When You Pray for 12 Miracles…

A year ago, three editors at Mysterious Ways each wrote down 12 things they trusted God to do in their lives—a list of miracles waiting to happen. They sealed their lists in three separate envelopes and put the future date, 7/7/15, on each one. Here’s how the year turned out, miracle-wise.

How 12 miracles were answered by God.

God can work miracles in your life at any moment, as long as you keep praying. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past year, that’s it.

My fellow editors Danielle, Diana and I have been doing an experiment. Last July, on a blank sheet of paper, we wrote a list of 12 things we trusted God to do in our lives—”a list of miracles waiting to happen,” Diana wrote on her blog. We each sealed our list in an envelope and agreed to open them exactly one year later, on 7/7/2015. I scribbled the far-off date in navy-blue ink and tucked it away in my desk drawer.

How time flew! Last week, the day arrived, and I dug out the envelope. I’d forgotten what I’d written down. What had been on my mind a year ago? I opened the envelope, eager to see which prayers had been answered.

My eyes jumped from one item to the next. I’d prayed for strong bonds with my friends and family. For success at work. Most of all, my final prayer stuck out: “Give me inner peace, knowing that I’ve done my best.”

The prayer room at Wainwright House in Rye, New York.I reflected on the busy year: The inspiring stories readers had sent in and I’d helped edit for Mysterious Ways. The Guideposts Writers Workshop I’d attended in Rye, New York, and the wonderful writers I met there. The tranquility that my fellow editors and I found in the prayer room at the Wainwright House, where we held the workshop.

There were hard times, too, moments that made me realize how incredibly blessed I am to be surrounded with love—from my parents, my brother and my friends.

Our work at Mysterious Ways has continued to touch our readers, and Diana’s blog reached new corners of the world.

Even the idea that motivated our experiment seemed like the answer to a prayer. Danielle had been reading entertainment executive DeVon Franklin’s memoir Produced by Faith when she came across his suggestion to make a list of 12 prayers.

Not long afterward, Danielle had the opportunity to interview none other than DeVon Franklin himself. His story, which she helped edit, appeared on the cover of the October 2014 issue of Guideposts.

No, not everything we wrote down came true in the past year. But through it all, we’ve continued praying. Today, I took some time to write a new list of 12 things I hope God accomplishes in my life, on his own time. The list looks different from the one I wrote last year, but I’ve kept one prayer the same: “Give me inner peace, knowing that I’ve done my best.”

How about you? Do you have a list of prayers you’d like God to answer? Or a story about a miracle he has already worked in your life? Share it with us!

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