The summer of 2009 came and went, then it was time to return to school. My second year teaching at ACA, a change of curriculum, teaching two grades (5th and 6th) and a blind student. I remember thinking when the principal told me about the challenges I was going to have that school year, "yea right Lord, is this supposed to be funny?" It was truly a challenge in the beginning, my schedule was crazy, I worked most evenings late just to keep caught up, but there is always a reason the Lord brings someone or a difficult situation into our lives and he showed me many times that 1st semester exactly why he placed me in that stressful situation.
After working with Jesse(my blind student)for a month or so and speaking with his mother and some of the people he had in his life helping him adjust to public school, I found out there was a piece of equipment he really needed. This particular piece of equipment was called a BrailleNote and it's cost, oh only between $6,000 and $7,000. I did research online trying to find him a scholarship or a way for the school to obtain this for him and nothing ever worked out. His mother was also trying to find a way to get it for him. Then it hit me, why can't I ask the students in my class to start praying about it for him.
I had been teaching on the power of prayer up to this point during Bible class and I wanted the children to see prayer in action, not only prayer but more specifically their prayers. So, I explained to them what we were in need of about $6,000.00. To them that was like telling the Lord we needed one million, but we started praying. Those children prayed earnestly, never forgetting to pray about it. If I would ask for prayer request inevitably someone would say, "Ms. Williams, don't forget about Jesse's Braillenote."
Throughout this time the children started seeing their own prayers being answered, someone needed to find a lost phone, and a week later the phone was found in a place that had been checked multiple times. He was so excited to come to school that morning and let me know God had let him find his phone. One student's clarinet was broken and had been out for repair for a very long time. She finally asked the class to pray about it and that very day her clarinet was dropped off at the school in working condition.
I went to church and asked my church to pray about the Braillenote as well. I explained to the congregation that as much as I want Jesse to have it, I wanted my students to see God answer their prayer more, so we started praying about it at church as well.
God is always faithful, with a loving heart that will give us our hearts desire if only we ask. One morning around 9 weeks after we started praying the principal pulled me out of class. He said, "Ms. Williams, I just wanted to show you what your students have prayed in and in his hand was a check for $7000, enough for the Braillenote and all the extras Jesse would need to be able to do his work. I asked him if I could take the check in to show the class and of course he agreed. My students went crazy, they were clapping and cheering. God at that moment had showed each student and a lot of adults, that his abilities to do for us are far greater than we can imagine and even more than that He does listen to our prayers and does answer them.
The money came from someone in another state, a foundation that had heard from someone, who was not related to our school, about Jesse's case. They didn't know we had been praying for this need, but God opened their hearts and used them to answer prayers for a classroom of 5th and 6th graders.
You would think by this time that I had seen God work so much in my own life that this shouldn't have been that big a deal for me, it was just another prayer answered. That couldn't be further from the truth......I needed just like those children needed to see God do something big for my students that year, I needed to know God was going to re-enforce to them what I was teaching them and He did!!!
What a mighty God we serve!!!
Showing posts with label Prayer working. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prayer working. Show all posts
Friday, September 3, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
An intermission to thank the Lord for an answered prayer!
I'm going to take a short intermission from telling my past story. I have had it laid on my heart for a few weeks that I need to share how good God is and what He has done recently!
Have you ever felt like the Lord has spoken to you and told you to do something, but you're just not sure it was the Lord. It's happened to me more than once through out my Christianity and I learned pretty quickly to test Him. According to 1 John 4:1 "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."
I was beginning to feel like maybe I wasn't suppose to be writing this blog. Maybe I was writing it for the wrong reasons. My full intention in starting it was for God to get the glory from a life He has changed. Not only did He change me, but He has never failed me (most people will say yet after that statement)......I choose not to because He will NEVER fail me. Whatever comes my way in my life it will be of God's doing, so how can I count any of it as a failure. Somehow Satan got into my head and started telling me I shouldn't be writing this, it's not doing any good and no one is even reading it.
A couple of weeks ago maybe after about my seventh post, I prayed one evening. I wanted to know if I should continue writing or stop, I needed to know I was doing God's will. It's not in my best interest to write this blog because lets face it not all of this is easy to tell. It's difficult for me to open up and be vulnerable and tell all my private business. I'm sure some people might even disagree with me for doing it. In my prayer I asked the Lord to show me that I was doing what He wanted me to do and doing it for the right reasons. Not to be boasting about myself or anything great I have done, I told no one about my prayer or my concern.
God is so kind and faithful He answered my prayer that evening before I went to sleep. My daughter made a comment on my blog that confirmed she was okay with what I was writing. In my head I said, "Great thanks Lord, but she's my daughter and she would love me know matter what and support whatever I did." Although I was very grateful for the comment, God knew this alone would not help me to know 100% this was what He wanted me to do.
