Share Your Answered Prayer

“Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:11)

If you’ve experienced the power of prayer in your life, please share your story by e-mailing us at this address: prayers@archbalt.org.

This will be a means of encouragement for those who are feeling hopeless and in need of support.

Answered Prayers

On March 20th, you all started to pray for my wife Debbie who I rushed to the hospital with a high fever and complete unresponsiveness. After three days it was determined that she had a brain abscess that developed after we thought she had recovered from a bad sinus infection. I nearly lost her. I asked one friend in the Archdiocesan Office to say a prayer for my wife. Within three hours I had a visitor from the Archdiocese who brought me a rosary to help me and offer assistance, another very special visitor who came and prayed with my wife and me, and blessed her for recovery, and countless messages from others in the prayer circle. I could actually feel the prayers as they were offered up on Debbie’s behalf! I am sure those prayers are what gave me to have the strength to endure a very difficult time. I am certain those prayers are the reason I still have my wife! Easter had a new meaning in our home this year, and this experience and the power of your prayer has brought new meaning to our lives as well. The power of one prayer is immense. The power of thousands of prayers joined together is immeasurable! I thank all of you for the prayers that guided the doctors and nurses who cared for Debbie, the prayers for endurance for me, and most of all – the prayers that have healed my wife! I have often spoke of prayer and perseverance. You all have proven my assertions! May God Bless You All!
Steve

As I was reading through your website, I came across a line that said: There are the times when the answer to our prayers in not the answer we envisioned. I realized that it would be important for me to write this. Several months ago, I called the office at the Catholic Center and asked prayers for my sister who was facing major surgery. The person told me that people would pray for my sister. The surgery took place and the results were not what we had envisioned. That surgery led to several others and my sister is still in the process of healing. Throughout that time, I received several e-mails from the people at the Catholic Center, checking on my sister’s progress and reminding me that people were still praying. Even though the results were not as we had expected, the support of those praying for my family were very encouraging.
Thanks for your prayers.
CJ from Baltimore

Several weeks ago, I sent in a prayer request. At that time, my spirits were especially low. My husband had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins gastric lymphoma in late February. We’d been told his prognosis was fairly good, but, of course, there could be no guarantees as to the outcome. Since his diagnosis, my husband had been hospitalized once, and had required four emergency blood transfusions. He’d also received the first three of six chemotherapy treatments, and was experiencing some serious side effects. At the same time, the medical bills began pouring in, which only added to my despondency, and his. Several days after submitting my prayer request, I started to feel better. Our circumstances hadn’t changed, but I felt lighter, more optimistic. I do not attribute this change to wishful thinking, or any special effort on my part, because I’d done neither. It simply happened, and I know it was Divine in origin. Last Thursday, my husband had a PET scan and we learned his cancer is gone. What a wonderful day that was! I like to think I have a “way with words,” but I am truly unable to adequately express my thanks to God, to the doctors and nurses involved in my husband’s care, AND to the many wonderful people who took the time to pray for a family they didn’t even know. Each one of your prayers has made a difference in my husband’s life, and mine.
Mary from Edgewood, Maryland

I am so grateful to this prayer line. I wrote and asked for prayer because I was going through a serious illness and I needed to be more at peace. I prayed that God’s will be done. I had handed this over to God, but I kept finding myself taking it back. Today I went for a follow up visit for some tests I had taken. I’m fine. There is nothing wrong with me! Please ask those who have been praying for me to praise God with me for the miracles he performed for me today. I am so blessed.
Lynn

Thank you for the opportunity to send in our prayer requests. I had a biopsy several weeks ago and wrote for prayer. My biopsy came back clear – no cancer. One of my friends told me it wasn’t the prayers, just the “luck of the draw.” I don’t believe that. Also, the peace that I felt waiting for the results was wonderful. I am sure it was the prayers of each of you that gave me such a peaceful wait.
HCM

I wrote and asked for prayer while I was waiting for the results of a biopsy. Thank God, the biopsy came back with no signs of cancer. I was just so grateful to know there were people praying for me while I went through the longest days of my life awaiting those results.
Thanks for this ministry.
CJM of Baltimore

Thank you for your prayers for Matt. He graduated from high school not knowing what to do next. Every time we made a suggestion to him about a next step, he fought us. He didn’t know what he wanted to do, but he knew it had to be better than any suggestions we could share with him. Honestly, it was like a miracle. He went from one day fighting us and rebelling against everything – to the next day coming back to us saying, “I think this is what I’m going to do.” And guess what – they were what we suggested only he made them his own. We told him they were great ideas and we would support him.
Thank you for your prayers.
TZ

Thanks to the Lord for the successful heart surgery and recovery of Fr. Gerald Knapp, C.Ss.R., Associate Pastor at Sacred Heart of Jesus/Sagrado Corazon de Jesús, Highlandtown, Baltimore.

Thanks to all of the prayer ministers who prayed for my daughter last week. I wanted to share good news. I was able to get an appointment with the pediatric cardiologist last Monday, Nov. 24th, the same day I sent my prayer request! That was a miracle in itself. I had the Wed appt set but called the center back, explained that my daughter came home from school early on Monday with the symptoms and asked if there was anyway a doctor could see her same day. The lady in the call center for Children’s Hospital put me on hold and called the Bestgate Rd. office and asked if the pediatric cardiologist could fit my daughter in and the wonderful doctor said yes and we went straight to the office. The doctor saw my daughter right away. Her EKG was normal and same with her Echogram which was done on the spot. The pediatric cardiologist reviewed the EKG from Patient First from the evening before and said that was normal too even though the doctor on duty at Patient First said it was abnormal. Pediatric doctor explained that they are hard to read and it was good though that we followed up with her, a pediatric cardiologist. She did not dismiss my daughters symptoms. She told us that my daughter needs to increase her fluid & salt intake and put a 24 hour heart monitor on my daughter that we had to send back via mail after the 24 hours were up. We are still waiting to hear about those results. The symptoms have lessened each day since they first started. My daughter seems back to normal now, not complaining of a racing heartbeat. She has special permission to carry a water bottle during the school day and to eat if need be. I can’t thank you all enough for taking the time to pray for my daughter. I was frantic because she has never complained of a racing heartbeat. It is amazing that we were able to get with a Children’s Hospital Pediatric Cardiologist on that same day. The doctor was a mother too and was amazing. She gave us so much good information and really took a lot of time with my daughter. Best news was that her EKG and Echogram of her heart were completely normal. Answered prayers.
Peace, BD