SCRIPTURE: Matthew 21:22
Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you
ask for in prayer.”
STORY as shared by Roger
F. Campbell:
In his book Sit, Walk, Stand, Watchman Nee describes a
preaching mission to an island off the South China coast. There were seven in
the ministering group, including a sixteen-year-old new convert whom he calls
Brother Wu. The island was fairly large, containing about 6,000 homes. Nee had
a contact there, an old schoolmate of his who was headmaster of the village
school, but he refused to house the group when he discovered they had come to
preach the Gospel. Finally, they found lodging with a Chinese herbalist, who
became their first convert. Preaching seemed quite fruitless on the island, and
Nee discovered it was because of the dedication of the people there to an idol
they called Ta-wang. They were convinced of his power because on the day of his
festival and parade each year the weather was always near perfect.
"When is the procession this year?" young Wu asked
a group that had gathered to hear them preach.
"It is fixed for January 11th at 8 in the
morning," was the reply.
"Then," said the new convert, "I promise you
that it will certainly rain on the 11th."
At that there was an outburst of cries from the crowd:
"That is enough! We don't want to hear any more preaching. If there is
rain on the 11th, then your God is God!"
Watchman Nee had been elsewhere in the village when this
confrontation had taken place. Upon being informed about it, he saw that the
situation was serious and called the group to prayer. On the morning of the
11th, there was not a cloud in the sky, but during grace for breakfast,
sprinkles began to fall and these were followed by heavy rain. Worshipers of
the idol Ta-wang were so upset that they placed it in a sedan chair and carried
it outdoors, hoping this would stop the rain. Then the rain increased. After
only a short distance, the carriers of the idol stumbled and fell, dropping the
idol and fracturing its jaw and left arm.
A number of young people turned to Christ as a result of the
rain coming in answer to prayer, but the elders of the village made divination
and said that the wrong day had been chosen. The proper day of the procession,
they said, should have been the 14th. When Nee and his friends heard this, they
again went to prayer, asking for rain on the 14th and for clear days for
preaching until then. That afternoon the sky cleared and on the good days that
followed there were thirty converts. Of the crucial test day, Nee says: The
14th broke, another perfect day, and we had good meetings. As the evening
approached we met again at the appointed hour. We quietly brought the matter to
the Lord's remembrance. Not a minute late, His answer came with torrential rain
and floods as before.
The power of the idol over the islanders was broken; the
enemy was defeated. Believing prayer had brought a great victory. Conversions
followed. And the impact upon the servants of God who had witnessed His power
would continue to enrich their Christian service from that time on.
OBSERVATION:
God answers prayers. God answers our prayers. God answers
all prayers. That is a reality. It is central to the gospel. The central
motivational factor in prayer must be God’s will. Are we asking for something
that Jesus would ask for? Is it a Kingdom matter? Is it focused on others?
PRAYER:
Gracious and most merciful God, to you who answers our
prayers, we seek your guidance in our prayer life. Help us to focus in on Jesus’
desires for our life and out of that relationship turn to you in prayer.
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