When God Answers Prayers

Teri Sinnott examines a recent health issue and how God is answering her prayers in ways she never imagined.

We know God answers prayers. We know God teaches us, just like a good parent does. As our Father, God always wants what is best for us. I have heard many times that if you don’t slow down and rest, God will make you slow down and rest. But me—I have just kept going. Pushing through. Feeling as if I must do it all. On top of that, my prayer life has suffered lately.

I have been busy and exhausted. I have been battling different mystery health issues for the past two years, working full time as a teacher and being a wife and mother to three energetic kids. I am going in every direction, in every aspect of my life. I have been stretched entirely too thin.

I can always notice a difference in myself when I am lacking in my time with God. My anxiety increases. I’m easily angered. I feel lonely. I haven’t been praying my chaplet daily anymore. And I think I am months behind on listening to the Bible in a Year podcast. In recent weeks I have been praying to God to help me to bring my focus back to Him, to keep me focused on what matters.

Then last week, I ended up in the emergency room of the Women’s Hospital and then inpatient for 2 ½ days, with nothing to do but spend time with God. Not allowed to work. Limited visitors due to Covid restrictions. Not much on TV. Just me, my Bible, a faith-based book, and God. Not exactly what I had in mind, but God answered my prayer.

I have also determined that God is teaching me through this experience.

Though my experience and my health have had some scary moments, I do feel renewed in my faith. I found a novena for people experiencing illness and my husband had printed me several prayers for St. Luke's intercession for health. I started doing both on a schedule: novena to start my day and St. Luke prayer before bed. I added the Chaplet of Divine Mercy back into my day. God is helping me put my prayer life back in order.

I started looking up all the codes for the hospital and every time one would come over the loudspeaker, I would stop and pray for that person specifically. I would pray for the hospital staff helping them as well. I prayed for those coming in via helicopter. It felt good to be there praying for those people and their families, knowing that God was listening. God is helping me to focus on the needs of others.

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God is using this experience for my good. He is helping me to learn and grow. #catholicmom

As I reflect, maybe God needed me to stop. I needed to stop. I needed to refocus. I am always in charge of everything. I am a control freak and, in the hospital, I was helpless. I couldn’t take care of my kids. I had to rely on my husband to completely care for our kids. I couldn’t care for myself completely. I needed my doctors and nurses to do that. God is teaching me to rely on others no matter how uncomfortable that is for me.

Even after returning home, I am not allowed to lift anything over 15lbs. I have to slow down. I can do minimal housework. My husband has done an amazing job, but my house is definitely not in the condition I would like it to be. I basically have to learn to deal with a messier house. God is teaching me to focus more on my health and my kids than the household chores—chores that typically take my time away from my kids.

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I hate missing work. I have often put off going to the doctor or rearranged appointments at a detriment to myself to be at work. Here I was, suddenly out of work for a week. Yes I am behind, but my students survived. They handled it well. They knew what work I had left for them, and they handled it. My students were concerned about me and wanted me to get well. God is showing me that my health needs to come before work and my students and my administrators not only understand, but also care about me.

My medical issues have been scary, and I have had to put my faith in God for healing and recovery. I have been pushed outside my comfort zone. I am dealing with frustration and anger. But God will continue to help me work through that. God hears our prayers.

God is using this experience for my good. He is helping me to learn and grow. He is pruning me like a grapevine.