Answer to prayer

I grew up in a religious household and my faith wasn't really challenged until I got to middle school. In middle school I had a friend who was extremely intelligent and really enjoyed debating. When my friend learned that I was a person of faith, he started to debate with me about the existence of God and an afterlife. I tried to debate back, but he was a lot better at arguing than I was.
For a couple of days I felt that my friend was probably right. The more I thought about it, the more meaningless life seemed to me and the more hopeless I felt. Eventually, I came to the point that I needed to know, without any doubt, whether or not God exists and whether or not there is a life after this one.
I decided to say a prayer and ask God whether he was there and if I would exist after I died. As I started praying, a sudden feeling of peace, hope, and comfort rushed into me. All the hopelessness and despair I had been feeling before vanished.
I didn't see any angels or have any visions, but after that prayer I knew that God existed and that life does not end at death. The feeling of hope that I felt was a direct answer to my prayer. I am very grateful that God answered when I asked.
That experience has always been very sacred to me and is a large part of who I am. It is impossible to describe everything I have thought or felt about it since, but I know that I would be a very different person than I am now had I not experienced it.