Silence fills the room. 

The lamp glows, warm and sunny over soft blankets and small stacks of books and journals.

I’ve just finished my first week of a new forty days of prayer, and as I snuggle in on a quiet Sunday night, I can’t help but wonder if I’m really making a difference.

When we offer up prayer, we don’t usually get immediate results. Years can go by, and the situation remains the same, or even worsens. It’s easy to get discouraged in those situations.

This is why I love stories about God answering prayer in miraculous ways. It boosts my faith in the waiting times, and fuels my prayer life today.

The Israelites who crossed the Jordan River with Joshua built stone monuments for the same reason: to remind themselves of God’s unquestionable faithfulness.

I need the same thing, but I doubt Chris and Julie would appreciate my stacking a stone tower in the yard.

Instead, I’m going do it here.

Starting today, I  will post a God Showed Up story, and also share a current prayer. I would love for you  to join me in praying, and I would be honored to help you pray if you have a prayer you want to add in the comments. 

40:40. Forty stories of God’s provision,  protection, and presence; forty prayers that will go up in the knowledge that God sees, hears, and honors when we ask him to show up.

I hope these next forty days bless our faith and bring God glory and praise.

40:40 Day One 

GSU (God Showed Up)

A few years ago I did a day trip hiking with some friends in the mountains near Charlottesville (Shout out to Humpback Rock!). I drove, and when we were back in Richmond I noticed a scraping sound coming from the bottom of my car. It was dusk and quickly turning to night, so I just parked the car and decided to assess the problem in the morning. The next day I went out to locate the issue. It wasnt hard to find. The metal exhaust cover was broken and hanging down. That was the scraping sound I’d heard the day before.

I wasn’t sure what to do. I was home alone and didn’t know the neighbors well. My mechanic was 15 minutes away and I was afraid I’d spark a fireball under my car if I drove with the metal scraping the pavement that long, and I didn’t have the money to call a tow truck. 

I prayed. God, send me help because I don’t know what to do! 

I had the brilliant idea to tie the hanging cover up with rope so it wouldn’t drag. Armed with blue twine, I got down on the squeaky clean streets of Church Hill and reached under the car. Shoot. My arm wasn’t long enough..maybe from the other side?  The curb was in the way, so I grabbed my keys and started pulling my car over to the side. The scraping was awful, and before I moved ten inches a man down the street in a dark blue jumpsuit held up his finger (not the middle one). He was saying, “I’m coming!”. I shut off the engine as he hurried over and pretended I wasn’t  worried that he was coming from the direction of the drug dealer’s house. 

He introduced himself as Charlie, a former mechanic!  He laid on the pavement, diagnosed the problem, and said he’d be right back. He was true to his word and in no time flat he returned with metal cutters (technical term), cut off the offending exhaust cover and said I was good to go.

I saw Charlie around the neighborhood many times after that, and each time I was reminded of God’s amazing provision.

I didn’t even have to leave my street. God had a mechanic waiting for me.

40:40 Day 1

Prayer:

God, I pray for a nation of pure-hearted, true worshipers to be called out of bondage and worldliness: for a people after your heart and your kingdom to rise up, cast off their apathy and truly live for you. May I be one of them. 
Alright, friends.  See you tomorrow!

Ang