MY MOM always tells me to pray because prayers are powerful. It can be a weapon of strength and security. Though I would just follow what she said, prayers have saved me in times where I think nothing else could.
I admit that I had doubted the power prayers really have. These doubts usually came from whether it was bound to happen, or if it happened because I prayed for it. Nevertheless, I put prayer in my daily routine, knowing that it is one way for me to communicate to God.
Though there have been previous experiences where I felt its power, one experience became my eye-opener. Last January, I visited my close friend at her workplace. She worked in a ramen restaurant approximately 21 kilometers away from my dormitory. I was unaware a snow storm was coming since I had not bothered to check the news. I had only found out when I saw the strong snow fall from the window of the restaurant.
The problems arose when I was riding the bus back to the dorm. Since the entire experience was quite long, the important parts are highlighted here:
1. The snow was about 25 centimeters deep.
2. It took the bus 10 minutes to leave the station.
3. One man picked a fight with another passenger and started yelling.
4. The bus broke down as it was going uphill.
5. I was still far from my dorm (about 13 kilometers away).
6. I hadn’t eaten anything since lunchtime (and it was close to midnight).
7. My cellphone battery was at two percent.
8. The area where the bus broke down was deserted and very few cars were in sight.
I was panicking so much that the only thing I could do was pray repeatedly. I had also messaged my mom about my situation, so she was praying as well. My initial prayer was for me to get back to the dorm safely. But as time dragged on, the prayer became more specific, such as “arriving without any injuries and getting back in time for a good sleep before class.”
It took me a while to calm down and try to think of a way to get back. By some chance, my phone’s battery life was enough for me to book an Uber ride. By another chance, there was a nearby Uber driver who had just dropped off his previous client near the area.
The driver was nice and allowed me to charge my phone in his car. Once I got inside the car, I prayed that I would arrive at my dorm safely and with no other disturbances. Fortunately, that was what happened. I finally got back to my dorm around 1:30 a.m.—it was a good thing that my only class that day was in the afternoon.
What made me believe in the power of prayer was that my phone battery was able to sustain itself a bit until I was able to book a ride, and that—miraculously—there was a car for me in a deserted place. The fact that these small chances happened made me realize that there is someone looking out for me. Rather than thinking that praying is “doing nothing,” think of it as asking for guidance to make the right decisions.
If it applies to your faith, never disregard prayers, even when it does not seem like an emergency.