A Prayer That Was Heard
When a heartfelt cry out to God
is all you have....
It was a cold winter's night in the Alleghany
Mountains of Virginia when I, at the age of seventeen, needed an answered
prayer in the worst way. I was on my way home from a football game and a friend
of mine needed a ride. I told her I would be happy to take her home. The roads
were starting to get icy; no snow yet, but you could feel the temperature had
dropped pretty significantly.
We made it to her home without an issue, however,
as I was heading home myself, I hit a patch of ice and the car started to drift
off of the road. My wheels were spinning but I was not going forward, instead,
my car was sliding sideways. On the right side of the road was a steep cliff
and below the cliff was a cold, icy, rushing river. It all happened so quickly
though it felt as if time stood still. My heart was pounding in my chest. I
thought I was going to die.
My car was heading right for the edge of that
cliff and my steering wheel was completely useless. As I was nearing the edge,
I cried out, God, please save me! As
the words were leaving my mouth, I felt something supernatural. It's hard to
explain, but it felt as though a hand picked up the back end of my car and set
it right back on the road. If you've ever had a near miss, then you know
exactly what I am talking about. I remember that night so vividly because I
feel certain that without the help of the Lord that night, I would have been
dead. God had a purpose for my life and He, and He alone, would be my
protector.
My life would follow a pattern. Year after year I
found myself in situations through which only God could help me. I learned at
an early age to lean on Him. I learned at an early age that He would be there
with me.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, And He brought them out of their distresses. He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad because they were quiet, so He guided them to their desired haven (Ps 107:28-30 NASB).
- Do you want to live a life of no regrets?
- Do you want to make good and right decisions in your life?
- Do you want to know what your assignments are?
Then you need to know how to pray, and you need
to know that the prayers you pray will be heard and answered. Prayer is a tool
that God grants so that we can learn how to best reflect Him, becoming more
like Him as we grow to better know Him. It is an action based on a simple
belief that God can and will bring about change in the course of events. It is
communication with an expectation that God will lead us. It is an expectation
that He will hear and answer. Expect nothing less than answered prayers.
Oftentimes, we will pray a prayer, but not expect
to get an answer. That's futile. The Word of God tells us to come boldly to the
throne of grace. Prayer should be your first defense, not your last resort.
Prayer will help you to build a life of no regrets simply because you learn to
follow the lead of the Lord for direction. During your time of prayer, if
prayed confidently in faith, God will bring about direction, conviction,
clarification, inspiration, and revelation, and give you wisdom to make
decisions that will help you live the best life you can live.
Living without regret is possible when you:
- Decide to turn to God first instead of as a last resort.
- Expect that He hears your cries.
- Pray in faith, knowing that God can do
anything.
- Trust that God is on your side and that He
cares for you.
- Walk in peace with a confident
expectation that He is on your side.
Is it not
sweet to believe that our tears are understood even when words fail! Let us
learn to think of tears as liquid prayers, and of weeping as a constant
dropping of importunate intercession which will wear its way right surely into
the very heart of mercy, despite the stony difficulties which obstruct the way.
--Charles Spurgeon
Robin Bertram is an author,
speaker, ordained minister, and the executive producer and former host of the
nationally and internationally syndicated television show, Freedom
Today. She has been a leader of media leaders for 25 years and has placed
several Christian programs onto the national and international stage. She is
the author of No Regrets how loving deeply and living
passionately can impact your legacy forever (Charisma House Publishing) and
Hidden Treasures (Abingdon Press).
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