The next morning I went for my normal walk with my friend Beth, after I dropped her off I was in McDonald's drive thru purchasing my favorite drink, "iced mocha" and I happened to open my Facebook account on my phone. Within my account was a message, a very detailed message by one of my FB friends. I have asked her permission to post it below, however for her anonymity I'm leaving her name out, I would rather share her message than her name, it's amazing =)
"Hey there! Your blogs have touched me, so thank you for sharing! I too was raised in a Christian home, all of my life, but am not living my life the way that I should. Not proud of how my life has turned out. Depression has ruined me and my family, but I don't want to use excuses anymore for the way my life is. I want to change it! I want God to change it! I know that He can and will pray that He will! God uses people to wake us up and I'm truly thankful for it! I'm sick of excuses and I'm sick of letting Satan walk all over me an my family! I am not where I need to be in life and am asking you to pray with me that I will let God be in control from here on out! I need help! I need praying friends! I need you and I know that God has lead me to your blogs for a reason! Thank you so much for sharing! :-)"
Right there in McDonald's parking lot I started crying like a little child......and you have already been told it takes a lot for me to cry. I was so emotional for two reasons, first, every doubt I had, God confirmed I was doing exactly what He wanted me to be doing. Secondly, for this friend and her situation and desire to be following Christ. (Someone who I haven't seen in over 20 years and have only spoken on FB once and not about Christianity). God is so amazing, He used someone in my life and in her life to show that He can be everywhere at once and answer both of our prayers. She has since re-dedicated her life to Christ. I see this happy person now with great uplifting post on her FB statuses and giving Christ all the glory. If the angels in Heaven rejoice over one who turns to Christ why shouldn't we!!!!!
Since then the Lord continues to confirm my fears by sending others my way with comments of wanting a changed life, a life lived for Him. My blog is helping and that's all that matters......extending a loving hand with an open heart to expand the Kingdom of God, regardless of what we have to do to accomplish it!!
Is there a ministry God wants you to do, maybe it's not the Vacation Bible School or a ministry your church has. Maybe He wants you to step out in faith and do something on your own, just you and Jesus working together. I have found just living a life and telling your story is enough to show others how BIG God is. I'm not unusual, people all over the world have much better stories than I, they need to be told......so go tell your story to someone and let God work in your life and theres!
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15
Have you ever felt like the Lord has spoken to you and told you to do something, but you're just not sure it was the Lord. It's happened to me more than once through out my Christianity and I learned pretty quickly to test Him. According to 1 John 4:1 "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."
I was beginning to feel like maybe I wasn't suppose to be writing this blog. Maybe I was writing it for the wrong reasons. My full intention in starting it was for God to get the glory from a life He has changed. Not only did He change me, but He has never failed me (most people will say yet after that statement)......I choose not to because He will NEVER fail me. Whatever comes my way in my life it will be of God's doing, so how can I count any of it as a failure. Somehow Satan got into my head and started telling me I shouldn't be writing this, it's not doing any good and no one is even reading it.
A couple of weeks ago maybe after about my seventh post, I prayed one evening. I wanted to know if I should continue writing or stop, I needed to know I was doing God's will. It's not in my best interest to write this blog because lets face it not all of this is easy to tell. It's difficult for me to open up and be vulnerable and tell all my private business. I'm sure some people might even disagree with me for doing it. In my prayer I asked the Lord to show me that I was doing what He wanted me to do and doing it for the right reasons. Not to be boasting about myself or anything great I have done, I told no one about my prayer or my concern.
God is so kind and faithful He answered my prayer that evening before I went to sleep. My daughter made a comment on my blog that confirmed she was okay with what I was writing. In my head I said, "Great thanks Lord, but she's my daughter and she would love me know matter what and support whatever I did." Although I was very grateful for the comment, God knew this alone would not help me to know 100% this was what He wanted me to do.
The next morning I went for my normal walk with my friend Beth, after I dropped her off I was in McDonald's drive thru purchasing my favorite drink, "iced mocha" and I happened to open my Facebook account on my phone. Within my account was a message, a very detailed message by one of my FB friends. I have asked her permission to post it below, however for her anonymity I'm leaving her name out, I would rather share her message than her name, it's amazing =)
"Hey there! Your blogs have touched me, so thank you for sharing! I too was raised in a Christian home, all of my life, but am not living my life the way that I should. Not proud of how my life has turned out. Depression has ruined me and my family, but I don't want to use excuses anymore for the way my life is. I want to change it! I want God to change it! I know that He can and will pray that He will! God uses people to wake us up and I'm truly thankful for it! I'm sick of excuses and I'm sick of letting Satan walk all over me an my family! I am not where I need to be in life and am asking you to pray with me that I will let God be in control from here on out! I need help! I need praying friends! I need you and I know that God has lead me to your blogs for a reason! Thank you so much for sharing! :-)"
Right there in McDonald's parking lot I started crying like a little child......and you have already been told it takes a lot for me to cry. I was so emotional for two reasons, first, every doubt I had, God confirmed I was doing exactly what He wanted me to be doing. Secondly, for this friend and her situation and desire to be following Christ. (Someone who I haven't seen in over 20 years and have only spoken on FB once and not about Christianity). God is so amazing, He used someone in my life and in her life to show that He can be everywhere at once and answer both of our prayers. She has since re-dedicated her life to Christ. I see this happy person now with great uplifting post on her FB statuses and giving Christ all the glory. If the angels in Heaven rejoice over one who turns to Christ why shouldn't we!!!!!
Since then the Lord continues to confirm my fears by sending others my way with comments of wanting a changed life, a life lived for Him. My blog is helping and that's all that matters......extending a loving hand with an open heart to expand the Kingdom of God, regardless of what we have to do to accomplish it!!
Is there a ministry God wants you to do, maybe it's not the Vacation Bible School or a ministry your church has. Maybe He wants you to step out in faith and do something on your own, just you and Jesus working together. I have found just living a life and telling your story is enough to show others how BIG God is. I'm not unusual, people all over the world have much better stories than I, they need to be told......so go tell your story to someone and let God work in your life and theres!
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)