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Maria Bartlett/Harry Llufrio - Your Prayers Have Been Answered

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When Harry was a teenager his parents’ marriage broke up and he went off the rails. He became involved with the wrong crowd and soon he was hooked on drugs. I remember one night when I was visiting my sister in London, which is where they lived, young Harry came in at 4.00 o’clock in the morning. My sister had spoken about her fears for her son and at first I thought she was exaggerating - she was crying that night as she told me about her despair concerning her broken marriage and her son's drug addiction.

We had just gone to bed but something urged me to get up and go to Harry’s room. It was probably sympathy for my sister and anger at what her son was doing to himself and to her.

When I saw him I was shocked. He looked filthy, he was totally spaced out, he didn't have a clue where he was, or who I was for that matter. He collapsed into his bed with an eerie smirk on his face. I felt like hitting him. I was so angry, but instead God's compassion came over me. I saw my nephew as a dead soul, totally broken and wasting his young life. Christ's compassion compelled me to pray over him as he lay there in a state of drugged stupor.

A couple of days later, I got an opportunity to speak to him about what he was doing to himself. I told him how much God loved him. He then allowed me to pray with him. He was moved to tears and I felt that perhaps nothing much would happen.

It was later that he became involved in eastern spiritual practices that cut me to the core. I kept telling him that Jesus was the only way to the Father. In those days his head was so full of junk that he ended up offending me. My husband asked him not to speak to me in that manner again, or try to knock my faith. It was very upsetting because I had high hopes that he would have changed after the prayer ministry.

For years after that we all prayed fervently for his conversion. My mum constantly prayed to God and Our Lady (he was very close to his granny and he would often sit and listen to her), but he was still very much living in his own fantasy world.

When my mum died six years ago, I was upset as she had prayed so much for Harry and nothing had changed. One night while feeling a little bit despondent, I came across a file where I kept all the letters people had sent me asking for prayer. I started reading a couple of letters from my sister and then experienced what I can only describe as an intense anger coming over me. I started shouting at God and giving vent to my pent up emotions about my nephew. I had made myself so miserable that I decided to check my e-mails instead. As I connected to the internet, a message was coming in that seemed to be taking a long time to get through. I got angry at this too, as my impatience that night was great. I was just about to delete it when I felt a strong sense within me preventing me from doing so. I then heard an inner voice saying: "don't be so impatient, wait and see".

When the message finally came through, the first words I saw were : "your prayers have been answered" and it was from my nephew Harry, all the way from Hong Kong. I couldn't believe it……..I thought someone was playing a joke on me, particularly because I had not heard from him for many years. But it was true, our prayers had been answered.

Harry had met a flamenco guitarist, called Esteban, who was on a concert tour in Hong Kong. This encounter was to change his life forever. After attending one of his concerts, Harry and Esteban became friends. Esteban who was also on drugs, had been suffering from severe pain in his back for a number of years. He visited numerous consultants and doctors seeking respite from the pain. It was only later through prayer ministry in England that Esteban received Jesus into his life and was healed not only of his back condition, but his drug addiction.

Esteban returned to Hong Kong and related his story to Harry; who was amazed at his transformation. That night they spent some time around a fire in the garden and Esteban then told Harry that God had sent him back to Hong Kong to visit him.

Esteban prayed with Harry that night.

This is what Harry commented:

“It was quite abrupt at first as he was breaking me free from my parents, family and even myself. It was almost as if he was waking my spirit from deep within me. I felt naked and exposed to the Holy Spirit. I prayed for His company and tenderness to be within me and in my life. I cried a lot for a long time. Then I felt peace and a feeling as if I was being nurtured. There was a strong spiritual presence around me.”

The next day my wife Mina came back home. We hadn't been having an easy time together due to our own individual problems, which we both brought into our relationship. Our marriage was not looking promising at the time. It was almost as if an evil force was trying to destroy it. We talked for a while and then Mina agreed to let Esteban pray over us. We were outdoors in the front garden; the fire was still lit from the night before where I had slept. When Esteban was praying I began to cry again, more and more. I called for Jesus; I wanted Him in my life, and needed him to be with us. At that moment, I felt and saw a bright light in the shape of a hand coming towards me. The hand appeared to open out and beckoned me to hold it. I reached out and held it. As I did this, a great peace filled my heart and I experienced deep sorrow for my previous blindness.”

Harry has never looked back since this moment and is now totally healed from his drug addiction, as is his wife. They are both committed Christians and are deeply involved in the Prayer and Music Ministry in their local church. Mina’s father too gave his life to Christ just recently. Considering they are both Chinese and of a different spiritual culture, this is nothing short of a miracle. Praise God!

I suppose this has taught me not to question God and to be patient—for His Ways are not my ways and His timing is always perfect.

Maria Bartlett / Harry Llufrio