Turn on your cookies for the best browsing experience.

This site uses cookies to store information on your computer.

These cookies are essential to make our site work. We use cookies for a variety of reasons, including giving and content preferences.

Instructions to turn on your browser cookies:

https://www.whatismybrowser.com/guides/how-to-enable-cookies/auto

  • Sign In
  • Locations
one family, many locations Menu
Visit
Connect
Grow
Watch
Care
Give
  • VISIT
    Visit

    We are one church in many locations. Whether you're from Orange County, Hong Kong, or somewhere in between, we have a campus for you. Check out a campus today.

    • Locations
    • USA
    • Anaheim, CA
    • Corona, CA
    • En Español, CA
    • Irvine North, CA
    • Irvine South, CA
    • Laguna Woods, CA
    • Lake Forest, CA
    • Los Angeles, CA
    • Newport Mesa, CA
    • Rancho Capistrano, CA
    • San Clemente, CA
    • San Diego, CA
    • South Bay, CA
    • Yorba Linda, CA
    •  
    • International
    • Berlin, Germany
    • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Hong Kong, China
    • Santa Rosa, Philippines
    •  
    • Extensions
    • Dana Point
    •  
    • Online
    • Live Service
    • About
    • New Start with God
    • I'm New Here
    • Our Pastor
    • Our Church
    • Join Our Family
    • Stories
    • Career Opportunities
    • Internships
    • Contact
    • Button
    • Spacer
    Get Directions
  • CONNECT
    Connect

    Life isn't meant to be lived alone. Connect with others through small groups, ministries, events, and more.

    • Event Calendar
    • Browse Events
    • - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    • Baptism
    • CLASS 101 - 401
    • Celebrate Recovery
    • Adult Studies, Trainings & Gatherings
    • Care & Support
    • Kids, Students & Parents
    • National & Global
    • Local Community
    • Sports & Physical Health
    • Special Events
    • Small Groups
    • Explore Groups
    • - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    • Find a Group
    • Start a Group
    • My Small Group
    • Ministries
    • Browse Ministries
    • Explore Serving
    • - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    • Men
    • Women
    • Singles
    • Couples
    • Workplace
    • College
    • High School
    • Jr. High
    • Children
    • Mission
    • Explore
    • - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    • Get Inspired
    • Get Involved
    • Get Equipped
    • Relief
    • Grocery Distribution
    • Button
    • Spacer

    Connect with Jesus

    Make a New Start

    Connect with others

    Find a Small Group
  • GROW
    Act

    Serving is a great way to grow, meet others, and discover your calling. Explore our signature ministries today.

    • Local Effort
    • Celebrate Recovery
    • HIV & AIDS Initiative
    • Mental Health Initiative
    • Orphan Care Initiative
    • The Daniel Plan
    • The PEACE Plan
    • Global Effort
    • Celebrate Recovery
    • HIV & AIDS Initiative
    • Mental Health Initiative
    • Orphan Care Initiative
    • The Daniel Plan
    • Mission
    • Highlights
    • On Campus
    • Food Pantry
    • Health Clinic
    • PEACE Center
    • Mission
    •  
    • Off Campus
    • Active Duty Families
    • Elder Protection
    • Good Neighbor
    • Motel Church
    • Button
    • Spacer
    Serve Your Community
  • WATCH
    Watch

    Browse our library of messages including weekend sermons, Civil Forums, seminars, summits, and more. Then watch and share!

    • Message
    • Live Service
    • Current Series
    • Sermon Library
    • iTunes Podcast
    • Church App
    • Media
    • Browse Media
    • Webcast Library
    • Women's Communities
    • Saddleback Kids
    • Resources
    • Apps
    • Daily Hope Radio
    • DriveTime Devotionals
    • Message Action Plan
    • Talk It Over
    • Button
    • Spacer
    Live Service
  • CARE
    Care

    Our church is a place where the hurting, helpless, and hopeless can find help. Find support through one of these ministries.

    • Care Ministries
    • Browse Ministries
    • Bulletin Board
    • Counseling
    • Hospital Visitation
    • Career Coaching
    • Mental Health
    • Personal Finances
    • Prayer
    • Programs
    • Celebrate Recovery
    • The Daniel Plan
    • PEACE Center
    • Retreat Ministry
    • Support Groups
    • Browse Support Groups
    • Medical
    • Relational
    • Button
    • Spacer
    Get Help
  • GIVE
    Give

    Make an eternal impact through generosity. Sign up for online giving, manage your account, or give to a special project.

    Tithe Online
  • Home
  • >
  • Watch
  • >
  • stories
  • >
  • 2019

Finding a Way Back to God

11/03/2019 .
Anita Beukman  .  Guest Storyteller

In my 20s, I became too busy to make time for God, but my mom kept on praying. No matter what, she wouldn’t quit. 

My mom was a prayer warrior. I remember growing up and watching her pray for me and my siblings. In my 20s, I became too busy to make time for God, but my mom kept on praying. No matter what, she wouldn’t quit. 

From my late teens to my adult life, I kept slipping further and further away from God. I don’t even know how it happened. The distance between God and me just kept growing. It was like I didn’t want anything to do with him. I didn’t remember the commitments I made to him as a teenager or all the things he’d done for me throughout my life.

I stayed disconnected from God until about 10 years ago. My husband and I had moved to Southern California, and that’s when I found Saddleback Church and decided to give my relationship with God another chance. I prayed and asked God to bring a desire in me to connect with him through prayer and his Word. 

I was desperate to determine my purpose and calling in life.

In 2011, I took a year off of work and decided that I wanted to really focus on my relationship with God. I attended as many Bible studies and classes at Saddleback that I could. I was desperate to determine my purpose and calling in life. One of the things that surprised me as I kept searching was that I seemed to have a gift for prayer ministry. 

I didn’t think that I could pray at all, so at first, I totally rejected the idea. I told God that he had the wrong person, that I couldn’t pray at all. But God kept showing me that prayer was what he wanted me to focus on. I remember calling my mom around that time and thanking her for all the prayers she prayed over the years. Her prayers had made a difference in my life and brought me back to God. Her faith kept me going even when I didn’t have any.

I began practicing prayer everywhere I went, praying for everyone I saw. If I was in a grocery store and passed someone more than once, I would pray for them. I didn’t even know them, but I would pray anyway.

I told her about my pain and the lack of diagnosis, and then she prayed.

In 2013, I began to experience chronic pain. It got so bad that I could only get around with the aid of a cane. I didn’t quit working because I wanted to keep my mind busy even though my body seemed to be failing me. Doctors didn’t know the cause, and I didn’t know if there was a purpose to it or not, but I told God that I would praise and serve him whether he took my pain away or not. I remember one day at work, when I was walking through the parking lot, a woman stopped and asked how she could pray for me. I told her about my pain and the lack of diagnosis, and then she prayed.

After she finished, I asked her why she would take the time to pray for me. She responded that she’s always looking for people to serve, and when she saw me she wanted to know if she could do anything to help. That was a turning point. Over the next several months, I connected with a doctor who helped me get to the cause of my chronic pain and began treatment to get healthy again.

Now, I’m running 5Ks and 10Ks, climbing, and hiking. None of the symptoms that I experienced before have returned. And I’ve joined the prayer ministry at Saddleback Church, first at Aliso Viejo, and more recently at the Laguna Woods campus.

It’s so great to connect with these young people, hear their stories, and then get to partner with them as they go and share their stories and ministries with other churches around the world.

I was the prayer ministry leader at one of the campuses before my husband and I moved to Laguna Woods. I was praying and asking God how he wanted me to stay involved, and this opportunity came up to partner with these students going on a PEACE trip. And I just felt God say, “Yes, this is what I want you to do.”

When the chance to partner with students and the prayer warriors at our campus came up, I jumped at the opportunity. It’s so great to connect with these young people, hear their stories, and then get to partner with them as they go and share their stories and ministries with other churches around the world. 

I’m excited to pray for the students to see the difference they can make. I love their passion and energy. They are so bold and so obedient, and I’m praying that they will go out and do what God has called them to do.

Learn more about getting a fresh start with God at saddleback.com/freshstart

Learn more about Saddleback's Prayer Ministry at saddleback.com/prayer

 
Back To Top
  • VISIT
  • Locations
  • New Start with God
  • I'm New Here
  • Our Pastor
  • Our Church
  • Stories
  • CONNECT
  • Small Groups
  • Ministries
  • Explore Serving
  • Event Calendar
  • GROW
  • CLASS
  • Foundations
  • Journey with Jesus
  • Doable Discipleship
  • WATCH
  • Live Service
  • Current Series
  • Browse Media
  • Apps
  • CARE
  • Care Ministries
  • Celebrate Recovery
  • The Daniel Plan
  • Support Groups
  • Bulletin Board
  • GIVE
  • Tithe
  • Beyond the Tithe
  • sign in
  • contact us
  • privacy policy
  • store
  • career opportunities
  • internships
  • tags
© 2021 Saddleback Valley Community Church