Below is the detailed account of how I asked for prayers for my finances that were really in a depressing state (I run my own business). How God guided me through prayer, faith and obedience to a miraculous recovery of my finances which can only be ascribed to His abundant provision. There is also a ‘small’ miracle of R200 ($15) thrown in for good measure, showing how a small act of obedience made a huge difference in another believer’s faith journey.
There are a few things that helped me along the way; read to the end to find the 5 things that God showed me through His Spirit and reading His Word, that could help you in your struggle to release provision.
ASKING FOR PRAYERS FOR FINANCES
30 May
Asking for prayers on Loop Prayer Sisters FB Group.
Hi Ladies, I really need you to pray with me, to stand in agreement for God to provide a breakthrough in my finances and for provision in my own business. I have struggled with depression regarding this in the past, really trusting the Lord to provide for me miraculously again this month, and I will not let the enemy win that is trying to get me depressed again, throwing all kinds of unforseen expenses at me to get the fear and depression to return. I know God has promised that he will provide (Matthew 6:26-34) and I am standing on His Word, as He is not a man that He will lie.
Thank you for saying a short prayer with me and coming in agreement, really love this group and the uplifting way we communicate here.
— feeling hopeful.
At least 39 ladies prayed with me.
10 June
UPDATE – GOD STARTS TO MOVE
PRAISE REPORT! Just want to update you all on the last few days. After posting on the Loop Prayer Sisters Facebook Group and everyone praying with me for a shift in my finances at the end of the month, God has been giving me the confirmed message very strongly that I needed to stand on the promises that He has given me that He will provide. The beginning of the week I felt Him telling me to make a list of all my debts and unpaid accounts on paper and pray SPECIFICALLY for them. I feel like He was teaching me to pray specifics and not finances in general. I know a few other people are also struggling with finances, so this may help.
Since then God has provided all my immediate payment needs, but really each time at the very last minute. But He has also sent me a brand new international client, with the first big payment coming in on Monday. It is really amazing how God works. In the midst of all this, I also felt God telling me more than once that I needed to buy a dear friend Angie Van Greuning’s CD, and each time I just didn’t have enough to do that until Thursday (6 June), when I again strongly felt God telling me I need to pay the money into her account, and there was just enough to do that. I felt like it was such a small amount, I am sure it won’t make much of a difference. Until I read her post of 2 days ago last night, realising in how amazing God’s timing really is! I want to encourage you to be obedient when you hear God’s prompts to do something, even if it feels insignificant to you, it could have a big impact. See Angie’s post below. All Glory to God!
8 June
TESTIMONY – HOW A SMALL ACT OF OBEDIENCE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Excerpt of Post by Angie van Greuning on 8 June 2018
“My precious friends… May I share another testimony, of what would seem to some as a very small example…but to me it’s HUGE!! The last few days especially, have been rough for us…
“Just yesterday we had to say goodbye to our beautiful angel, Barney, one of our precious doggies, our fur children. It shattered our hearts into millions of pieces…”
“And then today I had to go into hospital for a procedure in theatre into my spine. They had to give me a whole lot of injections directly into the spine, and then they went in and shocked all the nerves that cause the pain, even those down into your legs. They do this while you are awake by the way, slightly sedated. Eeeiiisshh!”
“The reason they did this is a form of pain management to help my back carry me through as long as possible before they need to do a double fusion on both these levels, above and below the first lower back fusion I have had. (Just between us, I think God’s allowing this to be delayed, cause I have asked Him to give me a brand new spine, one that does not have this degenerative disease in it…)
“Anyway, so we are driving to hospital at 5am this morning, and our tyres are making such a noise we could barely hear ourselves praying, (cause we were praying on the way there in the car.) And the steering was shaking etc. I was shocked. And my heart was overwhelmed, cause I just could not have my man driving in my car that needs tyres etc. So I asked my man please to go to the tyre place right there to ask them what’s the problem and how they can make it safe or sort it out. And to get a price besides replacing all tyres.”
“So when I went into theatre, knowing full well that we have costs and debit orders coming off our account still, and it’s been calculated to the very last cent, and taking ANYTHING out there would cause something to bounce at this stage. But of course our safety is more important than anything else…”
“So my man goes to the tyre place and I go into theatre. And long story short, they changed the tyres around and did wheel balancing until we can make a plan to get new tyres. And the cost came to just over R200 (that’s around $15). But it had to be done, so he did it…!”
