ashley starr
PRAYER WORKS By Donna E. Starr
T
his past fall, I found out my rent was going up by $200. My budget did not allow for an extra $200, so I began to pray.
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose,” Romans 8:28
I loved the area that I was in, so I started looking for a new place there. Unfortunately, the place I liked did not have any availability, so I did something I had never done before. After praying, I told my complex I would be moving even though I did not know where. I think some of my friends thought I was crazy when I told them about my leap of faith. I kept checking with the more reasonably priced complex for openings, but there never were any. I decided to stop by one last time—still nothing. I knew God had answered prayers before. I didn’t understand why He hadn’t opened a door for me at that complex. I cried all the way home. It was a very long night. I never stopped praying, but I felt defeated. I didn’t feel like God was hearing my prayers.
The next day, I noticed some apartment specials on Facebook. One of them was directly beside mine. After work, in the pouring rain, I visited the complex’s office. To my surprise, they had an open apartment and the rent was less than I was currently paying. When I signed the lease, the rent was even lower than quoted. None of this would have happened if I had not placed my situation in His hands. Prayer works. Sometimes God does answer instantly, but other times, when it seems like prayers are not going higher than the ceiling, God is trying to remind us that we need to lean on Him, that there is nothing we can do ourselves. We must have faith, even if it is as small as “a mustard seed,” Matthew 17:20. _________________ Donna E. Starr is a member of the Arlington Seventh-day Adventist Church in Arlington, Texas. She felt impressed to share her story in hopes it would inspire others.
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