George Verwer, while still in college, established the ministry that became Operation Mobilization. George had come to faith in high school due to a praying woman in his neighborhood in New Jersey. She prayed for the students at the nearby high school, asking God to save them and send some of them out as missionaries. She prayed that George would come to faith in Christ and mailed him a Gospel of John. After reading the Gospel for three years, George went to hear Billy Graham speak at a Jack Wyrtzen event in 1955. He committed himself to Christ and very … Continue reading “Whatever Happened to the Prayer Meeting by George Verwer”
Tag: prayer
A Praying Christian by J. Sidlow Baxter
Dr. J. Sidlow Baxter (1903-1999) was born in Sidney, Australia, and grew up in Lancashire, England. He trained for the ministry at Spurgeon’s College, London, where the foundations were laid for a life of fruitful ministry; he was a pastor in Scotland and England. He later moved to the United States, where he eventually retired and died. His ecclesiastical roots were in the Calvinistic Methodist Church. Dr. Baxter was not only a preacher of outstanding ability, but first and foremost, he was a Bible teacher. He was in great demand as a speaker at conferences and conventions. Among Baxter’s … Continue reading “A Praying Christian by J. Sidlow Baxter”
Loving Our Enemies
The Word 43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:43-45 Voice from the Church “I have seen Christians in Communist prisons with fifty pounds of chains on their feet, tortured with red-hot iron pokers, in whose throats spoonsful of salt had … Continue reading “Loving Our Enemies”
Bending Low in Prayer
Those who are intimately acquainted with spiritual realities, know that just as there are seasons in the natural world, so there are seasons of the soul. As I write this, here on the North American continent, autumn has officially begun. Even now as I glance up from my keyboard, I can look out my study window and see the early morning sun highlighting varying shades of greens and yellows on the poplars in our back yard. Fall is here; nature is once again entering her cycle of decay, dormancy, and death. While there are inevitable natural cycles of the soul—seasons … Continue reading “Bending Low in Prayer”
Mighty in Faith
And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. Hebrews 11:4 George Müller (1805-1898) was great in faith and prayer, trusting God alone to supply the needs of orphans under his care. His biographer Roger Steer tells the following story about how God faithfully heard the prayers and honored his believing servant. Early one morning Abigail was playing in Müller’s garden on Ashley Down when he took her by the hand. “Come see what our Father will do.” He led her into a long dining-room. “The plates and cups or bowls were on the table. There was nothing on the … Continue reading “Mighty in Faith”
Learning from the Master
“Lord, teach us to pray.” Luke 11:1 Years ago I was privileged to develop a relationship with a veteran preacher and Bible scholar who later became a mentor to me in many ways. We first met while serving together on a Bible college faculty. Some years later, when he was serving on a local church board, he contacted me to inquire whether I would consider becoming the church’s pastor, which I later did. When it came to preaching on the major themes of Scripture, there was no one I enjoyed listening to more than S. I. Emery (1895-1977). He would … Continue reading “Learning from the Master”
Praying for Power & Fullness (Part 4)
We now come to Paul’s final words in his passionate pleas for these Ephesian believers. In verses 16-19, the apostle asks God to grant these first century believers a mighty inner strengthening of the Holy Spirit. He prays that this Spirit-enduement would result in Christ abiding in their hearts by faith and establishing them in love. Paul expresses in his prayer an intense desire for these sincere followers of the Lord Jesus Christ to become experientially acquainted with Christ’s very own love, in order that they be “filled up to all the fullness of God.” What a prayer! and what … Continue reading “Praying for Power & Fullness (Part 4)”