PRAY TODAY

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE REALLY HUNGERED AND THIRSTED AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS?
THE SCRIPTURE TELLS US WE WILL BE FILLED. I THINK WE ARE AFRAID OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE REALLY PURSUED AFTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD. I THINK IT WOULD SO REVOLUTIONIZE OUR LIVES THAT IN A YEAR FROM NOW WE WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE OURSELVES.

We do not mean men who get up sensational stirs by novel devices, nor those who attract by a pleasing entertainment; but men who can stir things, and work revolutions by the preaching of God's Word and by the power of the Holy Ghost, revolutions which change the whole current of things.


"Praying Pulpit Begets A Praying Pew." Chapter 20. Power Through Prayer. E. M. BOUNDS

We put it as our most sober judgement that the great need of the Church in this and all ages is men of such commanding faith, of such unsullied holiness, of such marked spiritual vigor and consuming zeal, that their prayers, faith, lives, and ministry will be of such radical and aggressive form as to work spiritual revolutions which will form eras in individual and Church life.


"Praying Pulpit Begets a Praying Pew" Chapter 20. Power Through Prayer. E. M. Bounds

James 5:16

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Daniel 12:3
Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

"WHEN MEN WORK MEN WORK, BUT WHEN WE PRAY, GOD WORKS."

OPERATION WORLD.

WE SAY WE CARE ABOUT OTHERS, BUT DO WE BACK THIS UP IN OUR PRAYER LIFE. WE HEAR OR SEE THOSE IN SERIOUS NEED, DO WE PRAY FOR THEM MORE THAN A SECOND OR TWO. DO WE EVER AGONIZE OR PRAY WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY? WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE LOST SLEEP OVER THE PROBLEMS AND CONCERNS OF OTHERS? I HAVE BEEN ASKING MY SELF THESE QUESTIONS A LOT LATELY. DO WE EVER FEEL THE PAIN OF OTHERS? WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR US TO REALLY BECOME PEOPLE OF PRAYER? IN THIS JOURNEY THAT I AM ON, I AM TRYING TO REARRANGE MY PRIORITIES. IT IS A STRUGGLE SOMETIMES AND OFTEN I AM NOT SUCCESSFUL. MY MIND BECOMES PREOCCUPIED WITH OTHER THINGS AND I BATTLE TO CONTROL MY THOUGHTS SO THAT THEY WILL BE MORE FOCUSED ON OTHER PEOPLE INSTEAD OF ME AND MY OWN LITTLE WORLD. I ONCE AGAIN ASK THE LORD TO HELP ME TO BECOME THE PERSON OF PRAYER HE WANTS ME TO BE.

Bishop Lambeth and Wainwright had a great M. E. Mission in Osaka, Japan. One day the order came from high up that no more meetings would be allowed in the city by Protestants. Lambeth and Wainwright did all they could but the high officials were obstinate and unrelenting. They then retired to the room of prayer. Supper time came and the Japanese girl came to summon them to their meal, but she fell under the power of prayer. Mrs. Lambeth came to find what the matter was and fell under the same power. They then rose and went to the mission hall and opened it: and at once commenced meeting. God fell upon the assembly and two of the sons of the city officials came to the altar and were saved. Next morning one of the officials in authority came to the mission and said, “Go on with your meetings, you will not be interrupted.” The Osaka daily paper came out with box car letters saying, “THE CHRISTIAN’S GOD CAME TO TOWN LAST NIGHT.”—Rev. H. C. Morrison.

II. PRAYING SAINTS OF THE OLD TESTAMENTS-PRAYER AND PRAYING MEN E. M. BOUNDS

When D. L. Moody’s Church in Chicago lay in ashes, he went over to England, in 1872, not to preach, but to listen to others preach while his new church was being built. One Sunday morning he was prevailed upon to preach in a London pulpit. But somehow the spiritual atmosphere was lacking. He confessed afterwards that he never had such a hard time preaching in his life. Everything was perfectly dead, and, as he vainly tried to preach, he said to himself, “What a fool I was to consent to preach! I came here to listen, and here I am preaching.” Then the awful thought came to him that he had to preach again at night, and only the fact that he had given the promise to do so kept him faithful to the engagement. But when Mr. Moody entered the pulpit at night, and faced the crowded congregation, he was conscious of a new atmosphere. “The powers of an unseen world seemed to have fallen upon the audience.” As he drew towards the close of his sermon he became emboldened to give out an invitation, and as he concluded he said, “If there is a man or woman here who will tonight accept Jesus Christ, please stand up.” At once about 500 people rose to their feet. Thinking that there must be some mistake, he asked the people to be seated, and then, in order that there might be no possible misunderstanding, he repeated the invitation, couching it in even more definite and difficult terms. Again the same number rose. Still thinking that something must be wrong, Mr. Moody, for the second time, asked the standing men an women to be seated, and then he invited all who really meant to accept Christ to pass into the vestry. Fully 500 people did as requested, and that was the beginning of a revival in that church and neighborhood, which brought Mr. Moody back from Dublin, a few days later, that he might assist the wonderful work of God.
The sequel, however, must be given, or our purpose in relating the incident will be defeated. When Mr. Moody preached at the morning service there was a woman in the congregation who had an invalid sister. On her return home she told the invalid that the preacher had been a Mr. Moody from Chicago, and on hearing this she turned pale. “What,” she said, “Mr. Moody from Chicago I read about him some time ago in an American paper, and I have been praying God to send him to London, and to our church. If I had known he was going to preach this morning I would have eaten no breakfast. I would have spent the whole time in prayer. Now, sister, go out of the room, lock the door, send me no dinner; no matter who comes, don’t let them see me. I am going to spend the whole afternoon in prayer.” And so while Mr. Moody stood in the pulpit that had been like an ice-chamber in the morning, the bedridden saint was holding him up before God, and God, who ever delights to answer prayer, poured out His Spirit in mighty power.
The God of revivals who answered the prayer of His child for Mr. Moody, is willing to hear and to answer the faithful, believing prayers of His people today. Wherever God’s conditions are met there the revival is sure to fall.

Purpose in Prayer by E. M. Bounds, Chapter 12