Answered Prayer

Over the Christmas break, Mali made the decision to ask Jesus into her heart. She was very adamant and genuine about this decision. At the same time, she started asking when she could get baptized. Eric, Mali and I met with one of the children's ministers at our church and decided to just give it some more time to make sure Mali was really sure of what she was doing. I ended up telling Mali that when the Holy Spirit told her in her heart to be baptized then that was when it was time. Mali was asking me frequently when she was going to get baptized, but we were just waiting. Last Sunday, Mali told me that her heart was telling her to be baptized. This was a lot harder than I had anticipated. Eric and I still were not sure what to do. Last night we talked some and then this morning I spent a lot of time just praying and asking God for wisdom. When we got to church, there was a handout in the bulletin about a church-wide baptism service. I smiled a little wondering if that was an answer. But then the SERMON was on baptism!!! God definitely gave us wisdom, clarity and specifically answered my prayers. He is certainly a personal God that cares about each one of our prayers! Eric filled out the baptism card for Mali and we got to tell her that it she will get to be baptized on April 11, 2010.

• Romans 6:

• 1.
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

• 2.
• By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

• 3.
• Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

• 4.
• We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

• 5.
• If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

• 6.
• For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--

• 7.
• because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.