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Chapter 1

God Listens … God Answers

God answers prayers. Sometimes, he gives us exactly what we want — but not always. There are also times when God surprises us by leading us down paths we never even considered.

My story of how this book came to be is a prime example.

I was recovering from major surgery, after an accidental fall that required reconstruction of my pelvis and months of rehab, when Bert Ghezzi, one of the acquisition editors at Our Sunday Visitor, called. He asked if I would do a book of stories about how God answers people’s prayers. He pointed out that there are many books about answered prayer, but none of them focused on Catholic prayer. He insisted that there was a need for this kind of book.

Writing a book was not part of my plan. I would eventually have to attempt walking with crutches and then a cane. It would be a long time before I would be back on both feet. I had anticipated that I would spend my long period of recovery catching up on reading and watching movies. The idea of working on a book had not even crossed my mind.

My first reaction to Bert’s suggestion was not positive. The more Bert talked, the more I started to think about all the work that would be involved in doing this kind of book, and that made me feel even less positive. One of my biggest concerns was where I would find stories. Catholics tend to be private when it comes to their relationship with God. Most Catholics are not known for their willingness to share faith stories.

But Bert felt very strongly that this was the perfect project for me. He urged me to pray about it. So I started praying, “Lord, is this what you want me to do?” I was secretly hoping the answer would be “No!”

I did not get an immediate answer. So I decided to send out a few emails asking friends and associates if they or someone they knew might have a story for a book like this. Within a few days, I started getting responses — not just from the people I had contacted, but from friends of friends, relatives of friends, strangers who had heard about it through the Catholic grapevine, and friends of strangers from all over the United States and Canada. What amazed me even more was the variety of the stories. Clearly, the idea for this book had captured people’s hearts, and they wanted to share the way God had touched their lives.

One woman wrote, “I heard that you were writing a book on answered prayer in the lives of everyday Catholics. Thanks for taking the time to write such a book. I wish you Godspeed with the project. I’m sure such a book will be an encouragement to many people.”

This woman’s note was the final answer to my prayer. I began to see that God not only wanted me to write this book, but that the Holy Spirit was inspiring people to send their stories to me. Some people submitted only one story. Others submitted several. Each story was unique and deeply personal.

But that’s not the end of my story! I was very close to a first draft on this book when my editor told me that he would be retiring soon. I was stunned. The idea for this book had been Bert’s, and he would be gone before my deadline for submitting the manuscript. Bert assured me that Our Sunday Visitor was in the process of hiring a new acquisitions editor who would work with me to bring this book to completion.

I tried to be hopeful. Changing editors in the middle of a book project is daunting. How could this happen? What was I going to do?

Then suddenly, it occurred to me that I was writing a book about prayer. The only thing I could do was pray! But my prayer sounded more like a challenge than a request. I found myself praying, “Okay, Lord, this is your book. I am putting all of this in your hands. If this book is meant to be, then you will have to make sure that everything works out with a new editor.”

Six weeks before my deadline, I received an email from Mary Beth Baker, introducing herself as my new editor and asking if we could set up a time to talk. “I’m very excited to be part of this project,” she wrote, “and I look forward to working with you! Please know you can contact me at any time with questions or concerns. And of course, let me know how I can be of service to you as you finish up your manuscript.”

I heaved a huge sigh of relief. God listened! God answered my prayer!

What is Prayer?

Saint Clement of Alexandria, one of the Fathers of the Church, tells us that the essence of prayer is “keeping company with God.” Prayer begins with a deep inner desire to seek God, and it develops into a loving relationship where we give ourselves to God and then respond as God makes himself known to us.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists five different forms of prayer:

1. Blessing and adoration. We can offer prayers of blessing because God is the source of every blessing. We adore God in humble recognition that he is our creator and we are his creatures.

2. Petition. We pour out to God our needs.

3. Intercession. We pray for the needs of others.

4. Thanksgiving. We express our gratitude to God.

5. Praise. We honor and worship God.

Prayer Is Good for You

While prayer is important for our spiritual well-being, medical researchers are now discovering that prayer also plays a role in physical health and emotional stability. Recent studies show that prayer helps to lower blood pressure, strengthens the immune system, reduces anxiety, and increases quality of life. Other studies conclude that people who pray seem happier, suffer less from depression, and are better able to cope with life’s challenges.