There was a time when I had far more words than melodies to work with. But then I started blogging and all the words got used up. Actually, I don’t know how it happened but today I have a dozen or so melodies and not a word that fits them. A dead Prussian missionary is helping with that though.
I’ve read a few books about George Mueller lately that have changed the way I pray. I used to never pray for myself, feeling I guess that it wasn’t the sort of thing good Christians do. But George did. If he had a need he would quickly ask God for help. His childish and very specific prayers like “Please give us land to build an orphanage on” or “Please send us a woman to clean clothes at the orphanage” were answered in incredible ways that he could only attribute to God.
Of course “Please give me lyrics” seems trivial next to George’s pleas but I asked anyway. And went to bed.
That night I had a dream that I was playing this one melody in particular on the piano. And behind me sat Tony Wood with a yellow legal pad in his lap, writing lyrics.
When I first moved to town I was an intern at a music publishing company and Tony was one of many talented writers I had the privilege of working with. He’s written for Chris Sligh, Francesca Battistelli, Mark Harris, Mandisa and lots lots more. But before I knew what a big deal he was, Tony was just a guy I liked hanging out with in the office. (Most successful writers are just talented people other people like to hang out with…because a lot songwriting is just hanging out. And also eating. And laughing.)
So, anyway, I shot Tony an e-mail, told him he would be a dream co-write (He has no idea just how literally). So today I’m in his writing room playing him this melody that’s been with me for several years and he’s sitting behind me (hopefully) scribbling on his yellow legal pad.
Maybe it’s an answer to prayer. Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten Mexican food just before bed…again. Either way, I’m sure I’m having a good time hanging out with Tony.
When’s the last time God answered your prayer? Tell us about it.
Paula McClintock says:
Monday night when my 11 year old told me he had given his heart to Jesus.
JessicaB says:
Every time I pull of a little patience with my children.
JessicaB says:
*off*
Ugh, I really shouldn’t try to type before 8:00 a.m.
laura@lifeoverseas says:
An answer to prayer?
Tonight I was stuck in hardcore downtown traffic with all three kids in an old car that I can barely drive. There were scooters everywhere and I wasn’t sure of directions.
And it was getting dark.
And it was my first time driving that part of town before, solo.
But, here I sit, safe. Without hitting a single person on a motorbike OR yelling at my kids on the drive home (er, except once.)
Amy says:
Which book are you reading? I have always been so inspired by George.
One time he answered a quick prayer, even quicker. It was a “this is in your hands prayer”. We had just found out our income would be cut by $100 a month and at the time, we couldn’t afford it. I said that prayer, got off the phone with the bearer of bad news and there was a knock on our door. A friend from church handed me a $100 bill. Said he was praying and God told him to bring it. I knew that God had it covered.
Our hundred dollar loss ended up being a calculation error and we got it back.
Katie says:
I was very bold with God on Monday night. I told Him I believe in my heart that He has a plan for my life, a future for me after graduation, and He’s going to use me wherever I am… but in my head I’m scared. I asked Him for a sign, confirmation, something on Tuesday to help with my fear.
I felt bad doing it, but Wednesday night I read a chapter Francis Chan’s Forgotten God about asking God to reveal Himself and it being ok. It wasn’t even Tuesday yet!
I wasn’t even out of bed yet Tuesday morning when I got a text from a good friend: a Bible verse and a prayer about fear and the future. Just one of many ways God revealed Himself to me that day.
Katie
PS: I find it interesting that you find your words are used up with blogs. The more I blog the more words I have. Maybe that’s the difference between a songwriter and a fiction writer.
[email protected] says:
God’s answers to my prayers rarely look like I think they will. In fact, when they shock the heck out of me — that’s when I know God is working in a powerful way.
We are trying to dig our way out of a big debt left behind by a failed business. We’ve been praying for help. Last month, our last ‘remnant’ of our old life, a super nice pickup truck, was stolen.
