Keystone Stories – Emma O’Tool
God-Ordained Obedience
God has been faithful to answer many of my family’s prayers that we’ve prayed over the last several years during Prepare. Sometimes, the answer is nuanced or different than we’d hoped, but it always leads to good. Many times a prayer we pray can be answered above and beyond what we could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). Often when considering what to pray for during Prepare, my mind easily goes first to my family, my friends, and myself, but during Prepare 2025 the Holy Spirit spoke a unique prayer to my heart that had little to do with me, but much to do with Him receiving glory – more baptisms at Keystone.
As a part of my job at Keystone, I get the privilege to work closely with Pastor Todd in the coordination of our baptism services. It is my favorite aspect of my job and one I don’t take lightly. During Prepare, the Spirit laid on my heart to pray specifically for there to be at least 100 baptisms at Keystone during 2025. I didn’t know where that number came from, but I trusted the Spirit and prayed both during Prepare and throughout the year for God to work in big ways in people’s lives and to lead at least 100 people to believer’s baptism at our church.
One unique way that God worked to answer this prayer was by nudging our leadership team to preach on baptism at the end of June and to add an extra baptism service (just two weeks later) on July 13th. I humbly have to admit, as a planner and a detail-oriented person, this “last minute” addition was a tad stressful and annoying. I later came to realize that this was really not an inconvenience as I first felt – really it had nothing to do with me and my initial reaction was one of selfishness. Thank God for grace and continuous sanctification! Instead this was a God-ordained chance for more people to quickly take a step of obedience and a way for God to answer my prayer. 27 believers were baptized on that July Sunday!
Instead this was a God-ordained chance for more people to quickly take a step of obedience and a way for God to answer my prayer.
The Lord led 126 people to be baptized at Keystone this year! More than we’d ever had in a single year before! Without that extra service in July, our 2025 would have been 99.
Oh how the Lord knows better than we do and is always working through each and every detail. Praise God for His sovereignty and knowing better than us! If you were one of those people baptized this year, thank you for stepping out in faith and obedience (and being a part of God answering my prayer)! May God continue to work in such mighty ways!
