~ written by Connie Dunmyer
Have you ever prayed for something and even though you knew God could do anything – you kind of had it in the back of your mind that He probably wouldn’t answer your prayer? I’m afraid that has been me on more than one occasion. Not exactly faith-filled, is it. Reminds me a bit of when God miraculously freed Peter from prison in Acts 12. And when Peter shows up, no one PRAYING FOR THIS actually believes it to be him. Well, I have no room to judge.
Yesterday was my personal “Day of Remembrance and Praise”. If you’ve read the Bible at all, you likely remember that whenever something big happened – when God showed up, prayers were answered, miracles performed – people would create a memorial or they’d create a day to remember what God did for them. That is my personal “Memorial” day. Here’s what happened:
On July 23, 2013 I was to take the stand in court about a family member. It was hard enough that this family member did what they did (to us) – but I was in all kinds of turmoil knowing I was going to have get up on the stand, face them, and tell the court what happened. On June 15, 2013, I read:
Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
So I prayed and asked God for 5 things. These are exactly how I worded them, and in no way did I see ever see a way for them all to happen. BUT GOD … did amazing things:
- Prayer: I don’t have to go.
Answer: I didn’t have to testify. - Prayer: If I do, I won’t screw up the case.
Answer: I didn’t screw up anything. - Prayer: That the family member will do the right thing.
Answer: They ultimately pled guilty. - Prayer: For peace.
Answer: I had awesome peace and no more turmoil! - Prayer: For gentleness and that it be evident to all.
Answer: I think my gentleness was evident … esp. when their attorney was asking for all the papers I brought with me. I was kind and calm and just said I wanted a witness, which the attorney was apparently not inclined to give me. Instead of giving me a witness of handing over the documents, the attorney went back to my family member – and the next thing we knew, that family member said they would take responsibility and plead guilty.
So why did God answer ALL 5 of my requests? I didn’t even think it possible. Yet there it is. All perfectly formatted to the point that we can look at it now and say “well, yes – that could happen”. But I assure you, when that prayer was prayed, it was not possible.
God always does amazing things. Things we know about and things we don't. For years I have looked for a good way to keep track of the workings of God in my life. I’ve written or typed my prayers for more years than I can count. But it’s always difficult to go back and find that specific prayer or answer, etc. AND then of course, there’s my very horrible memory. Oh how many prayers have I prayed, and then when they were answered, I forgot all about it. After all, it wasn’t an emergency anymore, was it. I’ve tried to keep lists – only to forget where I put it, or that I even wrote it.
So 2 years ago this August, I created what I call my “Book of Red”. You’ve probably seen Bibles that have the words of Jesus printed in red. It’s called a Red-Letter Edition. So my idea was to write a prayer request in blue or black ink – and then when it was answered, to cross it out, write the date, and write the answer all in red ink. I started with bigger requests. But then it occurred to me that by only doing what I considered “big” requests, I was missing out on the daily things God does for me just because He loves me.
For instance: one prayer was about a plant I ordered, and when it would arrive. It arrived in perfect timing, and it is still alive and thriving. (That’s a record for me – a plant for 2 years.) Another: we had friends coming over. I prayed for their safety. Why do we take travel safety for granted? We should not. Another: I prayed for a baby deer whose mama was killed, and she was ‘adopted’ by another family of deer. Of course, there are “big” things. . . health concerns, business and finances, family & friends. But it’s the daily “little things”, the sunshine or sunsets, the birds, the deer, the truck veering away just in the nick of time, the song, the family text, the joke, the kiss from a loved one . . . all this and so much more is our Father reaching down and touching us.
Some of my favorite “red items” are when God would just do something out of the blue – so unexpected – that I just had to write it all down as a praise. Not attached to a prayer per se – but just as a praise. Once was a crisis of faith, where I mentally doubted if God raised people from the dead anymore. And within days, God gave me multiple examples of modern-day-raised-to-life miracles! 
Another was when I thought the answer was “no” – but then within a month I found out God had still been working on that situation and ultimately we received our “yes”! I had been fine with the “no” because I knew God would provide anyway. And then we get a “yes” which was beyond amazing!
Over the years, I have crossed out almost everything I’ve written. Yes – there are some still outstanding. God does make us wait from time to time. But never on our own. He always provides. And all I have to do when I begin to wonder if God hears me, or when the day is just too dark to breathe, is to flip through the pages of my Book of Red to see all that God has done and touched.
I tell you this, not because I think I’ve done anything spectacular. This works for me. But I tell you this because I think we all need more “praise” – more “thanksgiving” – in our lives. What’s God done for you lately? Do you know or remember? Have you even prayed for something today? Or do you, like me, often fall into the same trap of whining over the same problems. . . and so if we don’t get an answer to that, we don’t really trust God with anything else? I’ve been there a whole lot, so I am not judging. But I do encourage you to take a step of faith toward believing that God DOES answer your heart’s desires. And quite often, it comes in quietness . . . not always in big, bold, lightning-bolt moments. That’s why I think writing prayers – keeping track – counting your blessings – is a good way to create a “memorial”, to “Remember and Praise” our loving Father for taking care of us every single day! So Pray - then Expect - and don't forget to Praise.
Just my tip for the day.