The power of prayer

edited December 1969 in Random Issues
Does anyone have any prayer stories of something happening in your life which you can't attribute to anything but the power of prayer? I'm just very curious to hear some if anyone would like to share any.
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  • You know that moment where an overflow of thoughts rush to your head and you can't answer a simple question like "what's your favorite food"? I'm having one of those now.

    I'll reply later when my thoughts are a bit organized :)
  • I guess I can say I have seen the power of prayer many times over.. just gonna share some memorable experiences of mine...

    One major event was my dads miracle by Abu Seifein and Tamav.... there was a major amount of prayer and fasting for that!

    I've also seen the power of prayer when we generally pray as a group at church youth meetings.. One thing that I notice is that every time we pray for good weather for our youth meeting camps that we actually have good weather even if it's mid-winter and it has been raining all week... the weekend of our camps NEVER rain, or it is never bad!

    I've seen the power of prayer so much, yet I really feel like I am yet to experience it myself. I really enjoy talking about the "power of prayer".. it's so helpful to me...but I am a hypocrite and a sinner in all this... so I have good knowledge on this yet lacking faith - so uncool lol. Everyone pray for me please, and maybe things will change.

    Cheers
  • [quote author=TITL link=topic=10270.msg125264#msg125264 date=1293137402]
    You know that moment where an overflow of thoughts rush to your head and you can't answer a simple question like "what's your favorite food"? I'm having one of those now.

    I'll reply later when my thoughts are a bit organized :)


    I'm glad you found it that way  :)

    [quote author=Mikhail™ link=topic=10270.msg125267#msg125267 date=1293150753]
    I've seen the power of prayer so much, yet I really feel like I am yet to experience it myself. I really enjoy talking about the "power of prayer".. it's so helpful to me...but I am a hypocrite and a sinner in all this... so I have good knowledge on this yet lacking faith - so uncool lol. Everyone pray for me please, and maybe things will change.


    I'm probably just as bad as you if not worse than you in this; this is what got me to post the topic in the first place. Pray for me too please.
  • hahaha u might find this a bit  funny but its true. when i was on holiday in yr5 -yr7 not sure  which  yr, i asked God to put the show "thats so raven" on tv and soon after he replied and it was on tv for the rest of the holidays yay that was fun. notice how important and meaning full my prayers are, hahaha. hahaha but that was when i was more spiritual. now not so much. its sad. sigh, gotta pull my socks up more. well. cya.
  • During winter break the church had a trip to Texas monastery. The only ticket available had a stop in Chicago. When we got there we had to take a shuttle to the correct terminal which our plane was in. The shuttle was late and we missed the plane by 2 minutes, and there were no more available planes to Houston on the same day. The whole group then was lead to the customer service. Abouna then talked to the employee and told us to pray. So we all took out our ipods and prayed the agpeya, for it had just turned the 6th hour. So far it seemed as if we were far from hope. As if there was nothing else left and we would have to sleep over in the airport. But after we prayed lord have mercy 41x the manger walked in, she was Coptic orthodox. She quickly noticed abouna and greeted him. Then she found out what was going on, and invited us into the First Class International lounge. She then began working on her computer and found tickets for the group. The lounge had free food and comfortable chairs, and what was weird was most of the food was sayamie!! We spent the 8 hours in there in relaxedness, eating, and playing our iPod. We listened to alhan and taraneem.
          "Praise god in all his saints!!" Prayer is truly a powerful thing, and this was the time I realized how great it is that we have the agpeya. Let us now pray together that god helps our brothers and sisters in Egypt, as you could see god has a reason for everything he has a reason for what is going on in Egypt and god hasst for us a solution. Don't lose faith and Trust in the lord.           
  • IBTJ, if asking for "That's So Raven" was in your spiritual years, I can only imagine what you ask for now.

    Jimmy, I'm still thinking.
  • What a coincidence! I also went to the Texas Abbey this winter break and missed my flight in Chicago. I also missed my flight coming back. I didn't pray from the Agpeya and get cool luxurious seats, but I quickly booked for the next available flight, which was 2 hours later (for both flights).
  • That is a weird coincidence! What days were you there I was there from 12/22/10-12/31/10, it was a great experiance
  • I left the 21st.
  • You just missed me!!! We were supposed to be there the 21st but then our plane in Arkansas got delayed overnight where again we prayed and the airport payed for our food and for a night stay in a hotel, it was a nice hotel! Thank god!!
  • I'm wondering:  did you get bonus frequent flyer miles?
  • I am not sure abouna took care of the tickets
  • GeorgeT, ilovesaintmark was making a funny.

