God can answer even a "ridiculous" prayer.
Noted author and preacher Francis Chan can personally attest to this as he recalled an incident that happened early this year, which he said confounded him, according to God Reports.
Just like many Christian parents who prayed for their children to meet and marry another Christian, a devout one preferably, Chan said he wanted his daughter Rachel to find such a man.
"Earlier this year in February I prayed and I asked God for something that was just ridiculous," Chan told a group at a conference at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, on Dec. 8.
He said he confided to his wife Lisa that a young man named Justin Clark working in his ministries had made a strong impression on him because of his faith-filled personality.
Later, his interest in the man climbed a notch higher and he prayed, "Lord, you answer everything and you're so good to me and I'm just going to ask, can you make him my son-in-law?
"He doesn't even know my daughter, but make him fall in love with my daughter and make my daughter fall in love with him."
Weeks and months passed by and nothing happened.
Sometime in July, Chan prayed once again. "God, I'm so used to you answering things and I feel distant from you. I've never prayed this before but I'm sorry, I feel insecure this morning ... I know you love me and I know it's not about feelings but I'm just going to ask, can you show me some love this morning?" he said.
An hour after he said that prayer, Chan was stunned when Justin came out of the blue and said, "Can I ask your daughter out?"
"What??? Yes, yes...do you have enough money? Please, please, please..." Chan recalled himself saying, amazed at how God finally seemed to be answering his prayer.
Justin and Rachel started dating that same month. Several months later, Justin proposed to her in dramatic fashion—on a bluff overlooking the ocean in San Francisco. "He took me on a small hike and told me that he loved me for the very first time," Rachel noted on the couple's wedding blog.
Rachel and Justin got married on Dec. 3 in Redwood City, California.
Chan vividly remembered the day. "When I walked my daughter up the aisle I was bawling," he said. "I haven't cried that much in years."
"When we got to the altar I was ready to hand her off and we hugged up there, just holding each other for probably a minute. It was so uncomfortable and everybody was thinking, Is he going to let go or is she going to let go?" he said.
As the new couple held each other, Chan thought, "God you're so great. I remember how she rebelled against you and now you brought her back. I remember her as a kid jumping in my lap. I remember all of this and now I get to pick who she marries and you answer like that?"
The preacher was profuse with thanks to the Lord for the remarkable way He answered his "ridiculous" prayer, exclaiming, "I love you. I love you. I love you. I adore you I adore you."
