Inspy Romance

Inspy Romance—Fall in Love With a Good Book

Before They Call

by

One of my favorite Bible verses is Isaiah 65:24.

About eight years ago, at the end of January, I was hoping to attend a conference later in the year but didn’t have the required funds. The deadline for the discounted registration price was the next day, and if I wasn’t able to meet that, I wouldn’t go, as the full price was quite a bit more. That morning, I once again prayed fervently for God to meet the need, but my hope was dwindling away.

That afternoon, I went to the mailbox and found an envelope from my automobile insurance company. Dread pooled in my stomach because that usually wasn’t good news. I still remember the moment when I pulled out a check for exactly two dollars more than the amount needed to register for the conference. I had traded a car in at the end of December to purchase a newer used one for my daughter, and this was an unexpected refund for the old policy. I had no idea I was owed anything.

The wheels on this prayer were already turning long before I had prayed. The insurance began processing the refund more than a month earlier, and the envelope was mailed several days before. God knew my prayer would be answered before I had prayed it.

Before they call, I will answer.

There have been other times in my life when this precious promise has come to fruition, and God never ceases to amaze me. In this case, the check could have come earlier, before I realized the need for the funds, but my faith muscles wouldn’t have been stretched, and I would have missed out on the moment of seeing my prayer answered in such a powerful way.

And God wouldn’t have experienced the joy in my heart, the smile on my face, and the heartfelt expression of praise and thanks to Him. But this wasn’t for His benefit, only mine. He delights in me! I have a picture in my mind of Him watching me walk to the mailbox. Wait for it, He whispers as I open the envelope. At my reaction, He laughs joyously.

As has been my custom for most of the last several years, I’m working on a Christmas book just as spring is about to blossom. It didn’t start out this way, but it’s about a marriage in need of healing. Many authors will agree that sometimes, the characters take the story in a different direction. And this promise from Scripture is a key part of that journey.

The working title is The Lodge at Christmas Lake. Doesn’t that summon all kinds of beautiful images for the cover? Someone else will create that, and I can’t wait. Bookmark my website address, www.esqwrites.com, and you’ll see it in late autumn.

Has God ever answered a prayer before you prayed it? I’d love to hear your story in the comments below.

Erin Stevenson Quint (12 Posts)

Erin has been writing faith-based romance novels for almost a decade. She is published in multiple formats and is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), where she has served as a judge, category coordinator, and was a 2021 Carol Award finalist. Grounding her novels in reality, Erin crafts characters who encounter events and hardships familiar to everyone. Her inspirational writing will take the reader down paths of both joy and pain, but always highlighting God’s faithfulness.


Comments

  1. 10 years ago I was praying for a dr appointment in Jan so I could get the gall bladder out in Feb. I read a devotion that God has it all in control and to pray thankyou for having the answers to prayers or something similar. I got the call late Jan (epecting an appointment) to be told the bloods showed the gall bladder couldn’t wait and I was scheduled for 2 days time.
    I thought I would be just out of hospital for my 50th and had decided to do a special album with memories and notes from people and I was recovered and able to celebrate. Today Is my 60th.

  2. I don’t think this has happened but I think I will pay more attention in the future. I cannot wait for your new book to come out later this year!

  3. I love hearing stories like yours. It never ceases to amaze me how God works. I have seen God’s wonderful hand in my life in other ways. How many times He has saved me over the last 72 years. The one that really has stuck with me is when I was young, maybe 8 or 9, my mom send me the the little store at the end of our road. The area we lived in was pretty rural. I had to cross a 2-lane highway to get to the store which was right there. A car stopped and this man asked where I was going. So I told him, right across the road to the store. He asked if he could give me a ride. I thought he was crazy. I just had to cross the road! God’s angels surrounded me that day. He could have snatched me and I would not be telling this story today.There are several other times I can think of right off the top of my head that God saved me from disaster and/or distraction. I am a very trusting person.

    Thank you for your post. Your book sounds like one I would like to read.

  5. It does sound like something that is very possible but I have a horrible memory so I can’t say for sure.

  8. I’m sure your angels were with young Bonnie that day. That’s another thing I’m looking forwar to in Heaven, listening to my angels tell stories of how they protected me. Thanks for commenting!