    Never take anything he says seriously unless he says "On a serious note". I, too, usually wait for the signal phrase before answering his sarcastic questions.
  • It is hard for me to pick out one instance. When my wife was pregnant with our twins she started bleeding and they could only detect one heartbeat. A friend of mine in the US was attending a Church consecration by His Holiness that day and asked him to pray for my wife. She stopped bleeding and the second heartbeat was detected again.

    But I would have to say that increasingly my whole life is becoming a matter of faith and prayer. I don't mean that in a prideful manner, but in the sense that my whole life is filled with so many trials and tribulations that I find it impossible to get through each day without prayer. When I wake in the middle of the night I can do nothing but pray. When I am almost overwhelmed with concerns I pray. When I am glad I pray. When I feel that I cannot cope with any more disasters I pray.

    Thanks be to God that my life is so difficult that he leads me always to pray. If I won the lottery I would build a big Church, but would I pray as much? Would I know for sure that God alone is my salvation if I had no problems?

    When I was an Evangelical we used to hear of missionaries who lived by faith. Which meant that they did not have a regular income and had to rely on God prompting people to help them. Sometimes the help was shameful. I remember some people were collecting USED SOAP to squash into a bar for these poor missionaries. Others were DRYING TEABAGS so they could have cup of weak tea. Shame, shame, shame.

    I don't buy used teabags, but I do know what it is to trust God. I do believe this is why many tribulations come into all of our lives. For some of us we find it hard to learn the lesson. We must trust God in all things, and for all things.

    I have not always understood what God is doing, but He has never let me down, despite the fact that I am always letting Him down. Every day, every single day, I see answers to prayer.

    Father Peter
  • [quote author=TITL link=topic=10270.msg127558#msg127558 date=1295525245]
    GeorgeT, ilovesaintmark was making a funny.

    Never take anything he says seriously unless he says "On a serious note". I, too, usually wait for the signal phrase before answering his sarcastic questions.

    OO i thought he was serious :) lol

  • Thanks, George and Father Peter. Very nice posts, and you made them relatable.

    I want to reach the point in my faith where I can say "I don't know what God is doing, but I trust whatever He's doing because He has never let me down." That is my goal, but I find it difficult sometimes.
  • Finally, I thought of something!

    Boys and girls, get out your juice boxes and crackers; it's story time!

    When I was a lad in 4th grade (only a couple of years ago), I used to be bullied around by this nasty ol' girl in my class. Everyday she would find something to comment on: if it wasn't my clothes, then it was the way I smelled or something. The problem was, this girl was bipolar (I'm pretty sure). She would say nasty things and write me mean letters, then act like an angel in front of the teacher (hence, the bipolar comment). I couldn't tell my teacher, because she wouldn't believe me. I told my mom and she thought it was just silly 4th grade drama, and she told me it'll pass. Grown-ups never understand. Anyway, I ended up writing a letter to God. I told him about the mean girl and I asked Him to kill her. I put a postage on it, and gave it to the mailman next morning. The girl ended up dead next day at school. No, I'm kidding. She apologized for her actions, and she told me that she was actually jealous of me this whole time. We did end up becoming best friends and she convinced me to buy some deodorant.

    Although it might seem as a silly and insignificant story, this is actually one of the many many times that God has answered my prayers due to a letter. I pray as I write each letter.

    I still write my letters, but I keep them in my Bible. I don't think the mailman is too thrilled with a non-existing address ;)
  • Wow, great stories guys. Glory be to God forever, Amen!
  • Yousie- Thank you. Your "babbling" (as you call it) actually really helped me. Please pray that I can have God be my best friend too.

    TITL- Thank you as well, that almost made me fall out of my chair laughing. Just out of curiosity, how old are you? I tried the letter thing as well, but instead of sending them out I kept them in a journal, which I still have. I still whip it out in desperate times every now and then.
  • I'm a Junior in College. Only a couple of years after 4th grade ;)
  • [quote author=TITL link=topic=10270.msg127712#msg127712 date=1295613381]
    I'm a Junior in College. Only a couple of years after 4th grade ;)


    Hehe, so is it bad that I'm a senior in high school and I already feel like I'm growing old?

    [quote author=GODlovesme link=topic=10270.msg127724#msg127724 date=1295628427]
    Glad it helped.  I'll pray for you.  You pray for me as well.


    Will do  :D
  • Mikhail, you never posted that miracle!!! I have been waiting...for so long now, when will the time come?! Remember: no pressure WHAT SO EVER.

    Now my miracle (really-my mom's)

    I can tell you a time when my mom, dad and I were at our store and my mom was doing what she does and my dad was working and I was sitting in the lobby, entertaining myself (trying). When my mom was done with whatever, we left to go home. On the way, my mom looked at her finger, and she saw that her wedding ring was gone. My mom was freaking out (it was the most valuable thing to her - she let NO ONE touch it, not even me!)

    She turned the car around and on the way I was praying strongly I was crying out to God to help us find the ring. My mom was saying "Ya Adra" (Oh St.Mary). We went back to the store.

    My mom was looking for her ring everywhere in the back area (I don't know what it's called, employee area?). I was in the lobby, looking under the tables, under people's feet. Looking like a crazy person. But, I didn't care, I asked and called out to God.

    I started asking the people that were sitting. I told them that my mom lost a ring and if they can look under their feet. They all looked and they said that there was nothing. After I turned around, a man that was sitting held up a ring and said "Is this it?".


    I looked at it and I was like "YES!! Thank you thankyou thank you thank you thank you!"
    I ran to mom handed it to her and we celebrated after.

    "Prayer is strong, but for whoever prays with their full heart."
    Glory to God FOREVER.
  • Prayer is the most amazing thing and it's power is beyond human imagination.

    One thing - this is not babbling. This is an amazing sentence. And it's true.
  • [quote author=CopticStrength link=topic=10270.msg127813#msg127813 date=1295716004]
    Mikhail, you never posted that miracle!!! I have been waiting...for so long now, when will the time come?! Remember: no pressure WHAT SO EVER.

    Now my miracle (really-my mom's)

    I can tell you a time when my mom, dad and I were at our store and my mom was doing what she does and my dad was working and I was sitting in the lobby, entertaining myself (trying). When my mom was done with whatever, we left to go home. On the way, my mom looked at her finger, and she saw that her wedding ring was gone. My mom was freaking out (it was the most valuable thing to her - she let NO ONE touch it, not even me!)

    She turned the car around and on the way I was praying strongly I was crying out to God to help us find the ring. My mom was saying "Ya Adra" (Oh St.Mary). We went back to the store.

    My mom was looking for her ring everywhere in the back area (I don't know what it's called, employee area?). I was in the lobby, looking under the tables, under people's feet. Looking like a crazy person. But, I didn't care, I asked and called out to God.

    I started asking the people that were sitting. I told them that my mom lost a ring and if they can look under their feet. They all looked and they said that there was nothing. After I turned around, a man that was sitting held up a ring and said "Is this it?".


    I looked at it and I was like "YES!! Thank you thankyou thank you thank you thank you!"
    I ran to mom handed it to her and we celebrated after.

    "Prayer is strong, but for whoever prays with their full heart."
    Glory to God FOREVER.

    Amazing story
  • I don't know why I'm just getting back to this now, but that was a nice story, CopticStrength.  ;D

    Any others???
  • I frequently lose things, my keys, cards, papers, anything. And every time I can't find something and start panicking, I just stop to pray and say "Please Lord, let me find my keys, through the intercession of St. Anthony." And EVERY SINGLE TIME, I find it almost INSTANTANEOUSLY. Literally, I turn around, or open a drawer, or look underneath a pile of work and it's the first thing that I see.

    My grandmother was the one who taught me this, saying she always asked the intercession of St. Anthony whenever she needed to find something. I remember asking her if she meant St. Anthony the Great, the Father of Monasticism, and she said it was a different St. Anthony.

    What is really awful on my part, is that every time I ask for his intercession, I always promise him that I will do some research to get to know who he is and find out about his story but I never have. His intercessions have never let me down, but I'm never upholding my promise.

    Time to get searching  :D
  • I think that the St. Anthony tradition is relative to the RCC St. Anthony of Padua and not St. Anthony the Great of Egypt.
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