To make a long story short, the insurance company ended up sending us a check that was twice what we expected. We applied every penny to our debt. We might be driving a couple of old beaters now but we reduced our debt by 20% in one shot. What is one thing I learned from that? God is creative, and he cares more about my character than my comfort. And he likes to do things HIS way.
jen says:
As I read this this morning, I am sitting here in a big pool of wonder and amazement at what God has been doing all around us. He answered my prayers that the power would stay on during the big storm (though my children were praying to the contrary – little lovers of indoor “camping” they are) and that one of my children would come out of the “funk” that has had her down for a week. Early this week my SIL received a referral for two beautiful Ethiopian children, giving two of my children cousins from the same land. And then there’s this prayer I prayed that absolutely seemed impossible, and it looks like He’s going to grant me that petition as well.
So that was more than one, but I’m just SO grateful. I am also encouraged to see that God is giving you your dreams as well.
Cathy says:
God is answering prayers in some amazing ways all around me. The biggest, most amazing answer (in my life) was finalizing my son’s adoption in December. It took 16 months and a lot of prayer. I’m a single mom and I got the one court in Harris county that doesn’t approve of single parent adoptions. I was told three months after he was placed in my home that the judge would never allow me to keep him. It was amazing how God worked around that. It has given me courage to pray big prayers.
Kelli says:
The most recent answer to prayer in my life is not something I can share publicly but I can say that it was real, it was exactly what I asked and it was almost immediate.
I always find myself in awe when the God of the Universe answers what seem to me to be such trivial prayers. And yet, time and time again He does. It’s just…awesome.
Happy writing to you guys!
Lon says:
just wanted to drop a note and say how much i love your site design!
Robin Vestal says:
I’ve been very inspired by the George Muller story. Perhaps I don’t know how to pray correctly for things I need….These stories help.
jennibell says:
Recently I think He’s been answering prayers by closing doors. Hard, but I’m still seeing the closed doors as answered prayers. Kind of like He directed Paul in his travels in Acts. . .not allowing Paul to enter certain areas, even though Paul thought he was supposed to go there. Seeking God’s direction — that’s all I care about. Fun to read about all the excitement of answered prayers in your comments (and in your life!) though 🙂
Princess Leia says:
Apologies in advance for a super-long comment. God is good.
Well…baby #1 was breech. Baby #2 had no problem getting into position. Baby #3 (due in 7 weeks) has had almost the exact pregnancy that we had with our first….right down to the concern about positioning. We had a sono today and after some serious moving around this week, this one was ready to “head out!” Definitely an answered prayer there.
And at the same time an answer to one I didn’t even really ask – my gestational diabetes screenings have been just barely abnormal enough that they make me keep doing them. But since we were doing the sono anyway, they went ahead and checked baby’s growth and turns out s/he is still pretty small (although well within normal range), so I don’t need to repeat the test like they’d told me I was going to have to do!
One more for the road because it’s kinda cosmic in proportion….hubs was supposed to fly home to MD from TN the day after Christmas while the kids and I spent the rest of the week with family. But the entire eastern seaboard was shut down to air traffic that day (snow), so (since he needed to be back at work) he took the car we were going to drive home in and drove into the storm. In a small 2-door sports coupe. There were two bands to the storm, with a small gap in between. That gap was directly above his route home. All of eastern VA and NC were slammed. All of PA, KY, and points north were slammed. But except for a little slush near Knoxville, all of 40, 81, and 66 were absolutely clear. The kids and I bought the car we needed to buy anyway (for the impending 3rd car seat) and were able to drive home as planned, we got more than we expected back from the car we ended up selling later on, and it turns out that hubs’ driver’s license was expired and he didn’t realize it. If he’d tried to board his flight that day, he wouldn’t have been able to and we would have lost the money for the ticket. Because of the ginormous snow storm that struck everywhere EXCEPT his path home, we got our money back on the ticket. All I asked for was that he get home safely.
Joseph says:
Recently, I was working on a project for school and had a hard time coming up with ideas. I asked God for an idea, and He gave me a suggestion, so I used it.
He’s really helpful…He even helps me find my keys when I lose them.
