A special prayer meeting

“All things whatsoever ye pray for and ask, believe that ye receive it, and it shall come to pass for you” (Mk 11:24).

Persevering prayer leads to boldness and assurance of God’s will. Faith is able to give thanks for answers that are not yet visible. Recently I read the following true story that happened on a mission field. It encourages us to spend more time in prayer and to lay hold of the promises of God:

Today is our wedding anniversary. We celebrated it by having a special prayer-meeting with our dear Brother Nakada and the students. Prayer was made for the needs of the fast growing work and the new building. The meeting lasted from seven in the morning until late in the afternoon, no one caring to stop for dinner.

The students laid hold of the promises, one of them quoting John 11:40, “Said I not unto thee that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” Another followed in prayer saying, “Lord, give us faith to see the dead souls about us resurrected!” My heart responded amen! Into our hearts came fresh assurance that God would give us the needed building.

Our mission treasury was drained to the very bottom this morning, but we held out our hands to our Father in Heaven without a shadow of a doubt, or a shiver of fear. We know for certain that He will not fail us, for “God, who cannot lie, promised.”

It was a very remarkable prayer-meeting. Each one present had a strong conviction that God was in the lead of this new advance. It had been prayed through, and someone suggested that as they had asked according to Mark 11:24, they should praise by faith for the answer.

A volume of praise ascended to Heaven like a cloud of sweet incense, and from that moment, doubt never entered his mind. It is wonderful to be so sure of the answer that praise can be offered before there is the least visible sign.