Matthew 22:37 – Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." (NKJV)

On a recent Wednesday, I went to the hardware store to try and get parts for a leaky tub faucet. The man in the plumbing section was very helpful. He took the old part and said that he could try to take it apart so that we could replace the O-rings to see if that would fix the problem and save some money. He explained that, because of its age, it might not come apart. I replied that I was a man of faith, so I was sure that he would get it apart.

He looked at me inquisitively, so I told him that I was a pastor.

"Praise the Lord," he said with excitement, and proceeded to take the valve apart.

He was very happy to share that he, too, was a Christian. As we talked, he told me about his son with whom he'd had no contact for awhile. His son was living on the street, heavily into drugs, unsuccessful at trying to clean up his life, and had even been kicked out of detox.

There was a bench on display in the aisle, so I said, "Let's sit and pray for your son."

We prayed, and then I went on my way.

The repair job didn't work, so I went back early Friday morning to get a whole new valve assembly. I met up with the same man in the plumbing department. While searching for the right valve assembly, I asked him if he had been able to connect with his son.

He hadn't.

I told him that I could relate to his experience, and explained how we hadn't talked to our son for over eight years. Having gone through some emotional struggles, he had walked out over eight years ago. He sent a message once in those years to say that he was okay, but that was it.

He immediately took me over to our "prayer bench", and he prayed for our son. That was at about eight o'clock on Friday morning.

It was a busy Friday, so it wasn't until around midnight on Friday night that I checked my emails and discovered an email from our son saying that he wanted to reconnect. Wow! What a surprise for us — an answer to years of prayers! We immediately phoned the number he had given us, and we talked. By 2 o'clock in the morning, I was still unable to sleep from the excitement, so I went downstairs and reread the email. Although I hadn't opened it until midnight, I discovered that he had sent it at 8:02 Friday morning!

We are communicating every day and have his word that he is coming to visit soon. When we see him face to face, then we will know that it's real. And we are blessed.

Philippians 4:4,6-7 – Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (NKJV)

God always answers prayer — but in His own timing. Sometimes, we have to wait for the answer, and sometimes, it is immediate. Sometimes, we like the answer, and sometimes, we don't. Just remember, He always gets the glory! If you are praying for something that doesn't seem to be getting answered, keep the faith; keep praying; keep trusting. The Lord is in control.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we rejoice in Your sovereign grace and give You the glory. Thank You for answering prayers. We love You, Lord our God, with all our hearts, and with all our souls, and with all our minds. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Alec Niemi <aniemi@shaw.ca>
Harrison Mills, British Columbia, Canada
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