How God Answered My Prayer for a Sign

I spent many years working on ships, traveling across the world. I was a young man, 5 months into a 15-month contract at sea, when my behaviour got me in trouble with the captain. I had repeatedly broken the ship’s rules before, and on this day I failed to return to duty on time after shore leave with friends. The captain was not happy. His decision was final: I would be dismissed and sent home at the next port, somewhere in the United States.

That night, I prayed to my Father in Heaven. I made a promise: “Lord, if the captain changes his mind and gives me another chance, I will read the Bible that has been sitting in my room untouched.”

The Jehovah’s Witnesses used to visit ships in port and share their “Today’s English Version” Bibles with the crew. My copy had been in my wardrobe for a long time. I would see it when I cleaned or arranged things, but I would never open it.

To my surprise, the captain did change his mind. He gave me a final warning instead of sending me home. Remembering my promise to God, I began reading the Bible from the beginning.

As I read, I often wondered: “Is this book really true? Am I wasting my time?” I prayed again, asking God to show me a sign that the Bible was true.

But no answer came.

Months later, I finished my contract at sea and had reached the book of Acts in my Bible reading. I came home to Kiribati for vacation and soon after was called to attend an Officer’s Training Course for six months.

One evening about five months later, with my pregnant wife by my side, I was working on my deck officer assignments. I felt a strong urge to open my old suitcase—the one I had brought home from the ship and never fully unpacked. At first, I ignored it, but the feeling grew stronger until I finally gave in.

Inside the suitcase, I found my favourite aftershave, some personal belongings, and then a photo album. I showed the album to my wife, flipping through pictures of my travels with friends. Suddenly, I came across photographs of myself in Jerusalem—the holy city.

Tears streamed down my face. I had taken these photos months earlier on the ship, visiting places whose names meant little to me at the time. I later remembered that we had been unexpectedly rerouted during my contract, and instead of the usual Germany to California trip, we ended up in Ashdod, Israel. I wasn’t even supposed to be in that region.

The pictures showed me standing in places I recognised now, the very places I had read about in the Bible:

• The Garden of Gethsemane

• The site of Christ’s Crucifixion at Skull Mountain

• The tomb where His body was laid

• Solomon’s Porch

I had walked where Jesus Christ had walked, where the Twelve Apostles had walked. I knew now that what I had read in the Bible was true.

That change in route was no accident. In my spirit, I heard my Heavenly Father call my name and say: “Peteru, these are the signs I made for you and also to let you know that I am the Lord, and nothing is impossible to Me.”

I believe God Himself directed my ship to Israel so that I would one day discover those photographs and receive the sign I had prayed for. My wife, seeing my tears and feeling the power of the moment, also began to cry. Together, we shared the deep realization that God is real and His Word is true.

This experience changed my life and deepened my faith. I now know that God is always present when we pray sincerely, and He answers in His own way and in His own time. I will never again ask God for a sign, because I know He is faithful and His word is true.