When I awoke, the red digital numbers on the face of the clock glowed in the darkness; I distinctly recall the time read 4:44. I talked to the Lord until 5:30. At that particular time, I began praying for my daughter who was going through a flare-up of sarcoidosis, a painful inflammatory disease that affects all major organs, including the eyes.
As I prayed, I thought of a conversation two years earlier with a woman who also suffered from sarcoidosis. She had done extensive research on the disease and she learned much about available medical treatment. Most doctors have little experience treating sarcoidosis, and the woman who came to mind possessed a wealth of potentially beneficial knowledge. I wanted to ask her some questions. I remembered her name was Kathy, but I could not remember her last name.
Kathy and I had spoken by phone, but we had never met. I could not even remember who put me in contact with her in the first place; I had no way of finding her. I spoke to the Lord about my desire to speak to Kathy and prayed, “Lord, if You want us to talk, You will have to have her call me.”
Later that morning, I went to my daughter’s home to take care of my young grandson. I answered the phone when it rang at 1:30 that afternoon. A voice said, “This is Kathy and I’m trying to reach Faye.” The woman I had prayed to find only eight hours earlier had called my daughter’s home to find me! Surprised that my prayer was answered so quickly, I asked her why she called and how she obtained my daughter’s number. She said she was compelled to call me from the time she got out of bed that morning. Though not sure how to find me, she remembered the woman who put us in touch initially and gave her a call. The woman gave Kathy a phone number, not realizing it was actually my daughter’s number. Kathy dialed the number and, lo and behold, I answered the phone at my daughter’s house.
Kathy felt certain she was supposed to share the name of an ophthalmic solution with me. Since it had decreased her eye symptoms significantly, she thought it might be beneficial to my daughter. I told her about my prayer and we were both amazed at how God worked to connect us. He really does hear every prayer! Some answers come swiftly and others take time, but He hears our earnest and sincere prayers.
At 5:30 that morning, while I was speaking to God, God was speaking to Kathy. He knew exactly where I would be at 1:30, so He provided Kathy with the number she needed to reach me at that precise time. God answered my prayer as I prayed!
God’s ways are wonderful! Sometimes, I think He works in such ways to cause me to pause and look up. I can almost hear Him say, “Did you get that? Do you think there is anything I cannot handle? Do you realize I know your every thought, your every word, and your every prayer, even before you speak?” He can orchestrate circumstances and situations in ways that are impossible for us to understand. God works in mysterious ways!
Not long after that incident, I came across an interesting article from a newspaper about a well-known minister who was driving cross-country. The man needed some alone time with God so he decided to drive to his destination. He was hundreds of miles from his home when he stopped to rest and stretch his legs. He was walking past an outdoor pay phone when the phone started ringing. He looked around and no one else was nearby. He lifted the receiver and said “Hello.”
He heard a woman’s voice calling him by name. He was stunned into silence as he listened to her express how happy she was to reach him. She asked the minister if he was in his office and he replied, “No.” He told the woman his location and asked how in the world she could possibly have reached him since no one knew exactly where he was.
The woman explained her desperate situation and her serious need to talk to him. She wanted the minister to pray for her. She had prayed to God, telling the Lord her desire to talk to the minister. She said a number ‘suddenly appeared in her mind’ so she dialed the number at once, thinking it must be his home or office number.
Both the minister and the caller were astonished when they realized how God had positively stepped in to answer her prayer as soon as the words left her mouth. The incident was undeniable proof of God’s orchestration in the circumstances. Each of them learned a valuable lesson that day about the omnipotence of God, the power of prayer, and the force of faith!
It shall be done to you according to your faith. Matthew 9:29