Harry Ironside is a well known American Bible teacher. But as a child, he came from such a poor family, that one day they sat at their breakfast table and said grace, with literally no food and just water on the table! As soon as they finished giving thanks for the food they were about to receive, there was a knock at the door, and a woman told his mother that she couldn’t afford to pay for the dressmaking Harry’s mother had provided, and asked whether she would accept a sack of potatoes instead. The whole family was treated that morning to a huge helping of hot potato chips!
As an adult, Harry was on the board of a Bible College which was rapidly going broke. One day at their board meeting he prayed, “Lord, you tell us in Psalm 50 that you own the cattle on a thousand hills! Please sell some cattle and give this college some of the money so that we can keep serving you! Just then, a local farmer entered the college foyer told the secretary, “I’ve just sold some of my cattle at the markets, and I’d like to make a donation to this College!” Last week we heard 4 amazing facts about prayer which I’ll summarise. Today we’re going to consider another 4 amazing facts:
5. Prayer is not usually a fast food service! Sometimes we need to ask often and trust long! I prayed for one mate for over twenty years before He finally turned to Jesus! George Muller prayed for five people who were antagonistic to the gospel to become Christians. The first took five years of prayer, the second ten years, the third and fourth a further twenty-five years and the fifth took 52 years – converting a few months after Muller’s death! (1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing!”)
6. Prayer involves surrender to God’s will – not to our own! It has been said that the most effective prayer is the one prayed from helplessness! This is where we can no longer solve our own problems and we have to hand them over to God completely! Not only does he solve the problem for us, but we usually feel a real sense of peace when we no longer have to carry the burden ourselves. I was once stuck in a job for three years and after one year I felt I just couldn’t go on! When I prayed, the Lord put the idea into my mind to take leave of absence for one school term and live in my own home and just get a job nearby! He even told me which school to apply for part-time, and when I enquired, I found that the Principal of the school had been my pastor in Tamworth 17 years earlier!
7. Prayer sometimes involves wrestling with God: not just to convince God of what we seek, but to demonstrate our faith and our willingness to persevere! Jesus says in Luke 18:7, “And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night?” A man named John Hyde was an American missionary who lived 100 years ago. He spent absolute days and nights in prayer! In 1908 he prayed for the salvation of one soul every day and by the end of that year, he recorded over 400 converts. In 1909 it was two souls every day, and in 1910, four souls every day. He once stopped at a cottage for water and prayed for ten souls in that household! When he presented the gospel to that family all nine people accepted Jesus!And what of the tenth?A nephew who had been playing outside ran into the room and was also converted! (1 Chronicles 16:11)
8. Prayer has no expiry date: With most perishable goods, we are accustomed to a “use-by” date. Prayers can last for eternity! Many prayers are often answered after the person praying has died! Like George Muller, the evangelist Dwight Moody had a prayer list – with 100 people on it, for whom he prayed regularly! We’re told that 96 of them became Christians before he died, and the other 4 at his funeral! (James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective!”)
Conclusion: Whoever rises from prayer a better man, has had his prayer answered!
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