KP Westmoreland shares a story about a huge answer to prayer

KP Westmoreland

There's a small town in Nebraska that I've been to twice in my life. The first time was in November 1999 when I had spoken to some 30 teenagers at a youth rally held in a small church. I had shared with them about some of the things that I had prayed about over the years and how God answered those prayers. I speak about this quite often to demonstrate that God still answers prayer, and how if He will answer some of the petty prayers I have prayed then He will certainly answer more meaningful ones. I always hope they become motivated and pray.

I wrapped up the evening by asking if there was anyone wanting to pray about anything before I had to leave. I made it clear that we would pray specifically for their need (one of my points in this message is always. "Want a specific answer? Pray a specific prayer"). We prayed for several but there was this one girl who spoke up with, "Okay, fine! I have something specific I want you to pray about." Then she began to give me some background on her situation. As she started to explain, she started to cry. The more in depth she got, the more she cried. Pretty soon she was weeping. She began explaining her mom's situation. "My mom has never wanted anything to do with church. She has a drug problem that keeps her in constant trouble with the law and she's going to jail in a few days".

The girl sat on the floor, surrounded by many of her consoling friends, who had obviously heard this story before. As she finished her story, she said, somewhat embittered. "So if you're going to pray specifically, here's what I want. First, I want my mom to get off of drugs. Second, I want her to give her life to Christ and third, I want her to get out of jail." And with that, she was through. All except her body language that screamed, let's see God do that!

I thought for a moment, I sure wish she just needed to pass algebra. This girl's prayer request made mine, from the examples of my message, look like goofy stuff. I started to hear the familiar voice of doubt. I started to entertain it but then I thought, "If I'm hearing that voice then we must be in the right place (the right place is anywhere that you have to fully rely on God). Doubt is not from God. Doubt is the opposite of faith (it's impossible to please God without faith-Hebrews 1:6). Before praying I mentioned Matthew 18:19 that says, "...if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." And Matthew 21:21&22 where Jesus says, "...if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." We prayed, said amen and I said good bye.

I've been to this small town in Nebraska only twice in my life. The second time in November of 2000. I had spoken to a youth group of about 50 teens, in a different small church. At the conclusion Teri (my wife) and I found ourselves talking to a high school girl who told us of how God answers prayers. She told us that she knows God answers prayer because her mom use to have a drug problem but how in jail, she quit for good. Then she told us how she had received a phone call from her mom who explained to her, that there was a woman who had been coming into the jail once a week to hold a bible study and how out of boredom she started going. The phone call ended with her mom saying, "Honey, I just wanted you to know that I asked Jesus into my life tonight." The girl went on to explain how her mom got so on fire for the Lord that she started telling other inmates about Jesus and leading other women to the Lord. I stood there, in the back of that church in awe. I started to say something when the girl quickly said, "That's not all. My mom is now out of jail and she even told her testimony at my high schools, 'See You At The Pole' rally, a few weeks ago."

There's a girl in Ainesworth, Nebraska who knows that if you want a specific answer from God, then you need to pray a specific prayer.

Want to know if this can happen for you? Read about 'The Value Of Your Voice'.