I'm sorry, brothers and sisters, for this lengthy post from one who can be an awful windbag at times.
I’ve learned to ask for intercessory prayers of saints mostly due to personal experience of the power of God which can result.
I was a non-believing sinner for nearly my entire adult life. I'm fairly well grounded in most of the important scientific disciplines, but am especially knowledgeable in the area of social sciences. You might say that given my understandings and perceptions of reality, it had become quite impossible for me to believe in God.
Yet, in studying and contemplating the problems of mankind -- our unique nature and predicament -- I was forced to conclude that we have only one answer, one real solution: Jesus Christ. But only if He is precisely Who He claims to be, according to what is written in the Gospels, is He a true hope and not just a wishful illusion.
Yet, knowing that this is the case was not enough for me to believe in Him. It was necessary for me to see some form of irrefutable evidence. I considered praying to this God who I felt probably didn't exist, thinking to ask Him to give me some kind of sign so that I could believe, but then I recalled the words of Christ Who said that "an evil and faithless generation seeks a sign, and none will be given it". Now, there's scarcely anyone more sinful or faithless than me. Hence, I knew I wasn't worthy of any sign even if God does exist. And even if He were to give me a sign, would I even believe Him then? For, as He has also said, “Even if someone should rise from the dead, they still won’t believe.”
I remained torn however, and the question of whether or not God would ever be willing to show me that He exists continually haunted me for many months. At one point my thoughts lead me to contemplate the scriptural account of the wedding celebration during which Christ changed water into wine after His mother approached Him about this matter. So, I looked up into the starry heavens (I was outside late in the evening) and humbly asked Christ's mother, though afflicted with strong doubts regarding her immortal existence, if it would be possible that she would ask her Son to show me some miracle as proof of His power.
After a short while I was led by the Spirit through a sequence of events to attend a prayer service being held at a small Orthodox Christian mission parish located less than an hour from my residence. It was an Akhathist service to the Mother of God, being held on account of a visitation to that parish by the myrrh streaming “Hawaiian” Iveron icon. You can see this icon for yourself, as it’s my avatar.
There she was, at the end of the center aisle of this humble little church leading up toward the altar, vigorously streaming miraculous myrrh; a glorious manifestation of the powers of the Heavenly realm breaking through into this earthly one for our sakes. Even in these latter days, she continues to point us toward her son, our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, through her prayerful intercessions, as she’s done for me.
At the moment of my anointing by the serving priest with this truly miraculous oil that was being collected from her icon, I knew that she had interceded for the sake of my salvation, just as I’d asked, and that our God had responded according to His will. From that time forward, it has been clear to me what I must henceforth do: Repent and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, and keep His commandments. Amen.
