“Prayer in My Time of Need,” Liahona, July 2023, United States and Canada Section.
Prayer in My Time of Need
With my divorce pending and a need to find a rental home, I didn’t know what to do other than pray.
Illustrations by Joseph Carrington
The night before my daughter’s college graduation, I was far from falling asleep. I’d come to Rexburg, Idaho, to celebrate this big milestone with her. As I lay quietly listening to her sleep, my heart was heavy with worry. My divorce was about to be finalized, and then I would have 30 days to find a new home and move. The family home would be sold. Rentals were sparse, and the homes I had seen were either too expensive or already under contract.
Knowing I had done all I could do to secure a rental home, I turned my concern over to the Lord. I’ve always been a woman of faith—fervently believing in God’s goodness and mercy. When I was young, my mother and grandmother assured me, “God is fully aware of your needs. Turn to Him. Trust Him.”
A Humble Plea for Help
I knelt down and pleaded with God to provide an answer. As tears streamed down my cheeks, I surrendered: “Heavenly Father, I need a home for my family. I’ve done all I can do. I can’t control the housing market, and I need a place to live!”
I continued to humbly pray for what I urgently needed: “Please, Heavenly Father, help me find a home within the school boundaries that is safe and within my budget. Please also help me find a landlord who knows I will make my payments despite having no credit history as a single woman.” I closed my prayer knowing that “with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that “not every blessing predicated on obedience to law is … timed according to our expectations. We do our best but must leave to Him the management of blessings, both temporal and spiritual.”1 This is precisely what I chose to do.
When morning came, I was impressed to text Brother Johnson. He had been a source of comfort during my divorce, and I hadn’t followed up with him as I had promised. I grabbed my phone, shared an update, and was just about to finish my text when I was prompted to ask him, “Do you know of a rental in the area?”
To my surprise he replied, “Yes. My sister is looking for a new renter. Let me reach out to her.”
Within a few hours, Brother Johnson sent me his sister’s number. She and I were able to get in contact that very day. As our visit closed, she said, “You’ve told me all I need to know about you. I want you to be my renter.” I was overcome with gratitude for God’s goodness and His divine intervention in my behalf. The rental home was located in a beautiful area and was in my son’s school boundaries. And it was within my budget to the exact dollar!
These events couldn’t have been orchestrated by anyone other than God. He was aware of my need and opened “the windows of heaven” (Malachi 3:10) to reassure me of His presence and goodness.
Even though my prayer was answered immediately and in the way I had hoped, I realize that our loving Heavenly Father, in His infinite wisdom, sometimes requires us to exercise patience and learn to “wait upon the Lord” (Isaiah 40:31)—and sometimes His answer is no.
A Close Relationship with God
Throughout my life, I’ve never doubted the reality of my Heavenly Father or my Savior, Jesus Christ. I’ve had many tender experiences with prayer. This answer further assured me of just how much Heavenly Father loves each of His children.
“In the end,” Elder Christofferson said, “it is the blessing of a close and abiding relationship with the Father and the Son that we seek. It makes all the difference and is everlastingly worth the cost.”2 Yes, when we draw near to the One who knows us better than we know ourselves and pause to hear Him, we find divine guidance.
Divorce is an excruciatingly painful experience emotionally—even when it’s the right decision. While I wouldn’t wish such a difficulty upon anyone, my divorce empowered me to exercise belief and relinquish my fears unlike any other time in my life. I’ve never felt more cradled in the Lord’s arms of love, mercy, and goodness than during these tumultuous and vulnerable moments of transition.
I will trust in God’s goodness. I know that He is always present. He truly seeks to be in the details of our lives because He is a God of infinite capacity and love.
The author lives in Arizona.
The author and her daughter
Photograph courtesy of the author