From the beginning of my life, God made sure I never fell through the wrong cracks. Sure, I made some incredibly bad choices along the way, but He managed to help me move beyond those times, making sure I always found my way back to the right path. There is only one person in the world who knows literally all of my ups and downs, all of my successes and massive failures. You see, I spent most of my life feeling alone, surviving one crisis after another, building up more walls than a million dollar mansion. For as long as I can remember, throughout the roller coaster of life, I always wished and prayed for a sister.

Somehow I knew that sisterhood was something special. To have a sister was to have someone you knew would always be there, would always love you, would always forgive you, and would always keep your secrets safe, while doing what they could to protect you in whatever way possible. To have a sister was to never be alone in the world. So that was always my biggest wish. Long after I’d grown up enough to realize it was way past too late for that wish to come true, God did what only God can do…the impossible. He gave me a best friend who became my sister.

Though I didn’t realize it at the time, this was my first real experience with the power of prayer and faith. I’d always had a feeling deep inside that I was supposed to have a sister. I never gave much thought to it, but looking back I can see that I not only believed I was supposed to have a sister, but I believed that I did have one, and someday God would bring us together. The fact that I continued to ask God for a sister, but also BELIEVED He would bring me one during my lifetime, is a prime example of how faith and prayer work together. Recently I was listening to my favorite Christian author discuss the importance of faith in our prayer life. She said that it was vital that we not just ask God for our hearts desires, but we must also believe that He will give us what we desire at the right time, as long as it’s for our good. It is only in this state of faith we are able to have real peace.

Oftentimes, when we don’t get the things we are praying for so diligently, we begin to lose faith and question whether or not we will actually get those things. We do not understand how important it is that we learn to “wait well” and trust that God is working everything out. I believe that we sometimes have to wait for the things we want the most, because God is teaching us patience, while at the same time, He is helping us grow in our faith. We live in a modern world full of instant gratification. This is something that the enemy uses to keep us impatient and to weaken our faith in God and His promises.

My sister has been able to hold up the mirror of truth and show me that I deserve the best in life, and more than that, she’s showed me I deserve all the blessings God wanted to bestow upon me. I have tried my best to show her that she deserves the same and more. I want her to see how much God loves her. I want her to experience the power of prayer and take hold of the peace that comes with living a life of faith and absolute trust in God. Little did I realize, I had a long way to go before learning those same lessons for myself. In fact, it’s safe to say that I am still in the midst of a significant learning curve.

“Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].” Philippians 4:6-7 AMP

Know that God wants to give you the righteous desires of your heart, and He only asks that we pray WITHOUT ceasing, always having faith that He will give us those desires, and many more beyond our ability to imagine.