The Grateful Journal Series
Many prayers have been answered throughout our lives, even if we didn’t realize it at the time. Even those of us who were not Christian and had no relationship with God and didn’t believe in Him. For many unbelievers, God still wants to get their attention; He knows everyone’s hearts, and if they’ve been led in the wrong direction and need a little help believing. He also knows those who never intend to believe; those He already knows can never be swayed or convinced—I imagine He doesn’t bother with them. But for the ones with even a flicker of God in their hearts, He will answer their prayers if they align with His plan.
I can’t count how many prayers God has answered for me. My prayers have been answered threefold, from the pocket-sized to the big and miraculous. I could never imagine not believing in God because He has done so much for me, and often in amazing, supernatural ways. I don’t believe in coincidence, but when it happens two, three, or more times, or on a grand scale, even the unbeliever begins to realize that coincidence is unnatural and unlikely. That’s because it is; it means something else is going on, something intentional. It means that God is at work.
Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me!
Psalm 66:20
It was 2012, and I was a single mom raising three children in a government-subsidized apartment. I worked at a warehouse and had been there for four years. Long hours and raising my kids alone took up 110% of my time, so I never had time to write. I had just started writing a novel about a week before when I suddenly had this strange and powerful urge to quit my job to finish my book. This book consumed me; never had I been so into telling a story as I had this one up to this point. Also, during this time, my kids and I were trying to devise ways to save and raise enough money to at least put a down payment on a house. Nothing was working, and I became discouraged. I remember praying to God one day, a genuine, heartfelt prayer, asking Him to help us with enough money to buy a house and a new, dependable car. I felt guilty asking for so much, but God knew what was in my heart, and I couldn’t take it back.
About a week or two later, I took that huge risk and quit my job to finish my book. It was crazy! I had three small children who depended on me and a $264 monthly car payment—I couldn’t just quit my job!
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