Faith in answered prayer

A Simple Prayer

By Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

      "I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me" (Acts 27:25).

      I went to America some years ago with the captain of a steamer, who was a very devoted Christian. When off the coast of Newfoundland he said to me, "The last time I crossed here, five weeks ago, something happened which revolutionized the whole of my Christian life. We had George Mueller of Bristol on board. I had been on the bridge twenty-four hours and never left it. George Mueller came to me, and said, "Captain I have come to tell you that I must be in Quebec Saturday afternoon." "It is impossible," I said. "Very well, if your ship cannot take me, God will find some other way. I have never broken an engagement for fifty-seven years. Let us go down into the chart-room and pray."

      I looked at that man of God, and thought to myself, what lunatic asylum can that man have come from? I never heard of such a thing as this. "Mr. Mueller," I said, "do you know how dense this fog is?" "No," he replied, "my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life."

      He knelt down and prayed one of the most simple prayers, and when he had finished I was going to pray; but he put his hand on my shoulder, and told me not to pray. "First, you do not believe He will answer; and second I BELIEVE HE HAS, and there is no need whatever for you to pray about it."

      I looked at him, and he said, "Captain, I have known my Lord for fifty-seven years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to get audience with the King. Get up, Captain and open the door, and you will find the fog gone." I got up, and the fog was indeed gone. On Saturday afternoon, George Mueller was in Quebec for his engagement.--Selected

     

 "If our love were but more simple, 

      We should take Him at His word;
      

And our lives would be all sunshine,
     

 In the sweetness of our Lord."

He brought me to the banqueting house

He brought me

to the banqueting house,

and His banner over me was love.

My Beloved spoke, and said to me:

“Rise up, my love, my fair one,

and come away.

For lo, the winter is past,

the rain is over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth;

the time of singing has come,

and the voice of the turtledove

is heard in our land.”

My Beloved is mine,

 and I am His.

Song of Solomon 2:4, 10-12, 16

Leah's testimony

The story of my wife Leah… (This she read at her baptism.)

I would like to begin by sharing this scripture from the Book of Peter:

“For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.  For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.”  Peter 1:23-25

If I would have read this scripture several years ago I would not have understood it nor known the truth it declares.

I grew up believing in GOD and His existence and I knew He had a son Jesus who was nailed to a cross.  But I did not know Him as a Living GOD who sent His one and only son to die for me.

After the birth of my son Zachariah I became increasingly aware of GOD’s presence, but there was something missing and I did not know what.  Life was good.  I left my career to raise a beautiful son, my loving husband was thriving in his business - financially, physically, emotionally - our future was bright.

But spiritually it was void.  This emptiness deteriorated my soul.  I had no purpose, no direction and most importantly no joy.  This led to clinical depression, marital turmoil – physically I was a disgrace.

Upon the advice of my physician, I pursued a change in my life – which led to a lucrative, exciting position in the cosmetic industry – opportunities abounded!

The deteriorated soul was now bandaged – life seemed ok. (But it wasn’t and GOD knew it and HE sent someone to tell me!)  It was during this time a beautiful messianic Jewish woman named Natalie began to visit me.  She would tell me of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and how much she loved him.  She would pray for me.  She seemed to know so much about me.  She told me that the Lord sent her to me and she was planting and watering HIS seeds! 

Two years later, while reading scripture all night with a friend I sought the Lord GOD with all my heart and soul.  (The friend I was with had committed her life to the Lord many years earlier and GOD spoke to her through HIS word – something I didn’t understand, yet marveled at and strongly desired!)  So in those early morning hours after reading the bible all night, I asked the Lord to come into my life and teach me HIS ways.  I asked HIM to give me ears to hear and eyes to see in accordance with scripture, and I told HIM I wanted to know HIM in the fullest measure!

Well, the Holy Spirit came upon me that morning in a the most powerful, magnificent  way – the presence of the Lord was truly marvelous - scripture began to come alive on the pages of the bible - I asked the Lord questions and HE showed me the answers –

I read for hours and hours!

The love that resurrected my heart, soul and mind was beyond human realization and I so hungered for more!