  11. I have been praying about seeing a cardiologist, and that God will direct me to one of three that I chose. Then this morning, before I had a chance to call, within about 45 minutes of each other, I had TWO phone calls from one doctor’s office to schedule an appointment for THIS WEDNESDAY!!! I had talked to another’s office (not one of my top choices, but a “spare”) that couldn’t get me until May. So, to be able to get one this week, is definitely a God thing!!! I’ve been praising and thanking Him since!!

  12. Good morning, God works in mysterious ways for sure and He is Always watching over us. I am so very happy for you. Your upcoming book sounds Great and I love your book title, I will for sure be on the lookout for your new book. When my husband and had our first child and she was like 5 months old we moved to a different state where he had gotten a job in the Uranium mines. We left our packed up and left our apartment . Well, we rented a house where we moved and we were making ends meet the first few weeks , well something came up and my husband plays instruments, so he was thinking of going to go pawn one of his instruments , well the day before he was going to go pawn it, we got the cleaning refund for the apartment from where we moved , God once again came to our aid. We didn’t really want to pawn his beloved instrument, but we were going to have to , Thanks be to God we didn’t have to. God is Good All of the Time. Have a great day and a great week.

  13. God is so good! I have countless examples of his provision and miracles in my life and financial provision is just one. Thanks for sharing your story. I look forward to seeing God at work and pray for a heart and eyes to “see” His work.

  15. What a beautiful picture you create in your post. Personally I think that you probably had some kind of wish for your growth that the Lord had already been working with you on. Funny how things occur retrospectively but rarely are. Enjoy your conference. :)

  17. God answers my prayers. I think they get answered is because he knows all the things I do, acts of kindness, that no one will ever know, but the Lord.

  18. God provided me with the group of friends I would need during my semester as an exchange student. If I had applied to that same program, or if I had gone even a semester before, I wouldn’t have met them and the experience would have been different.

  19. That’s a beautiful verse, and such a great story of God’s providing for you.

    I can’t think of a time that Hod has answered a specific prayer of mine before I’ve said it, but there have definitely been times when His goodness has provided exactly what I needed to get through a difficult time.

  21. Yes, Alicia! God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good. He cares about the little things in our lives, even a love for a beloved musical instrument. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story.

  22. Cyndi, you brought up a very important point. We have to surrender our will so we can recognize when He’s working–like you said so beautifully, “see” it with our hearts and eyes. His mercies are all around us if we will only look. Thank you for sharing!

  31. Yes. There was a fire in a vacant apartment next door to where we were living. The fire started in the early morning hours. My husband worked nights. Our dog was determined to wake me up. I told him to lay down. I would let him out in a few hours. He would not let me go back to sleep. I got up and went to the bathroom. The dog wedged himself between me and our bathtub. I decided to do my devotions since I was awake. When I went to go back to the bedroom, there was smoke in the hall. I hurried and got dressed. Our dog stayed at my side. When we made it downstairs, there was no smoke. I grabbed my coat, purse and put the leash on our dog. He was not a good dog on a leash. That morning, he stayed with me and did not pull on the leash. My Mom lived across the street. As we were going across the street, I saw a gentleman walking toward the corner. As we walked up to the porch, my Mom opened the door. The gentleman that I saw had knocked on the door to wake up my Mom telling her that I needed her. No one else saw the gentleman. Thank you for sharing. God bless you.

  35. Yess, mainly when I prayed for my family members to be healed or for people who made me uncomfortable to go away, but I know there’s more than that :)

  38. We prayed that my brother who was in pain and very sickly that he is no longer in pain and after we prayed he got better slowly we also prayed that my grandfather wouldn’t be here much longer after he fell and broke his hip on Christmas eve and he wasn’t in pain then he died December 26th 2023 we are sad but also happy that he is no longer in pain and is reunited with his wife who died in March 2020.

  40. Too many times to mention. We put God in charge of our finances years ago and as long as we keep praying and standing in faith he always comes through. Even if it feels like the 11th hour to us, there are just too many “God winks” happening for it to be a coincidence.

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