Prayer Meeting - April 30 - There is Power in Prayer

This week, as we prepare for another round of "Operation Global Rain" where we are interceding for God to heal our hearts, our land, and pour out His Holy Spirit, we once again focused on the incredible power of Prayer.

Melody read excerpts of powerful stories from the book, "The Kneeling Christian." Below are just a few:

A lady in India was cast down through the failure of her life and work. She was a devoted missionary, but somehow or other conversions never resulted from her ministry. The Holy Spirit seemed to say to her, “Pray more.” But she resisted the promptings of the Spirit for some time. “At length,” said she, “I set apart much of my time for prayer. I did it in fear and trembling lest my fellow-workers should complain that I was shirking my work. After a few weeks I began to see men and women accepting Christ as their Savior. Moreover, the whole district was soon awakened, and the work of all the other missionaries was blessed as never before. God did more in six months than I had succeeded in doing in six years. And,” she added, “no one ever accused me of shirking my duty.” (Page 31)

Another lady missionary in India felt the same call to pray. She began to give much time to prayer. No opposition came from without, but it did come from within. But she persisted, and in two years the baptized converts increased sixfold! God promised that He would “pour out the Spirit of grace and supplication upon all flesh” Joel 2:28 How much of that Spirit of “supplication” is ours? Surely we must get that Spirit at all costs? Yet if we are not willing to spend time in “supplication,” God must perforce withhold His Spirit, and we become numbered amongst those who are “resisting the Spirit,” and possibly “quenching” the Spirit. Has not our Lord promised the Holy Spirit to them that ask? Luke 11:13 (Page 31)

Many of us will recall the wonderful things which God did for Korea a few years ago, entirely in answer to prayer. A few missionaries decided to meet together to pray daily at noon. At the end of the month one brother proposed that, “as nothing had happened,” the prayer-meeting should be discontinued. “Let us each pray at home as we find it convenient,” said he. The others, however, protested that they ought rather to spend even more time in prayer each day. So they continued the daily prayer-meeting for four months. Then suddenly the blessing began to be poured out. Church services here and there were broken up by weeping and confessing of sins.

At length a mighty revival broke out. At one place during a evening service the leading man in the church stood up and confessed that he had stolen one hundred dollars in administering a widow’s legacy. Immediately conviction of sin swept the audience. That service did not end till 2 o’clock on Monday morning. God’s wondrous power was felt as never before. And when the Church was purified, many sinners found salvation.

Multitudes flocked to the churches out of curiosity. Some came to mock, but fear laid hold of them, and they stayed to pray. Amongst the “curious” was a brigand chief, the leader of a robber band. He was convicted and converted. He went straight off to the magistrate and gave himself up. “You have no accuser,” said the astonished official, “yet you accuse yourself! We have no law in Korea to meet your case.” So he dismissed him.

One of the missionaries declared, “It paid well to have spent several months in prayer, for when God gave the Holy Spirit, He accomplished more in half a day than all the missionaries together could have accomplished in half a year.” In less than two months, more than 2,000 heathen were converted. The burning zeal of those converts has become a byword. Some of them gave all they had to build a church, and wept because they could not give more. Needless to say, they realized the power of prayer. Those converts were themselves baptized with the “Spirit of supplication.”

In one church it was announced that a daily prayer-meeting would be held at 4:30 every morning. The very first day 400 people arrived long before the stated hour — eager to pray! The number rapidly increased to 600 as days went on. At Seoul, 1,100 is the average attendance at the weekly prayer-meeting. Heathen people came — to see what was happening. They exclaimed in astonishment, “The living God is among you.” Those poor heathen saw what many Christians fail to see. Did not Christ say, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them”? Matt 18:20. What is possible in Korea is possible here. God is “no respecter” of nations. He is longing to bless us, longing to pour His Spirit upon us. (Pages 33-34 of the "Kneeling Christian.")

She then shared some of the following powerful quotes on Prayer from the Great Controversary.

"The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay and hunger. A faith that will not faint though severely tried. A period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time. Jacob prevailed because he was persevering and determined. His victory is an evidence of the power of importunate prayer." GC 621

"All who will lay hold of God’s promises, as Jacob did and be as earnest and persevering as he was, will succeed as He succeeded. Those who are unwilling to deny self, to agonize long and hard before God, to pray long and earnestly for His blessing, will NOT obtain it... When waves of despair which no language can express sweep over the suppliant, how FEW cling with unyielding faith to the promises of God." GC 621

"As Satan accuses the people of God on account of their sins, the Lord permits him to try them to the uttermost. Their confidence in God, their faith and firmness will be severely tested." GC 618

"The same compassionate Savior lives today, and He is as willing to listen to the prayer of faith as when He walked visibly among men. It is part of God’s plan to grant us, in answer to the prayer of faith, that which He would not bestow did we not thus ask." GC 525

"Prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock Heaven’s storehouse where are treasured the boundless resources of omnipotence." Steps to Christ 94

"Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares and your fears before God. You cannot burden Him, you cannot weary Him. Nothing is too great for Him to bear, for He upholds the worlds. He rules over the affairs of the universe. Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to notice..." Steps to Christ 100

We closed with a time of solemn prayer...