If none of these two stories touches your heart, and move you to reflect on your prayer life, then probably no story ever will.

The second of this two stories is my freewrite for the latest prompt, but the first is obviously not mine, and you may google it up. But i have included it here in addition, in fact, before mine which follows after, because of how powerful, how inspirational it is....It melted my heart the day i first read it.

Suffice to add that, it is the story which inspired my EMPTY CHAIR series. Imagine when @mariannewest dropped in the church prompt! I thought i would not miss the opportunity to share this most powerful christian story with all freewriters, and with all steemit.

Be inspired to worship the Creator, God, as you read this two Stories. Glory be to his NAME.
Bless God's name, even if only with an "AMEN" in the Comments.

1

A man's daughter had asked the local pastor to come and pray with her father. When the pastor arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows and an empty chair beside his bed. The priest assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit.

"I guess you were expecting me," he said.

"No, who are you?"

"I'm the new associate at your local church," the pastor replied.

"When I saw the empty chair, I figured you knew I was going to show up."

"Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man. "Would you mind closing the door?"

Puzzled, the pastor shut the door.

"I've never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man.

"But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it always went right over my head.."

"I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one day about four years ago my best friend said to me, 'Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here's what I suggest. Sit down on a chair, place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, 'I'll be with you always.' Then just speak to him and listen in the same way you're doing with me right now."

"So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm careful, though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm."

The pastor was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old guy to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, and returned to the church.

Two nights later the daughter called to tell the pastor that her daddy had died that afternoon.
"Did he seem to die in peace?" he asked.

"Yes, when I left the house around two o'clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me one of his corny jokes, and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something strange, in fact, beyond strange-kinda weird.

Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on a chair beside the bed."

-Author Unknown

2 Prompt - church

Claire was singing along, in sync to the Choir, when upon looking to the back row, she saw an empty space, where until only a moment ago, her teenage daughter Ann was sited.

It took effort to hold back the tears of frustration, or was it guilt, self-blame…that welled in her eyes. She had failed to tame her teenage daughter as any Christian mother would hope.

But God I have tried, she inwardly quarreled… I have been an example, always praying, always here, always sharing the bible…

Once a church devotee, and member of the local Parish choir, her teenage daughter had lost her way, and drifted away from Church, from God.

Claire had to talk her up the previous six days, to convince her to attend today’s service. Now she had left…

And what’s more, she had abandoned the new bible she had bought for her only yesterday, there on the bench.

“Whoosh,” Claire sighed, gathering the strength to reach the bible. She noticed a chit protruding from its pages. She read it.

“My dearest and nearest. I know I have been far from you lately. I am sorry. I’m back, to your arms, to your comfortable embrace. To your wet love, where I truly belong.”

Ann had abandoned service to go and see her boyfriend…

Now Claire’s eyes welled, they were about to let go when a hand tapped her shoulder.

“Mum!”

It was Ann, she had apparently returned from the washrooms. Claire remained speechless, anger brewing inside…

Ann noticed her holding the chit.

“That is my letter to Him, Mum.”

Claire had had enough, she would not tolerate Ann’s insolence, she started to open her mouth to rebuke her,

“Ann..”

“Thanks mum for your counsel”, Ann cut in, “I have returned home, to Jesus,” she said.

That letter sandwiched in the bible pages, was her letter to him!

Now Claire’s eyes flooded, she let go of the tears as she hugged her daughter to the applause of the whole church.

Claire had been too sucked up in the confrontation; she had been unable to realize they had drawn the attention of the whole church.

-Author Known! @ebitularmbert

The latest Day 117: 5 Minute Freewrite: Tuesday - Prompt: church

If you missed my last freewrites, here are the links from latest to last:-

1. The Empty Chair #16 - (5 minute freewrite challenge)[Prompt - canal]
2. The Empty Chair #15 - (5 minute freewrite challenge)[Prompt - mason jar]
3. The Empty Chair #14 -Weekend Freewrite 02/10/2018 - [Single Prompt Option: It was Saturday morning]
4. The Empty Chair #13 - (5 minute freewrite challenge)[Prompt - Ski]
5. The Empty Chair #12 - (5 minute freewrite challenge)[Picture prompt]
6. The Empty Chair #11 - (5 minute freewrite challenge)[prompt: Dream]
7. The Empty Chair #10 - (5 minute freewrite challenge)[prompt: California]
8. The Empty Chair #9 - (5 minute freewrite challenge)[prompt: yard sale]
9. The Empty Chair #8 - (5 minute freewrite challenge) [prompt: Palimpsest]
10. The Empty Chair #7 -Weekend Freewrite 2/3/2018 - Single Prompt Option: Airplane
11. The Empty Chair #6 - (5 minute freewrite challenge) [prompt: The smell from within]
12. The Empty Chair #5 - (5 minute freewrite challenge) [prompt: Elephant]
13. The Empty Chair #4 - (5 minute freewrite challenge) [prompt: Cigarettes ]
14. The Empty Chair #3 - (5 minute freewrite challenge) [prompt: Cracker]
15. The Empty Chair #2 - (5 minute freewrite challenge) [prompt: Paint]
16. The Empty Chair #1- (5 minute freewrite challenge) [Prompt: hardboiled minds]

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