“So I come out of theatre, not knowing my hubby has been to the tyre place and it cost somewhere between R200-R300. But while waking up out of sedation in theatre, I see an sms has come in, to say that someone deposited R200 into our account. And when I spoke to my man and heard about the tyre story, we worked out, that this R200 was sent at the most, a half hour before my man had the tyres done!!!! And we don’t know who sent it, but oh boy does that person hear from God or what!! Even the timing…!!!”
“I mean how INCREDIBLE is that my friends! God already had a plan! Now I could be focusing and moaning about the urgent big miracles we need, and get all upset and down cause this miracle has not happened, and I would have COMPLETELY missed the, (what others might see) as the “small miracle!!! Yet if I am living a life grateful to God daily for the R20’s or the R200’s, who is to say that God will not MIRACULOUSLY bring in the R20 000’s, or the R200 000’s or even the R20 000 000’s into our lives! And into YOUR life!!! Just because He can….”
“God can do in a moment what it takes a lifetime to accomplish, if we have a grateful heart. Just “watch this space” my friends, and “watch your space”, as we rejoice with a grateful heart for that R200 ($15) miracle….!!!”
(Love Angie Van Greuning – “God’s Heartbeat For You…”)
Here is the link to one of Angie’s songs. She is a wonderful speaker and performer, you can order her CD or book her for performances here (South Africa) – dowhatmattersmotivations@gmail.com
3 July
PRAISE REPORT! GOD WILL PROVIDE!
Post on Loop Prayer Sisters Facebook Group
It is the end of the month again, which brings our finances front of mind again. End of last month I asked for urgent prayers as my financial situation was looking very bleak, lots of urgent unpaid bills, and no money to pay for anything (see post at the top). I have my own business. Thank you SO much for all the prayers and encouragement!
I want you to know that prayer DO make a difference. God through it all kept on telling me to trust He will provide as He has promised through His Word and other sources many times. In the past I used to give in to fear, and go into a depression, which was not from God. The devil also really tried his best to get me to fear again as in one day I received more than one call of creditors that I didn’t even know about with big extra amounts owed according to them, but I did not give in to fear, and some of them proved to be errors that same day! I want to share with you a graph of my finances as it stands now, showing how my turnover has increased almost 4 fold (actual graph from my business’ accounting software). This shows the difference prayer can make! Note, outstanding amounts should be paid this coming week, some of it already paid now, praise the Lord.
The 5 things God taught me through this process:
- He told me to make a list of all my debts and payments needed on a piece of paper (and add His seed as He shows you, to it!) and pray specifically over it.
- He told me to trust in His promise of provision in His Word, even if everything in the natural shows otherwise.
Luke 12:24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Matthew 6:31-32 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. - He showed me that He often will ask me to be obedient and do something, and the act of obedience will release the provision I am waiting for (can be small things!)
Read 1 Kings 17:7-16 Elijah and the widow at Zarephath. She had to use her LAST flour and oil to be obedient and give it to Elija, BEFORE she was blessed with provision. If she was fearful and didn’t want to give the last bit she had, she wouldn’t have received God’s provision through the entire famine. - What I have learnt from a previous time 2 years ago: when God blesses you with the money you have been praying for – make sure to ask Him how to spend it, and do not forget to ask Him where you should pay His offerings and seeds, and how much. When you are completely surrendered to Jesus, everything belongs to Him, not just 10%. He needs to see that He can trust you with the blessings, so that it can flow through you to where it needs to go.
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. - God wants us to pray and trust in His provision, not try to make things happen through our own strength. Very difficult if you are a control freak like me! Prayer and obedience is the key.
I still have a long way to go with my finances, more debt to pay, but I know for sure that my God will provide in everything I need and for that I want to give him all the Honour, Glory and Praise. Amen.
Story by Mariana Engelbrecht
Main image by Elaine Davis of Illustrated Faith
If you have read all the way to here you truly are someone that can keep on going when things get tough! (Very long post, sorry) I have started this online Blog called “Diary of Hope” where I can publish different Stories of Miracles by God showing up in small and big ways in people’s lives. Do you have a story to contribute? If so please send to mystory@diaryofhope.org. God has told me we should start remembering the miracles He does for us, so that we can encourage others (and also ourselves), as I find I tend to forget too quickly.