Prayer is one of the most excellent tools anyone can have in their daily walk with God. However, people get discouraged when God does not answer their prayers in the expected fashion. Does that mean people should give up after a while?
Unfortunately, many people cease to believe that God answers prayers in His unique ways. It may not be what the person pictured, but God gives the best answer when needed. Indeed, God’s timing is perfect, beyond human comprehension. Therefore, believers have reason to trust in God’s process. He never fails.
A few months after I started pastoring in the Duluth district, one of the Hinckley Church members, Jovan Parker, approached me. He introduced his brother, Donnie, to me over the phone. Soon after I hung up the phone with Donnie, Jovan shared a heartfelt story about his mother’s wish. He explained that his mother, Joy J. Parker, has been praying that Donnie would give his life to Jesus one day. This has been her prayer since he was a teenager and now Donnie is 62 years old with four sons and several grandchildren. Still, he refused to give his heart to Christ despite all the conversations Jovan and his sister, Lori, had with him.
Then one day Donnie’s mother, who is now 92 years old and barely leaves her house, came to meet me on Sabbath morning at Christ Our Righteousness Church in Moose Lake. Joy poured her heart out about how one of the greatest wishes of her life was to one day see Donnie baptized. So she asked the Lord to bless her to witness that day before she lays down to rest and to wait upon the second coming of Jesus. Joy, who is beginning to experience Alzheimer’s, said she had no intention to stop praying and hoped that God would answer her long-awaited prayers one day. Indeed, I shared with Joy that there is nothing impossible to God and she should never stop praying.
Tragically, Donnie almost died last year due to a heart condition, frightening his mother and the rest of the family. Joy, Jovan, Lori and the Hinckley Church never stopped praying for Donnie. Surprisingly, one Sabbath morning Donnie decided to visit the Hinckley Church. The sermon was about how we can trust God’s sovereignty in a strange land. Donnie felt convicted by the Holy Spirit and asked to see the pastor. Gracefully, God showed up for Joy and her son decided to give his life to Jesus after 62 years. The family was overwhelmed with joy.
Later, about 40 family members, including his brother, Daniel D. Parker, showed up to celebrate this blessed moment with Donnie on his baptism day. On March 26, 2022, Donnie was baptized into the Hinckley Seventh-day Adventist Church. What a blessing! Joy Parker received her answered prayer and fond wish as she witnessed her son being baptized and giving his life to Christ.
We have reason to pray for one another, for family members, and especially for those who do not have a relationship with Christ. Indeed, never stop praying for your loved ones. It is never too late for God to work miracles. God is always on time; therefore, we must trust His process. Our children have hope, and we must never stop praying for them.
The Bible says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:16-18 NIV). “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4 NIV).
