A daughter's prayers finally answered

Cecelia Campbell-Livingston

Sunday Gleaner Writer

Although 63-year-old Gilbert Salmon acknowledged that there is a God, surrendering his life to Him and serving Him was the last thing on his mind. In fact, it was not unusual to hear him arguing strongly against doing just that.

When he heard Christians calling on the name of Jesus, Salmon would ridicule them and accused the Pope of manipulating the Bible, thus leaving Christians with no option but to foolishly exalt the name of Jesus.

The New Longville, Clarendon, resident did not hold back in enjoying his life of sin as he smoked and drank hard, all the while mocking those he thought were weak to be followers of Christ.

For his daughter Anneka, a devout Christian, it was painful to watch her beloved father living a life outside of Christ. She desperately wanted him to experience the same thing she did, so she never ceased praying for God to make Himself real to her father.

Anneka was pleased to share with Family and Religion how God eventually answered her prayers and brought about a complete change in her father.

Salmon said he called his daughter one Friday to find out if she was going to a prayer meeting the following morning, telling her that he wanted to go.

“I could hear the surprise in her voice as that was the last thing she was expecting from me. Although she lived closer to the church than I did, I got there before her. I guess something was pushing me,” he said.

Following a prayer of cleansing, Salmon said, something started happening in him, which overflowed when he attended a meeting at the Power and Authority of Jesus Ministry Church on Manchester Avenue in May Pen.

“While worshipping, I really don’t know how to explain it, but I came under a conviction so powerful that I was totally blown away,” he said, still amazed by the experience.

Salmon admitted that he was in tears for almost a week following that experience.

Anneka said she was so touched that she, too, started crying because she had never seen her father in that state before.

“It was clear to see that the anointing was all over him as the tears flowed. I never thought I would see that day,” she confessed.

Salmon said he knew a great change had been brought about in his life as he totally lost the desire for smoking and drinking alcohol, and he even started sharing the experience of what happened in his life with his friends.

Instead of ‘roaming the street’, he is mostly home now reading the Bible, praying, and praising the Lord while enjoying his spiritual walk.

“I have been mocked and jeered for proclaiming my faith, but God’s love and my new-found faith keep me going,” he shared.

Anneka, too, is overjoyed; she shared that although she had no doubt that her prayers would have been answered, she didn’t know when.

“I had faith in God that it would happen. I've made special offering sacrifices for him at church, so deep down, I knew it would happen,” she said.

“I saw people mocking and jeering him, too, but some listened. Knowing him, my daddy was not a calm-spirited person. He was arrogant and far from humble. Now, he’s a totally different person,” shared Anneka. She said she is grateful for the change she has seen in her father.

And as for Salmon, he is happy about the father-daughter team they present in the faith as he said it is great to know that they have each other’s backs.

He is now looking forward to his watery baptism and being an even better father, not just to his own but to those he will come in contact with to share the best thing he has ever got – salvation.