The Lord then sent Natalie (HIS messenger) to see me that day!  Somehow she knew I had just given my life to the Lord!  (HIS seed had sprouted!)  She prayed with me and instructed me to seek the Lord’s will with all my heart, soul and mind and stay in the word of GOD.

I have continued over the years to seek the LORD and live each day for HIM and HIM alone.  HE continues to be faithful, just and true.  HE leads me, guides me and instructs me in all HIS ways. 

HE continues to rescue, save and deliver me as HE promises in HIS word . . . Shortly after I gave my life to Him HE delivered me from the bondage of depression!  HE has provided and sustained me in ways beyond comprehension!  Fourteen months ago He delivered me from an enormous falling tree that should have taken my life!  At the moment that tree cracked and fell on my head, I was ready to see HIM in all HIS glory - but my LORD had other plans - for HIS grace held me in the palm of HIS hand and rescued me!

I have been captured by the Lord’s Holy calling. I love HIM with an unquenchable love.   I will praise HIM all the days of my life and I sing with David as he did in Psalm 18: “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.  The Lord liveth, and blessed be my rock, and let the God of my salvation be exalted!”

I now follow Jesus, my Savior in His instruction in believer’s baptism and I await to see HIM one day in the heavenlies where every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!  

As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth; It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.  Is 55:10-11

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.  For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.”  Peter 1:23-25

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but only GOD made it grow.  So either he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only GOD, who makes things grow.

1Cor 3:6-7

I am with them all.

I am with them all.

(This happened to me one evening while working at the Bethesda Mission in Harrisburg PA.)

It was cold and rainy outside, cloudy and overcast. I did not expect a lot of the homeless to show up that afternoon for the evening meal that we, the Bethesda Mission (supported by all types of Christians and non Christians in the Harrisburg area with Bethesda meaning "pool of mercy") provide every day of the week for those who can make it over. To my surprise I saw three homeless people sitting out in the cold rain waiting for us to open in ten minutes. I had only been working there a few weeks, and I enjoyed welcoming them in for the meal. I wanted to look them in the eye with a big smile and say, "Welcome. It’s nice to have you."

Many of them did not look me in the eye for the first few weeks, but as they began to know me they would look up and say, "It’s nice to be here. Thank you for having me."
This particular evening was no different other than the cold rain coming down. But as I went over to open the door I peered out to see who was there, and to my amazement I saw over 20 who made it through the foul weather. As I opened the door and let them in, a few minutes early, I noticed a small figure in the line. "Nice to see you. Thanks for coming," I said. She did not look up at me nor did she say anything to me.

I prayed, and they went through the line and filled their trays with vegetables, mashed potatoes, gravy and chicken. Dessert was on the dessert tables. The regular dinner talk and chatter began. They were happy to be inside and eating a nice warm dinner. As they emptied their trays and put back their cups I would make sure I was there saying, "Thanks for coming. It was nice to see you." And again they would express that they were glad we were there.

I saw the small figure sitting with her head down, her face covered with two hooded sweatshirts. I made it a point to say hello—she did not answer. I thanked a few more as they finished, and I saw the little lady placing her tray over at the wash window, and she turned to head down the hallway. "Thanks for coming," I said again as she walked past me. She did not respond so I said it again. She took two more steps and stopped.

She slowly turned and looked up at me to reveal beautiful, deep-blue eyes. She said, "Are you talking to me? No one talks to me. Thank you for talking to me." I saw tears trickling down from her eyes, and she lowered her head and walked down the hall. My heart was touched, choked up, and then I saw Him. Walking right beside her, down the hall, headed outside into the cold, damp and misty evening.

"I am with her," He spoke in my heart. "I am with her." Suddenly I saw a dark street in Harrisburg with a lonely homeless person walking with the same figure along side. Then two. Then many streets and many cities. And He spoke to my heart again, "I am with them all."

The tears now flowed down my own cheeks as I began to weep even louder. The strength leaving my legs, I began to lean on the wall sobbing. In a moment, I would be groaning, and I pushed myself to the men’s room to hide in a stall as I wept uncontrollably. "Yes Lord, you know them all. You know all their pain, their long and lonely lives. You know the streets of the forgotten. The lost. The sick. You know them all."