Stranger Buys a Car for a Single Mom in Random Act of Kindness

— -- It turns out the power of prayer is worth 200 horses.

A North Carolina man bought a used car for a struggling single mom -- a complete stranger -- after hearing her plight and going home to pray.

Connie Cole, 32, was talking to a sales manager on speakerphone at Carolina Auto Sales in Black Mountain, North Carolina while her anonymous benefactor-to-be happened to be in the office, dealership owner Wesley Gurley told ABC News today.

She was in dire need of a car but was struggling to find a way to pay for it.

“Connie sounded so desperate since the car she had broke down,” he said. “The guy said he heard the distress in her voice and he wanted to go home and pray about maybe buying her that car.”

“Nobody thought he was serious,” Gurley added.

Cole made it to the lot an hour later and the mystery man came back, too.

“When he disclosed that he was going to pay for the car, she was in disbelief,” Gurley said.

The man paid $2,200 and the 2004 Chevy Impala -- with a 200-horsepower engine -- was all Cole’s. Cole’s father helped by making the $800 down payment, according to Gurley.

“I cried and thanked him at least a thousand times,” Cole told ABC News today. “He gave me an extra $100 and said the first tank of gas was on him.”

Gurley said the man was adamant about staying anonymous, adding that the random act of kindness rejuvenated everyone at Carolina Auto Sales.

“You hear so many negative things about the world and then you see someone do a good deed without a single gain,” he said. “Once it set in, it really hit home for everyone here.”

The two had no connection to each other before Tuesday, but now they have a bond that few share.

"I'll never forget him," Cole said. "I'm excited about the car but I'm even more excited that Jesus is listening to my prayers."