Unsuspecting Messenger

I've seen the astonishing and awe-inspiring results of prayer but about a year ago I became an unwitting participant in a prayer event with some interesting results.
I had contacted close to two hundred people sending out a call for stories relating to prayer. Therefore it was not a surprise when a number of people began asking me to send up prayers for them. It was something I did now and then for family and friends so why not for acquaintances met through the internet? On one very hectic Wednesday while trying to deal with hundreds of emails, I received one such letter from a cyber friend. She was requesting a prayer. I was torn between trying to finish off my planned work or stopping and fulfilling the request. I should explain that when I pray for people especially those through the internet, it is my habit to type out the prayer and then send it to the person. In this way they can see that indeed a special prayer has gone out for them and they can read what I said to my Heavenly Father on their behalf.
I knew that it might take me at least twenty to thirty minutes to get a nice prayer composed and with my conscience about doing service for others, pushing me, I got to work on the prayer. When it was done, I transferred the prayer from my writing program to the email and sent if off as requested.
Ready to return to my workload, I glanced a final time at the prayer and was drawn to it. For some unknown reason, I felt this same prayer must go out to others as well. I knew I should really be getting back on track yet another voice within (my own thoughts, I reckoned!) kept on encouraging me. Before I knew it I had used up every minute of my office time sending out the prayer to a number of others. "Oh well," I thought, "I'll get back to the job tomorrow."
On Thursday, I began opening mail and received some lovely letters in response to 'the prayer.' One letter in particular shook me and left me crying. Here is part of that letter:

"Ellie, Thank you.
I have been sitting here in tears tonight after reading your prayer for me. Why on earth would you send me this prayer today of all days? Did you have a dream? A feeling? How in God's creation could you have known how much I needed this prayer today of all days? How could anyone know, except God? How do you know that I am faltering in my strength and needed this sign that I am not alone?"
Apparently, the author of the letter had been struggling with her faith and doubting her ability to go on. She took my prayer, sent to her on a whim (or a nudge from God), as a sign that God was with her and ready to help her find the right path. Her faith was restored and her strength renewed.
I sat and sobbed as I read her note. What if I had not listened to the soft voice in my mind that encouraged me first to forsake my regular work and compose the prayer and then to actually send it out, to others (though no other requests had been made). I didn't know this particular friend needed a prayer. I do not know why I didn't stick to my game plan and get my work done. I didn't know I was receiving a gentle nudge, but I am so very glad that I followed the "feeling" and sent out more than the one prayer that day. Being a messenger for God is both humbling and elating. I bowed my head and said "thank you dear Lord for using me."

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