Life Changers

This morning's sermon was about the power of prayer, and Bro. Mike ended by talking about a woman who prayed for him from the time he was 15 to the day she died. It got me thinking about all the men and women who have prayed for me and taught me, such as...

• my parents, duh. They prayed for me, with me, and over me, and I always knew it. They taught me many things, not the least of which is that if you believe it, you will live it. They taught me consistency.
• my Sunbeam teachers in Florida. I don't even remember their names, but when we moved away they gave me a Ten Commandments charm bracelet that I wore til all but 4 Commandments fell off! They taught me that church people love one another.
• Mrs. Jane Price, my Mission Friends teacher in Virginia. And I'll add my GA leaders here, too. They taught me that missions is exciting and missionaries are real people like me!
• my mom's friends, like Mrs. Barrett in Virginia and Mrs. Henderson, Mrs. Longing, and Mrs. Gober in Arkansas. They prayed for me a husband and I done got one! :D They taught me faithfulness.
• "Aunt Barbara" Schleiff, whom I met at OBU. She prayed for my relationship with God and taught me to talk to Him and listen to Him by spending time in His word every single day. She taught me commitment. 
• Bro. Al Meredith in Texas. Somehow he got me praying with him and a bunch of others before work at 6:00--a.m.!!!!--on Fridays. He taught me to deepen and widen my prayers, and to pray conversationally and often.
• Charlotte Lane in Idaho. She taught me that a prayer group can be just the two of you and be just as powerful.
• my husband. We have prayed together every night that we've been together before going to sleep. He taught me to pray God's Word back to Him. And together we have learned that prayer is what God uses to hold us together as a couple and as a family, to hold us up when we're drowning, to provide for us and protect us and remind us of what's important. 

What's amazing about life in Christ is that not only are there more people who prayed for me that I know about but don't have time to list, who knows how many people have prayed for me WITHOUT ME EVEN KNOWING IT?! Because of a friend's prayer request at church, or when they saw me post something on Facebook, or because they were prayer-walking in my neighborhood, or because they prayed for campus ministers, or maybe even because they read my blog... WOW. Thank you. Keep it up!