around. I didn’t want anyone to think I was conceited, you know? I could not stop looking at it. I couldn’t. I saw Mama. She was right there. In front of me. It was a miracle. And yet, it was exactly what I had prayed for.
In our humanness, we tend to limit our prayers to those things only WE could accomplish. Today, on this National Day of Prayer, let’s be bold with our petitions to God. Let’s ask Him for these seemingly impossible requests:
◆ For the end to the travesty of abortion: “Deliver those who are being taken away to death…” Proverbs 24:11
◆ For God to intervene on behalf of our country: “O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous.” Psalm 7:9
◆ For a revival in this country the likes of which we haven’t seen since the Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th centuries: “and if My people who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
And always, let’s remember this:
But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26
Grace be with you,
Oh, my sweet friend, my heart is touched by your words and message. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Luv you Nay! My sweet church lady friend!
This is a beautiful story of God answering your prayer. And I love the reminder that we should pray even for things that seem impossible because nothing is impossible with God. #LiveFreeThursday
Amen Carly! We (I) often limit our prayers and God. He is the creator of the universe! He can surely answer my impossible prayers!
Ellen,
Oh, what a tender story of our God’s great love for us and for you…I loved it. I prayed along with for our country. We’ll both keep praying, my friend 🙂 And may God be especially close to you this Mother’s Day weekend.
Thank you Dolly! And thank you for joining me in prayer for our country! We need to fight on our knees!
This beautiful. I had a similar experience, a little different…someone posted a photo of me from years ago and I saw it, what others see, my daughter!
Lisa, isn’t it fun to get those glimpses others see? Thanks so much for visiting today. Blessings to you!
Thank-you, Ellen. What a beautiful reminder that God can do above and beyond what we can imagine; in ways that continue to surprise us. I love that. And you portrayed that so beautifully in your words.
Thank you, sweet Joyce! Yes, He absolutely fulfills our dreams in ways that we could never begin to imagine! Thank you for visiting!
Your story is so beautiful and God is SO amazing. When my mother died God answered my prayer to hear her say “I love you.” These were the last words she spoke to me.
Oh, Rachel, how beautiful! And what a lovely memory for you to hear those words of your mom. And how please our God must have been to give you that very special gift! Just beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
Ellen, Such a beautiful testimony of how the Lord loves to delight His children.
Thank you so much for sharing your “impossible prayer” and how the Lord made what seemed impossible possible.
Blessings.
Yes, Karen, He does love to delight us! I love how personal our God is – knowing what I needed and answering that is such a special way. Thanks for visiting!
This is so beautiful Ellen! And such an example of how God answers our prayers in the most miraculous ways. Thank you for sharing this – it touched my heart:)
Yes, Kristine, He is such a personal and tender Abba Father toward His people!