Robin says:
I had to post an update. After reading your post and many of the comments I prayed again about a situation in our neighborhood that’s just been awful. My husband has been so depressed and despairing and it seemed another outbreak of nastiness was underway. I asked God to please give us a sign that this too was under his control. This evening two of my neighbors sat down with the neighbor who has been directly harassing us (tried to run us over 2 days ago) and he agreed to stop and to tell his buddies to stop as well. Praise God!!!
Ron says:
I asked God today to please tell me the “why” of a hard situation that I’ve walked through for 6 years this coming Sunday.
He clearly and firmly said “No.”
But that is an answer, isn’t it…
Lindsay says:
Praying for you, Ron.
Zoë says:
I asked God to not let me have a black eye in the morning when my hubby headbutted me two days ago lol. And I didn’t, though it was still sore. I told God I’d like to go to the charity ball but the tickets were too expensive (not an ‘I want’ but an ‘I’d like’). And then they were released for sealed bids, so I put a bid in and again said to God I’d like to go, and we won the tickets!
When I was going through a really, really hard time I used to pray He would show me where to park when I was taking the children to school. And He *always* did. Amazing. Such a small thing made such a difference. I knew He was with me in the middle of the storm.
Still one of the best answers has to be when I prayed that one degree course would stand out head and shoulders above the rest and I would pick that one. And it did! *And* they made me an offer, without even an interview. So ‘Global Health and Humanitarian Relief’ here I come! Hallelujah! Now I am waiting for His guidance on a not-so-nice situation. We’ll see.
P.S. I don’t often say to God ‘I’d like to go to such and such’, but He answered me when I did! 🙂
misty says:
Yesterday….
(History) My brother and sister in law lost custody of their daughter due to drugs seven months ago. Today my brother has been clean for over 2 months and is no longer with my sister in law. There was a protective order put in place so that my brother and his wife were not allowed to have any contact with their daughter.
Today is her birthday party. Josh has been trying to get in touch with Kaylee’s attorney for almost 2 weeks to try to get at least supervised visitation so he can see his daughter. Yesterday he called me and asked me to look up the attorney’s office number for him. I immediately started praying that God would allow Josh to see his daughter at her birthday party. He called me back in a little while and Kaylee’s attorney is going to allow him to attend her party.
I know that God answered my prayer and I thank Him. I pray that Josh will see that the only reason he is able to attend Kaylee’s party is because God allowed that to happen.
I can not wait to see the look on her face and Josh’s also when they see each other for the first time in months. I am so excited!!
Elle says:
So funny – because after 19 years of marriage and 2 children…..it only hit me last week that I can pray about “regular things” for myself. So as I am in the kitchen crying over yet another badly cooked chicken, I prayed “Lord, please help me to be a better cook for my family!” And it was like God was just waiting for me to ask. So He could remind me He does care about everything. Because He does. And while I will never be a world class chef, it really feels like He has come into my kitchen, my home, my “domesticity” and is teaching me how to do these things well. Why have I only trusted Him with the grand and spiritual? When He is such the God of the intimate and small. Can not the God of the universe answer tiny prayers, too? Did I think I would use up my allotment of prayers, as though God could ever run out of answers?
I am so glad you prayed for words, and I cannot wait to hear the songs that flow from your asking! Thanks for sharing this with us.
Lisa Smith (@stretchmarkmama) says:
I’m planning to read George Muller’s story to my kids again this spring. Lord knows my skepticism needs it.
Lindsay says:
On Saturday, God gave me a little pink plastic piece for Barbie to snap onto the birthday girl’s new Barbie bike.
There is *so* much more to the story, but that was the spark that sent me into praise for the rest of the day. 🙂
Meredith Dunn says:
Work has been a little stressful lately. Not because I am overwhelmingly busy, but because the work load seems to have vanished completely and my team is in the midst of “restructuring”… again. I don’t like being without definitions or deadlines and these days, I couldn’t buy them if I wanted to. So I asked the Lord what the hee-haw was going on. And He said, “Stay steady. No need to move just cause your uncmofortable.”
Donna says:
LOVE a Tony Woods’ lyric! He is one of the clinicians at a songwriting conference called Write About Jesus in St. Louis and all i can say is WOW….not only is he a great writer, but an awesome teacher as well! What a heart for God! Praying blessings on your song!