Hetavi lost her father when she was only 18 years old. Grief stung the young woman even more deeply because her paternal relatives barraged Hetavi, her younger siblings and their mother Toral, with abuse and harassment. In South Asia, a widow is often blamed for her husband’s death. Yet, throughout the threats, throughout the wishes of failure heaped upon Hetavi’s family, Hetavi saw her mother remain strong as a woman of prayer.
The Struggles of a Single Mother
Hetavi was 12 years old when her mother embraced Christ’s love. Three years later, Hetavi’s father did the same. But Hetavi never quite latched on to her parents’ newfound faith. Toral took her children to Sunday services as much as possible, but Hetavi didn’t understand the appeal.
After Hetavi’s father passed, Toral shouldered the burden of caring for Hetavi and her siblings alone. The villagers and relatives waited with bated breath for the family to fall apart, but Toral persevered. During the day, she worked hard to feed and send her children to school. At night, Toral prayed. Sometimes, when the other children were fast asleep, Hetavi listened to her mother pray. Was this how she stayed strong and at peace? Were these prayers what kept the family from crumbling?
Unceasing Power of Prayer
A year after her father’s passing, Hetavi married. If she thought her marriage would assuage the pain and trials of her father’s passing, however, Hetavi was wrong—her husband was a drunkard. The years passed, and his behavior didn’t change. After their sixth child was born, Hetavi’s husband left for another country to earn a better living. But four years passed with no word from him, and, eventually, Hetavi heard he was wasting his money on drink.
Despite the lack of money coming from her errant husband, Hetavi found she could always provide for her family. Was it luck or divine providence? Whatever it was, Hetavi couldn’t help but worry. How long would this last? What would happen to her children?
Toral visited her daughter from time to time, and, while she didn’t know the exact extent of Hetavi’s worries, she knew something was wrong. During one visit, Toral mentioned she always prayed God would take care of Hetavi and her children.
Suddenly, Hetavi understood the secret to her financial stability: God was answering her mother’s prayers! No wonder everything seemed to be taken care of. Despite Hetavi’s worries, God was providing for her.
Soon, Hetavi wanted to know more about the God her mother worshiped faithfully.
God Listens—and Answers
Hetavi decided to attend an event at her mother’s church, where she learned more about God than she ever had before. And this time, she wanted to. The third night, Hetavi began weeping. But her tears were not tears of sadness; they were tears of joy. At last, she had realized God loved her and cared for her.
Hetavi embraced God’s love, and with it came the same peace Hetavi had seen in her mother growing up. And after that, God heaped blessings on Hetavi and her family.
“God … provided all that we needed,” Hetavi said. “Six months later, my husband contacted me and sent money. … He is now regularly sending money every month. … God is good all the time.”
Hetavi attends church every Sunday, and faithfully reads God’s Word. Now knowing the power of prayer, Hetavi herself has become a woman of prayer, following in her mother’s footsteps.
Read more stories testifying to how God answers the prayers of the faithful.
Such a wonderful family, and an amazing testimony on how God works. I love you all and I pray that God would continue to bless this family and to provide for all of their needs. Thank you for posting this, I enjoyed reading it. God bless.