Does God listen to us? 3 wondrous stories:

Does God listen to us? Here are 3 wondrous stories: 1) “He started shouting at God: “Do you love me or not?” Then suddenly he received an immediate response!” There was a man, which we will call Michael, who was going through a difficult phase in his life. Everything was falling apart: his job, and his personal life. He had just begun to learn about his Orthodox Christian Faith, and his soul was full of doubts and confusion. And then one day, as he was driving, he feels this inner storm coming over him. He literally starts shouting in his car, screaming at God: “Do you love me or not? Answer me! Do you love me?” He was shouting with passion, like David (King David of the Old Testament). He was so disabled by this devouring cry of his soul that he almost ran off the road. Then suddenly a vehicle braked sharply in front of him. So, he braked too. And what does he see? The back window of the car is painted black and on it in large white letters: “I love you, Michael.” He was stunned! All confusion, all crying seemed to find quietness, but with a completely clear answer! It was not a voice from heaven, but a phrase written on the window of an old car. That moment he felt and clearly understood the answer to his question. The Lord had heard his bold, desperate cry and answered in a way that this man would never have doubts again. This incident was a turning point for him. It showed him that the Lord can speak to us even in the simplest language, as long as we ask sincerely and are ready to be subject to the answer. Even if the answer is written on a tinted window of the car that was in front of him. After this story, he stopped being tormented by inner doubts and slowly became a deep religious (God fearing) person. (Story told by Fr. Anatoly Pravdolyubov, a priest of the Holy Church of St. Hierarch Job located on Mozhaiskaya Pereulok in Moscow.) 2) “You know, I wanted to kill you” (Amazing story of two friends) A person heard the following story from his grandfather. A cashier had a particularly dangerous job. Once a month, he had to walk several kilometres through a remote forest to deliver the workers’ wages to the shipyard in a village on the banks of a river. The road was deserted and dangerous, and this cashier, as a deeply religious man, always went there praying. He prayed especially fervently to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and to St. Paraskevi, whom the people of those parts particularly revered. Years passed. The cashier retired and it seemed that all worries were left behind. Once he was sitting with his neighbour, an old friend, and they shared a humble meal. At some point, in the middle of their conversation, and towards the end of the evening, the neighbour suddenly made an unexpected confession. He confessed in front of him, lowering his eyes: “You know, I wanted to kill you.” The cashier was stunned. His friend said that he had followed him in the woods many times, knowing that he was carrying a large sum of money. He had been waiting for the right moment to attack him, rob him and, possibly, kill him. But each time he had abandoned his terrible plan. “But why?” - asked the cashier. The neighbour explained: “You were a smart person, you never went alone. You were always accompanied by a woman and a man.” The cashier was confused. He always, always, without exception, went alone. The cashier man simply prayed as he walked, and the Lord not only saved his life and protected him, sending those invisible companions (St. Nicholas & St. Paraskevi?) but also had saved the neighbour himself who had been led away by sin. This shows that power of sincere prayer is a living shield, a real power, which God sends into the hearts of every believer on His path. These are the “unseen benefits,” for which we should express our gratitude in our prayers. 3) A Robber and the cross around his neck: The following story took place in the 1990’s. Unfortunately, over the years, the name of the protagonist has been forgotten, but the incident undoubtedly took place, since the priest who was then ministering in the prisons and who witnessed the protagonist's conversion to the Faith is still alive. After all, there is nothing so amazing in this story that has not happened many times to humanity since the day the Saviour of the world was crucified between two thieves... In a city there was a prison, and, naturally, people who have committed crimes served their sentences there. In this prison there was a man, highly respected in the criminal world. We don't know details of what happened to him, but this man later on believed and changed his life to Orthodox Christianity. Due to the special influence on the prisoners, everyone in this prison began to study the basics of Orthodoxy, he would read the Holy Gospel and the Holy Fathers. They even invited priests to come and give lectures in this prison. Reached capacity: