Do you believe in the Power of Prayer?

Today, the first Thursday in May, is our National Day of Prayer, so designated by President Harry Truman on April 17, 1952. The tradition has always been part of our national fabric. Prayer has been an important part of our nation ever since we broke free of British Rule and formed the U.S. of A. in 1776! President Eisenhower added One Nation, Under God, to our pledge of Allegiance after World War II. He knew that God had answered the prayers of the World to save us all from the tyranny of Hitler and he wanted to acknowledge that we were indeed, One Nation, Under God.

Do you believe in the power of Prayer to our Almighty God? I sure do, and have seen prayers answered again and again to the Glory of God! I am a living example of an answered prayer, and
I want to begin to share that with you as are celebrating this joyous day. One of the reasons I wanted to write this blog was to share about how prayer has worked in my life and the life of my friends.

Please tell me your stories of how God has answered your prayers. I want to share the love of God through this blog, so please don't be embarrassed, just go for it and share with me :)

This is the beginning of my journey with the Lord :)

.....I was 42 years old when I woke up one morning, and couldn't put a sentence together.
I was stumbling around the kitchen, and just stood there looking at the microwave because for some reason I didn't know how to punch in one minute to warm my coffee. My loving husband looked at me and said, "you need to stay home today, you've been kinda weird all weekend," to which I replied "I can't - we've got a brand new Christian artist coming in from California, and I've got to be there to meet with him and see his art and hopefully get him on board. At the time, I was working full time (actually more than full time) traveling, running a fast paced art publishing company, and living the "good life." My two boys were 13 and 8, healthy and happy, and my life was great! I had been kinda feeling tired of late, but couldn't put my finger on what was wrong - probably just overworked and over tired, that's what I thought.

I relented and gave in to my husband wishes and decided since I couldn't really think anyway, that I probably wouldn't make much sense to our potential artist, so maybe I needed to let other people handle the problem. I laid down, thoroughly exhausted with a promise of calling the doctor to set up an appointment and my hubs left for work. After a while I woke up to a knock on the door. It was the Pastor's wife, Mary. We had become close, and my husband had called her saying he was concerned about me. She came over to check on me and pray with me. I remember clearly we talked for a while, and I thought I was making perfect sense when she looked at me and said "Nicki, you are not making any sense at all." Your talking, but your not making any sense." Oh boy, I knew I was in trouble then.

After a trip to our family doctor, I found myself headed to a local neurologist for tests. It wasn't the one that my doc wanted to get me into, but there was a waiting list for that neurologist, and the doc said, NO, she needs to see someone right away. That scared me. My family doctor knew something was seriously wrong with me, but didn't want to say anything at that point because he wanted the confirmation by another doctor. The neurologist gave me all the standard neurological tests and sent me for a brain MRI. He was concerned about me, told me to rest but didn't show much emotion until the results of the MRI came back a week later. The results were not good. I'll never forget what he said to me, because it changed my life forever... He said "Mrs. Watts, I want you to identify to me that your name on these films are correct, because what I have to tell you is not good." Sit down. He proceeded to tell me that all those spots lighting up like a Christmas Tree on my brain, were mostly likely tumors, with that one big one, the largest of all, the most deadly-- and I probably didn't have long to live. I can remember thinking to myself..."This cannot be happening to me. Did he say I might die soon.?" I wanted to get out of that office as quick as I could because I couldn't breathe.

My husband and I sat numb through the rest of the visit, the doctor wanted to send me immediately to a cancer doctor, and to the hospital for a battery of tests on my entire body. He suspected that the cancer had most likely spread if it was in my brain already. We agreed to it all, not really even knowing what we were doing because we were in such shock. We left the office, got in the elevator, and just collapsed in each other's arms, sobbing. On the ride home, I felt God's Hand upon me. We stopped at the pastor's house to see if they were home. He wasn't there, but Mary was. When I told her that we had just come from the doctors office and the bad news he had given me, she looked me square in the eyes, took my hands in hers and said "Nicki, these doctors are mortal men, they don't know the number of your days, only God knows...your life is in God's Hands."

WOW --That one sentence snapped me right back to center in an instant! She was absolutely right, NONE of us knows how long we have on this earth, only God knows the number of our days!

I will tell you the "rest of the story" as Paul Harvey used to say, over the course of the next few days, but just let me say friends, that prayer is powerful and God answers prayers, everyday. After some intense prayer together, my husband and I got back in the car, and turned to him and said "I don't know how long God is going to give me, but I do know that I am going to live every minute of all the days I have left on this earth for Him." And so began my journey.

I'm sure many of you have faced similar difficulties, and I want you to know and believe that prayer WORKS, not always in your time, but always in God's time :)

Please, please, tomorrow, take a moment to pray for our country. We need it more than ever. We are One Nation, Under God, although unfortunately, it's getting harder and harder to see it. these days Pray for our President, and all of our leaders, for God to give them wisdom in these very difficult times we live in. Pray for our soldiers worldwide who live and die to protect the many freedoms that we enjoy each day.

My verse for today is from 2 Chronicles 7:14

...If My people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land.

My prayer for today:

Heavenly Father,

Today is such an important day for our nation. There are people who are trying to destroy our right to assemble and pray in Your Name. Open their eyes O Lord, soften their hearts to you. Protect and give strength and wisdom to all of our leaders and everyone who protects our great nation. Hear our Prayer O Lord, do not turn Your Face from us. Forgive us our sins, as we turn to you. Please Heal our Land Heavenly Father, please Heal our Land.

In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen