How 2,000 prayers changed me

My love,

Tonight we’ll pray our 2,000th prayer together. Something about that number feels special, and I want to take a minute to thank you for it. Thank you for leading our relationship in daily prayer and for choosing to love Jesus more than you love me.

I never planned to be with you, but God had better plans. We started praying together because we wanted to see what God would do with the friendship we both desired. You intrigued me, and I guess I intrigued you. Somehow we started a friendship, and I think only God could explain how that happened.

Praying with you became the highlight of my day, and God began stirring up something in my heart that I wouldn’t understand for a few years.

As I prayed for you and with you, I noticed my heart changing. I saw the love and passion you have for serving God and your commitment to living as a disciple of Christ with integrity. I was drawn to that. I saw your devotion to your family, even though they were so far away. I admired that. In my personal prayers, I asked God to send me someone exactly like you if I were to ever marry. Still, I never thought He would send me you.

You found me when I was at my lowest point, with a broken family and trying to put together a new normal. You let me grieve, heal, and grow into the new place I found myself. A place God used to prepare me for you. In that place, I found myself beginning to love you. I didn’t expect that. I fought it, even. I didn’t want to be vulnerable with anyone, but God softened me and put a love for you in my heart that I could not explain or deny.

If it would have happened at any other time or in any other way, I’m not sure I would have followed through. I told God that He had terrible timing. Still, God kept you on my heart, even with my doubts.

I’m sitting here tearing up because I didn’t expect Him to give me something this good — exceedingly, abundantly more than I could ask for or imagine. I didn’t expect God to change my heart as He did. I didn’t expect to love you so fiercely or strongly. And honestly, I didn’t even notice it happening, though I’m sure it happened through prayer.

I’m not sure how many people can say they’ve prayed together daily throughout their relationship, but I believe we built something special. Through praying over the phone every day, we set a foundation on Christ that allowed us to fall in love with each other for who we are — not based on anything else. We saw each other’s hearts, and that’s where God put us together.

So, on this 2,000th day of prayer, I hope you know that I’m excited about our future. I’m excited to keep praying for what God is going to allow us to do together as ministers of the Gospel. Later this year, we’ll swap out praying over the phone for praying in person, and that has me smiling from the inside out.

Thank you, Keith Beatty, for leading me in this way. Thank you for setting the standard of Christ as our core. Thank you for showing me love by praying with me every day. You are, and always will be, my favorite blessing.

All my love,

Your Ewoo