Week 4 — Friday: A House Prayer
Proverbs 3:5-6
In 1984 I came to Modesto for a church conference, which led unexpectedly to a summer internship required by my seminary. Driving by an Open House sign, I was curious about the price. I was attracted to the trees, the Midwest feel of the city, and immediately to the house, which had large spaces from which I envisioned Bible studies. The realtor/owner asked if I was seeking to buy a house. “No,” I said. Then, are you moving to Modesto? “No,” I said. Though very puzzled, she showed me the house.
One month later, I was hired by a local church and told to go find a house. I immediately returned to the Wellesley place to find it still on the market and at a lower price! I offered $12k less, but she refused. I was convinced more and more that this was God’s plan for us. Going back to the owner, she made it very clear she strongly resented the church to which I was going and wanted no part in assisting me with housing! She said, “You can’t afford this house—you’d better look elsewhere.” I felt disappointed but told her, “No, this is a key part of God’s plan for us.” We prayed many times daily as I exhausted sources to complete the financing. She would call me asking if I had the money or she couldn’t hold it! After two months of this and pressure to report to work, we received a phone call from the owner, saying they had decided to loan us the several thousand dollars as a second on the house.
INCREDIBLE! God had answered our need, our prayer! But He did it through His ENEMY!! For 38 years now, we have led Bible meetings in this house! God presented, approved, chose, protected, and provided, through prayer, AND at below market value!
—CONTRIBUTED BY CHUCK JOSTAD—
Christine Pence
September 30, 2023 at 12:22 amI think the scriptures were awesome and I love how God talks about wisdom and I love how God is so wonderful and good to us even when we don’t deserve it many times I feel like I’m lukewarm or I feel like that I’m feeling God but then he answers almost all my prayers so I tell myself I have to be doing something right but it’s so amazing how God is he’s a good God he takes good care of his people also I had a very interesting encounter this week with two Orthodox Jews who came on the property talking about the Jewish New Year that just ended which makes Israel 75 years old and that they were giving out honey cake to Jews in the local neighborhood they asked me if I was Jewish I said no I am not Jewish but I have Jewish friends which is true but those Jewish friends are Christians there is one who doesn’t claim Christianity but he does seem to practice the Old testament but he does accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior but he doesn’t like to call him Jesus he calls him yeshua but long story short I thought I’d add that in because something about that made my soul burst into a bunch of feels that I was in such a good mood for the rest of the day of full of excitement I shared it with a dear sister in Christ and many people even my neighbors and they went to a gal’s house that’s supposed to be Christian but about 4 years ago or so plus she did have a book on Judaism so I don’t know if she was interesting and going to the fate or she just practicing it or reading about it I don’t know the person’s name is Sharon I don’t know her well but I will tell you that it was interesting after they spoke to her they approached me and asked me those questions and I was like dude they just finished their new year that makes Israel 75 years old since they became a nation and the honey cake I don’t know why but I felt like something was significant that day this week I remember looking up and saying okay God what are you trying to tell me a sister in Christ said you think it has any reference to the two witnesses I think that’s in Revelation 11 I said I don’t know all I know is that God was doing something that day I’ve never encountered Orthodox Jews before I know how they feel about Christians they’re not fond of Christians at all especially in Israel these days but I still pray for Israel and I still pray for them God bless and you should too God bless