Anxious and uncertain for the next few months in my life, I decided to submit a prayer request to my church’s women’s ministry, “Pray that I find a job in Rochester, New York.” I was many, many miles away from my friends and family in Nebraska, faithfully following God’s call on my heart to attend graduate school for a master’s degree in social work. I was also experiencing a prompting in my heart to believe that God had more in store for me in Rochester beyond my approaching graduation.
A few months later, I was immersed in the pressing deadlines for graduation and completely forgot I had submitted my prayer request to the women’s ministry. One evening I was at the women’s Bible study sharing with a friend that I was looking for a job in Rochester. At the same time, a woman who I had never met walked past me and said, “You must be Damaris! I have been praying that you would find a job in Rochester!” I was very confused at first, wondering how this woman I had never met knew this about me. She reminded me of the prayer request I had submitted and introduced herself as Debbie.
In the coming weeks, Debbie and I both served on the greeting team at church and we would exchange hellos every few weeks. I mustered up the courage to ask her to go to coffee with me and our friendship quickly began to blossom. Debbie sent me perfectly-timed messages infused with Scripture and Truth that left me feeling so encouraged and cared for. Over time I noticed that Debbie posted Moms in Prayer pictures on Facebook, and I remember calling my mom asking, “Do you think Debbie is part of Moms in Prayer, too?”
One day we made the connection that we both had been impacted by Moms in Prayer—Debbie, a faithful praying mom and grandma, and me, a daughter of a praying mom who is the State Coordinator for Nebraska.
It seemed as if our spiritual bond was deepened by this newly founded friendship-a mutual, deep admiration and belief in prayer and this ministry.
Debbie then invited me to join her Moms in Prayer group for their weekly meeting. I accepted her invitation and quickly felt so welcomed by the moms in the group. At the end of the prayer hour, as we began to pray for the MIPI concerns, the prayer sheet read, “Increase hunger for outreach and follow up with home school moms in Nebraska as well as in other states and countries.”
Slightly confused, I looked around the group wondering why this request was on the prayer sheet. Had they chosen this request since I was attending the group? And how did they know that home school moms were so dear to my mom’s heart? I asked the leader, “Why are you praying for home school moms in Nebraska?” She replied that it was from the prayer calendar for that day. It was at that moment I knew God was so present in this room, in this ministry, in my new friendship with Debbie. I asked if I could pray for this request with the group, and tears left my eyes as I prayed for my mom and Moms in Prayer International.
Connections orchestrated by God and prayer are the most beautiful, life-giving ones. I could not have planned meeting Debbie and this Rochester Moms in Prayer group in a more beautiful way. Praise be to God who is actively working through this ministry to align the hearts of moms, grandmas, children, cousins, and aunts through the power of prayer.
Oh, and God provided a job for me in Rochester just like I had asked for. I am a mental health clinician working in a school setting, providing counseling to students who have both learning disabilities and mental health diagnoses. And you had better believe that my students are being prayed over by me, throughout the day, as well. Go, God!
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Damaris Attanasio is daughter of Elise Attanasio, Moms in Prayer Nebraska State Coordinator.
Comments 9
God, You always know what was happened because You see everything a most hidden corner , I come with a broken heart,. God if you deign, please God soften and touch damianus aditya christie heart for me.
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Hello and thank you for your comment. I agree with your prayer. God bless you.
What an encouragement this is! As a mom praying for my two teen daughters, I love reading stories from young people who have grown up with MIP moms praying for them. Thank you for sharing your beautiful story of God’s sovereign hand in your life so far–and the story continues!
Hi Damaris, it’s Jill Falletta. What joy I experienced in reading your blog post! Thank you so much for sharing your story; it will encourage so many moms! We are very thankful to have you with us here in New York and abundantly blessed to have met you in Rochester while on our road trip this summer. May the LORD bless you and keep you. You can be sure that your NY sister-friends in Moms in Prayer have you covered! xo
Damaris, I am so glad you shared your story with us! I too grew up in Nebraska. We moved to Oklahoma when my son was entering Pre-K and I helped start a Moms In Prayer group for his school. He’s now in middle school and I’m still praying in my group! The ministry of Moms In Prayer has impacted my relationship with our Father more intimately than any other ministry I’ve been involved with. I mention my connection to Nebraska, because your mother, Elise, prayed for me as I prepared and went to my hometown of Arapahoe, NE to share Moms In Prayer with local moms. God laid it on my heart to teach them the 4 steps of prayer and share with them the confidence they can have when praying God’s words back to Him, for they will never return void. That was the spring of 2017 and they continue to have a faithful group of women meet each week to intercede for the school and staff. I love how God uses our prayers to connect his faithful ones to each other! Best of luck to you in NY. I know the children and families you work with will be blessed by your prayers over them.
God answers prayer! I have loved praying in Moms in Touch/ Moms in Prayer for about 25 years; what an encouragement to see God’s power through prayer in your post! Thank you so much for sharing this testimony!
Hello Damaris! Thanks for the great God-encouragement today on this blog. How wonderfully God orchestrated events for you, as He has also done for me in my life. He is always in the details and I am so grateful when He reminds us of that.
I grew up in Rochester (Webster actually) and my mom was very involved in a Community Bible Study there.
So wonderful to know there are MIP groups in Rochester! It is a special place!
Thank you for this. We just started a moms in prayer last September with only two moms. Also, my son just moved to Rochester this past September 1st to serve at another church.This is so encouraging. I will add the calender to.our prayer time. Thank you. God bless this ministry!
Suzanne
I absolutely love this blog! What a beautiful encouragement for women of all ages, and stages of life.