“I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.”—Psalm 63:4 (NLT)
Many times, God will reinforce the steps I am taking by sending me a message or a messenger. Emails or texts from someone giving me the needed encouragement to keep walking in faith. Other times, it is putting people in my pathway to remind me of His past faithfulness. This happened to me on Friday.
I recently ran into someone that I hadn’t seen in over 20 years. It was a woman that led a Bible study that I had attended as a new Christian. I had been dating my current husband for about a year. I was ready to get married and he wasn’t. I kept praying for clarity from God asking if he was the right man for me. On more than one occasion, God led me to a scripture or devotion telling me to wait patiently, so you would think I would have gotten the message, but I didn’t.
Finally, on one particular evening in bed, I was crying, God, I just don’t know what to do. Is he the man I am supposed to marry? In my head I heard the voice of the woman that was leading the Bible study sternly say to me, You need to wait patiently on him, Lisa! God was clearly telling me that He had already answered that prayer.
I shared it with her at our next meeting and we all got a good laugh out of it. All of those ladies knew my story, my dating life and were all praying for me and my children. I lost contact with that leader and honestly, couldn’t have told you her name…until a few days ago.
I was at a book signing at a local yarn shop. With everyone having to wear masks, it is hard to recognize someone you might know. After I signed each book, I put my card with my website and social media information on it and encouraged each person to stay in contact and let me know when they make a Knit, Pray, Share gift.
When I got home from my book signing, I had an email from one of the ladies whose book I had signed. She had asked if I had done a Bible study at a church in Arlington. She must have read my About Me from the website and sent another email saying, Dear Lisa, it was you!! We were in a Bible Study together at St Barnabas!!! I’m hugging you and sending you my love and prayers!!! How blessed I am to see my prayers answered... again.
I cried when I read that because it has been over 20 years and what a gift it was for both of us to reconnect. Even though at that time, I couldn’t remember her name, she will always have a special place in my heart for being a mentor to me at that time in my life. She said she prayed many prayers for me and my children as well as for a loving partner in marriage for me. I am thankful for God orchestrating our meeting at JuJu Knits so that she was able to see how God answered her prayers from so many years ago as well as my gratitude of how God provided for me during that time in my life.
As I was getting ready to go to the book signing, I knew it would be a good day because I was in my element….sharing what I loved and in a store filled with yarn! I never expected to be reunited with someone I hadn’t seen in over two decades. God is so good to remind me of His past faithfulness from other prayer warriors. Last week’s post was on intercessory prayer. It was not a coincidence that God reminded me how others prayed for me in the past on my behalf. He was faithful then and He is still faithful now. God does hear our prayers.
Don’t be discouraged if you look at your prayer list and don’t know many of the people on it. Keep on praying for them. If someone has asked you to add them to your prayers, they are in need of them. I know I may never meet or know the outcome of some of the people that are or have been in my prayers but what a gift when I do. As a follower of Jesus I am called to love God and love others. This is one small way I am able to do that…pray and maybe one day I too will receive the unexpected blessing to see or hear about the outcome of those prayers.
Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your faithful servants that have prayed for me over the years. I praise You for leading me to mentors and friendships that encourage, build up and strengthen my faith, especially when I feel weak. I ask for You to lead me to someone that needs to be reminded of Your promises that You will never leave them or forsake them. You hear their prayers. Open my eyes to opportunities this week to be an unexpected blessing to someone else. It is in the name of Jesus that I pray these things. Amen.
September Memory Verse
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.— Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV) We are living in a time when things don’t make sense. Now more than ever I need to be trusting God and seeking Him for direction in all I do.
Please make sure you tweet @KnitPrayShare or share your projects on the Knit, Pray, Share Facebook page or Instagram using the hashtag #KnitPrayShare. Be sure to attach a tag to whatever gift you make.