PRAYER WORKS | Donna E. Starr

PRAYER WORKS By Donna E. Starr

“And we know that all

things work together

for good to those who

love God, to those who

are the called accord

ing to His purpose,”

This past fall, I found out my rent was going up by $200. My budget did not allow for an extra $200, so I began to pray. I loved the area that I was in, so I started looking for a new place there. Unfortunately, the place I liked did not have any availabili ty, so I did something I had never done before. After praying, I told my complex I would be mov ing even though I did not know where. I think some of my friends thought I was crazy when I told them about my leap of faith. I kept checking with the more reasonably priced complex for openings, but there never were any. I decided to stop by one last time—still nothing. I knew God had answered prayers before. I didn’t understand why He hadn’t opened a door for me at that com plex. I cried all the way home. It was a very long night. I never stopped praying, but I felt de feated. I didn’t feel like God was hearing my prayers. The next day, I noticed some apartment specials on Facebook. One of them was directly beside mine. After work, in the pouring rain, I visited the complex’s of fice. To my surprise, they had an open apartment and the rent was less than I was currently paying. When I signed the lease, the rent was even lower than quoted. None of this would have hap pened if I had not placed my situation in His hands. Prayer works. Sometimes God does answer instantly, but other times, when it seems like prayers are not going higher than the ceiling, God is trying to remind us that we need to lean on Him, that there is noth ing we can do ourselves. We must have faith, even if it is as small as “a mustard seed,” Matthew 17:20. _________________

Donna E. Starr is a member of the Arlington Seventh-day Adventist Church in Arlington, Texas. She felt impressed to share her story in hopes it would inspire others.