12. Prayer Prevented A Law Suit

I own a copier business in Longview, Texas. We also serve Mt. Pleasant. One day, I got a call from a ministry outreach there who had recently leased a new machine on a 3-year lease. Steve was quite upset on the phone, and wanted his machine picked up as soon as possible. He said, "Your salesman promised that we could cancel this lease at any time, so I'm calling now to get it picked up." I took down his number, and promised to locate his paperwork and call right back.

I discovered he was 6 months into a 3-year lease, and that he was 4 payments behind. In addition, he owed us over $300 in service and supply charges. It seemed obvious to me that he was in a bind financially, but there wasn't much I could do at that moment. We had already been paid by the leasing company, and he owed them the balance of the payments.

I returned his call, armed with this new information, and was greeted by a rather cold response. I apologized that he had the misconception that he could cancel at any time, because we go to great lengths to train our salespeople NOT to say that. However, since I was now aware that he needed out, I promised to make every effort to find someone else to take over the payments for him, thus relieving him of the obligation. He then asked what I was going to do for him "today". I suggested that all I could do "today" was recommend that he catch up on his payments, since he was four payments behind.

His response was curt and rude. He said, "I have already talked to my lawyer about your salesman's promise, and he said that it was definitely a verbal contract. So you will be hearing from my lawyer SOON!"

"O.K.", I said. "But before we hang up and you go see your lawyer ... you're in the ministry, right?" "Right", he said. I asked if we could pray about it together on the phone before we hung up. He said, "... o k ...". I have been in situations before where conflict was involved and he other person offered to pray, and they prayed a very condescending prayer. So I said, "I'll tell you what, I will start the prayer and you can finish it." He agreed.

"Dear God," I prayed, "please bless Steve in his ministry work there in Mt. Pleasant. I feel like he is in some financial trouble right now, and I pray that whatever you want him to learn from this that he will learn QUICKLY, so that his life, his work, and his ministry can be a blessing to you. And if I have done anything wrong or unfairly, I pray that you will put it on my heart to make that right. In Jesus Name, ... ".

There was a short pause, then I heard Steve quietly say, "God, ... I agree with everything he said. In Jesus Name, Amen."

I never heard from Steve again, OR his lawyer. And he paid us for the toner. Prayer worked ... again.

Steve is author of a book featuring an in-depth study of heaven called, "My search for the Real Heaven." It's available @ Amazon.com and on His www.PrayerThoughts.com web site.