Monday, January 29, 2007

Answered Prayers

There have been some prayers God has answered recently that I wanted to mention. The feelings expressed in Wade Tannehill's "Can God Be Persuaded to Act?" post is something we have been able to relate to for some time. I know there are bigger concerns out there than ours but they are still concerns nonetheless.

The first answered prayer is about a couple I know. They have been having marital difficulty for several years. I counseled with them together and individually. About 5 months back they separated and had a restraining order put in place. The wife has struggled with alcohol her entire adult life and has been in and out of rehab at least 8 times. Several of those times she was near death. Well, her husband went to serve her divorce papers last week and he found her sober. She had been sober for four months! Instead of serving her the papers, he brought her home! I saw them last week together. They were so happy. In the sermon that Sunday morning, their first Sunday back, our preacher made the statement how sweet it is to have thought you lost something only to get it back again. It gave me goose bumps! Please pray for them that they will be fully reconciled and that this will not just be a honeymoon phase for a few months.

Second, my wife is going to take on a new full-time job doing marriage seminars in churches and for the community. I really owe God a big "thank you" on this as well. Since finishing her masters in December 2005 she has not had a full time job. She has really had a battle with trying to do the right thing and turned down everything she had been offered because she felt those jobs weren't God's will. She has stuck it out for over a year, doing what is right, and God has blessed it.

We had been praying for both of these things for quite some time and He answered in a big way. We serve an amazing God. He is powerful. He can and will act. Not just in the good times but in the bad times as well (depending on your definition of "bad"). God really came through for this couple that I mention and for my wife and I. Thank you Lord!

Third, please keep Jim in your prayers. He is our preaching minister and he is having surgery on his meniscus as this is being typed.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is all great news. I'm so glad to hear that. I will pray for Jim.

I know a little of what it's like to get some spark back in a struggling marriage. Congratulations to those two. I pray that it will hold fast.

Is Missy going to be traveling to do the seminars or does she stay local? My congregation is interested in having a marriage seminar in the next couple of years. If she travels, maybe we could give Missy some business.

Hope you're having a good day!! It sounds like your week is off to a good start. :)

Matt said...

Hi Lisa,

She will pretty much be local but she and I hope someday to travel and do that sort of thing. I also hope I didn't make it sound like Jim's marriage was on hard times - he is not the guy from the first story :) He just needs some prayers is all. God bless

Anonymous said...

Oh, I meant Jim & the couple separately. I guess my comment was unclear. I knew what you meant, anyway. :)

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