Rely on God and Pray Desperately

I find myself thinking about two difficult situations where I prayed desperately and my prayer was answered.

• My late husband had been released from the hospital and two weeks later he had to be readmitted when his body and antibiotics just wouldn't get rid of his bacterial pneumonia.  He was skeletally thin, struggling for every breath, and tired of the fight. In my heart I knew I could lose him. That evening, I left the hospital and returned home. As I walked across my kitchen, I just sank to my knees and began talking to Jesus and Father God out loud and begged him to heal my husband. Words flowed out of my mouth and to the listening ear of my lord. At the end, I remember telling God that I would accept his will no matter what it was. As I rose from my knees, calmness filled me from the inside out. I had done all I could and given the situation and my husband to God. Peace filled my heart AND my husband came home, gained weight, and regained his strength. He was with me for another 8 years in spite of his terminal illness. 
• On an especially trying day of dealing with a teenage daughter, I knew I was in danger of losing my temper. I also knew I wouldn't be able to control what I said, or did once the anger exploded into rage. Mentally I sent a desperate appeal to the Lord, "Lord, help me, oh please help me!" Instantaneously I felt as if a bucket of cool calmness had been poured over me. It flowed over me like cool water and when it reached my feet, not one spark, or ember of anger remained. In the place of the scorching anger, was a supernatural calmness that was just as great as the anger I had felt just seconds before. My desperate prayer had been answered in one amazing moment.  

The Apostle Paul wrote in 2nd Corinthians 1:8-11:

8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,a about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

God, Who Raises the Dead
When I faced great pressure that was beyond my ability to endure, I relied on God, who raises the dead. Yes, Jesus raised the dead and God raised Jesus from the dead! How exciting is that? If Jesus could raise the dead and God can raise Jesus from the dead, then they can take care of anything I am going to face WHEN I rely on him. 
God Did and God Will
I love how Paul says that God delivered them from peril and then says he knows God will deliver them again. Paul had that faith because God kept answering their appeals. Then Paul acknowledges that the prayers of the Corinthians had a place in their deliverance too AND Paul knows that they will give God thanks for answering their prayers. 
Three Key Points

• When life seems darkest, rely on God, who raises the dead, to deliver me. 
• I will rely on God and pray knowing that God, who raises the dead, has answered my prayer and will answer my prayer again.  
• The correct response for an answered prayer is heartfelt thanks to God. Then, I will tell people what God has done for me and give him thanks again! This is how my testimony is meant to reveal the power of God in my life.