Prayer is Powerful

Hello, readers.

I want to share a prayer with you that has been answered. If you have been reading my posts, some of my answered prayers surprised me, even making me take a step backward. In this answered prayer of mine, I want you all to understand how powerful prayer is. Be careful what you pray for, because God definitely answers.

Now that I am home for a few weeks, I have asked God to help me to serve. I really have a passion for helping the helpless, because I used to be helpless, searching for something more. I asked God to help me to serve someone in need. With this prayer, I was expecting God to send me to a homeless shelter, or to serve food at a church related event.

Instead, God does something completely different. Someone I know was just evicted from his home with no reason at all. The owner didn't care... He kicked his renter out without any notice. Now what? Where is he going to stay? What about his mom? How are they going to get food? They have no car, no home.. nothing.

My family has graciously let him into our home while his mother is with her sister. We cleaned out the apartment his family was evicted from, taking all of his belongings that were still in good shape. We threw many things out that were dirty and were rotting. Right now, our home is a mess because we are storing all of his family's items. My mom is stressed because we are trying to find a new home for them. We are also watching their young dog, Sashi, all day long because she is too scared to be by herself.

What's worse is that some people are questioning our motives. "Why help the helpless?" They say... "It's all their fault that they are so poor! They are too lazy to do anything for themselves!" When God brought my sister's friend to us, I asked why. Isn't that our usual reaction? God, why do you put something in front of our path? God, why do you ruin my plans? Why did you let this happen?

This is what Jesus says about helping the needy.

Matthew 5: 46-48 "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

This verse is extremely valid. What reward will any of us gain if we only serve people we know? What will we gain from serving the people who are loved, and not serving the people who are not loved?

I asked God to help me to serve, and now I am. God has given me and the rest of my family a task, and that is to continue to put the family on the right track, and to provide for them. If we do not help, who will?

Prayer is powerful. And so is God. Remember to thank God for His answered prayers because He wants us to learn how to be like His Son, Jesus Christ, who loves and serves all who are in need.

Letting Go

A prayer of mine has been answered, and I want to share it. Also, God is teaching me to do the same right now.

For the past few months, I have been praying for someone who defines their life according to the materials they own. His whole life, he has collected cars, paintings, clocks.. and the list goes on. How I know he defines his life in these things is his attitude towards them. Whenever I see him, these items are the center of the conversation. He talks about how neat they are, or how they make him happy.

This man has been hanging onto an item that he thought was protecting him. It is a coin with an angel on it. Because he is dying of cancer, he figured he did not need it anymore. Also, because he knows of my faith in God and angels, he gave it to me. His words were "I know you believe in angels very much. I do too. I have been keeping a hold of this coin for many years, but, I do not need it anymore. I want you to have it now."

It was a very strange moment for me to receive the coin because I was not sure what to think. Is it good that he is giving me the coin, or is it bad? Overall, I see that he is letting go of something that used to defy himself. He finally let go of something he believed protected him. He is letting go of a material item, and moving forward in search of something new.

With him, his main struggle in life is holding onto material items and having them define his life. For me, it is letting go of my past. Although I am thankful for the life that I have and for Jesus Christ saving me, I lived 18 years without knowing Jesus, I am ashamed of what I have done, and I am still deeply heart broken. But, Jesus says to always look to Him. God wants us to be labeled as His child. We should identify ourselves with Jesus, and when we do, God sees us through His Son, who is sinless and loving. Is there something in your life that is not allowing you to identify with Jesus? Here is a verse that puts our views into perspective:


Colossians 3: 1-4 "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

Encouraging Songs

Here are some lyrics that I enjoy listening to and being encouraged by that represent God's Word into song.

"You are More" by Tenth Avenue North
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

"Oh My Dear" by Tenth Avenue North
Oh, my dear, I'll wait for you
Grace tonight will pull us through
Until the tears have left your eyes
Until the fear can sleep at night
Until the demons that you're scared of
Disappear inside
Until the scale begins to crack
And this weight falls from your back
Oh, my dear, I'll keep you in my arms tonight

"Praise You in this Storm" by Casting Crowns
And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm


"Blessings" by Laura Story
We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things
'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not our home
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

"Overcome" by Jeremy Camp
Seated above, enthroned in the Father's love
Destined to die, poured out for all mankind
God's only Son, perfect and spotless one
He never sinned but suffered as if He did
All authority
Every victory is Yours
All authority
Every victory is Yours
Savior, worthy of honor and glory
Worthy of all our praise, You overcame
Jesus, awesome in power forever
Awesome and great is Your name, You overcame
Power in hand speaking the Father's plan
You're sending us out, light in this broken land
We will overcome by the blood of the Lamb
And the word of our testimony, everyone overcome

"Someone Worth Dying For" by Mikeschair
You might be the wife waiting up at night
You might be the man struggling to provide
Feeling like it's hopeless
Maybe you're the son who chose a broken road
Maybe you're the girl thinking you'll end up alone
Praying God, can You hear me?
Oh, God, are You listening?
Am I more than flesh and bone?
Am I really something beautiful?
Yeah, I wanna believe
I wanna believe that
I'm not just some wandering soul
That You don't see and You don't know
Yeah, I wanna believe, Jesus, help me believe
That I am someone worth dying for
I know you've heard the truth that God has set you free
But you think you're the one that grace could never reach
So you just keep asking
Oh, what everybody's asking
Am I more than flesh and bone?
Am I really something beautiful?
Yeah I wanna believe
I wanna believe that
That I'm not just some wandering soul
That You don't see and You don't know
Yeah, I wanna believe, Jesus, help me believe
That I am someone worth dying for
You're worth it, you can't earn it
Yeah, the cross has proven
That You're sacred and blameless
Your life has purpose
You are more than flesh and bone
Can't you see, you're something beautiful?
Yes, you gotta believe, you gotta believe
He wants you to see, He wants you to see
That you're not just some wandering soul
That can't be seen and can't be known
Yeah, you gotta believe, you gotta believe that you are
Someone worth dying for

I pray that these songs are an encouragement to you, and you consider listening to them.