Ordinary People - Extraordinary God
Here are some men and women just like you and me, who have done exploits
for God because they dared to trust Him and decided to follow wherever He
would lead.
Watchword.org has some excellant biographies on men and women of prayer.
Here are links to some of our favorites:
Charles Finney -A Night to Remember
One night when I was at my office, an older man rushed in and said, “My wife cannot live through the night.” I recognized him as the husband of a woman I’d met months earlier; he was a Christian, but his wife was not.
Suddenly the burden of prayer gripped me. As a young Christian, I didn’t understand what was happening. But the desire to pray for the woman was intense. So, I immediately left the office and went to the church to pray for her. There I struggled, unable to say many words at all. I could only groan with groanings, loud and deep.
I spent a long time at the church, but found no relief. Not sure what to do, I went back to the office, but couldn’t sit still. Walking back and forth in the room, I agonized. Returning to the church, I tried praying to the Lord, but words couldn’t express what I felt. I could only groan and weep. Once again I returned to the office, but was unable to rest. Desperate, I returned a third time to the church and wrestled. Finally the Lord gave me power to breakthrough. I was able to roll the burden upon Him, and received assurance that this woman wouldn’t die and in fact would be saved!
With peace of mind I went home to bed and slept. Early the next morning the man returned to my office. “How’s your wife?” I asked. Smiling, he said, “She’s alive and much better this morning.” I then shared that I believed his wife would completely recover and also be saved. Comforted by my words, the man left my office. Shortly after this, his wife did recover and became a Christian too.
At first I didn’t understand what I’d experienced that night. But several days later, while sharing it with a Christian brother, he said to me, “Finney, that was the travail of your soul.” As he pointed out specific scriptures to help me understand, I thanked the Lord for teaching me about the spirit of prayer.
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Story adapted from The Autobiography of Charles Finney ©1977
Charles Finney, 1782-1875, was a man of intense prayer, purity and passion. Once converted, he left his law practice and became known as a fiery soul winner and prayer warrior. His ministry made an enduring impact, releasing an awakening for Christ throughout America.
Get Charles Finney Books Here
Mark Buntain -Christ and the Dead Girl
“Oh, Pastor Buntain,” the woman gasped, “something terrible has happened. Please meet us at the government hospital. It’s urgent!” Mark threw on his coat and raced to the hospital. When he entered the hospital room, doctors were scrambling to save the young girl’s life.
Suman was a high school student, and when she learned she had failed her final exam, she swallowed a lethal dose of pills. As the family rushed her to the hospital, the mother called Mark to meet them there.
Mark was friends with this Hindu family. But two days ago a visit with the father had ended abruptly. The business man was proud of his ancient religion, and became furious that Mark would dare impose Christianity on his family. Shaking his fist in Mark’s face, he spat out, “Don’t try to tell me your Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
“Sir, there will come a day,” Mark said, “when God will prove to you that indeed Jesus is the Son of God.” With that, Mark walked out of the house. Now they gathered around the daughter’s hospital bed. Approaching the chief doctor, Mark said, “Please sir, let me be alone with the girl for a moment.” He nodded and stepped back.
Mark looked down on the beautiful face of the dying girl. By now her eyes were sunken and she grasped for every breath in her unconscious state. “Do you remember, what I said to you just a few days ago,” Mark asked the father, “that there would come a day when God would prove to you that Jesus is indeed the Son of God?”
“I remember,” said the weeping father. “Sir, will you believe that Jesus is the Son of God if He heals your daughter?”
“Yes, pastor, I will believe. The doctors say she cannot live. If she does, I will know it is because of your Jesus.” Mark left the hospital and returned that afternoon. Suman had been moved to a private room where they were waiting for her to die. Mark stood in the doorway and prayed: “O God, please heal Suman and show this family that Jesus is your Son.” Again Mark left the hospital, returning two hours later. Suman’s condition didn’t improve. It was clear the young girl would die, unless a miracle occurred.
Sensing a surge of God’s Spirit, Mark walked over and spoke to the unconscious girl, “Suman, in the name of Jesus Christ, come out of this unconsciousness.” A tear rolled down her cheek. Suman started to whimper and pull at the straps that tied her to the bed. Within moments she sat up, blinking and squinting.
Immediately the news spread through the hospital. Suman’s doctors ran in, but they were skeptical. After examining her, they made a grim prediction. “Your daughter is past her crisis, but we must warn you that her mind will be permanently damaged.”
For the second time Mark felt a surge of faith come over him. Looking at the girl’s father, Mark said: “Sir, you told me if God healed your daughter, you would confess Him as your Savior. Do you still stand by that commitment?”
“I will,” the father cried. “Then I’m going to believe God, that by this time tomorrow, your daughter will be absolutely well.” Mark turned and walked out of the room.
Upon visiting the next day, Mark found Suman sitting up in bed combing her hair, with a big smile on her face--completely healed! There was absolutely no brain damage. And the Hindu father, true to his word, confessed Jesus Christ as his personal Savior, along with the whole family.
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Story adapted from the book: Mark by Ron Hembree © 1979.
With a heart in love with the people of India, Mark Buntain, 1923-1989, began Calcutta Mission of Mercy, which provides food, education, medical aid, and hope to India’s poor. Since his death in 1989, his wife, Huldah, and daughter Bonnie, continue this great labor of love.
Get Mark Buntain Books Here
Charles Spurgeon -Man Of his Word
“Please pray for my child,” the father urged, deeply concerned for the conversion of his precious 12 year old daughter. Charles Spurgeon quickly made a note of the man’s request. Jotting it down on the daily newspaper which laid on his desk. He assured the father he would take time to specifically pray for the girl. Unfortunately distractions came, and the newspaper got laid aside and Charles forgot about the request for several weeks.
One day the paper was taken out of the library by a servant and laid upon the window sill where Mr. Spurgeon found it. He had been waiting for a friend, who was soon to arrive at his home. But when he read the note made weeks earlier, he promptly went to his library, knelt down by his chair and prayed for the salvation of the young girl. While praying, he was interrupted by a ring at the door. Supposing that it was the friend he was expecting, Charles went directly to the door himself.
To his surprise, the young girl that he had been praying for met him at the door. Her very first words were: “Mr. Spurgeon, I have come to ask you to tell me about how to become a Christian.”
The girl then explained, “I was passing by your house, with no thought about becoming a Christian. But then I had this urging, and found that I couldn’t pass by your gate without coming to the door.” The impulse was so great upon her to ring the door bell that she had actually rang it before she had made up her mind about what she was going to say to Mr. Spurgeon. Charles gladly explained what it meant to be a Christian. Once he was assured the young girl understood and was ready to pray, Mr. Spurgeon knelt down with her. Together they prayed and rejoiced in God’s great love and care!
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Life of Charles H. Spurgeon by Russell H. Conwell 1892.
Charles Spurgeon, 1834-1892, initially known as ‘boy preacher’, began preaching at just 17 years old. He went on to be one of England’s finest preachers, preaching at London Metropolitan Baptist Tabernacle for 40 years, where an estimated 6,000 worshipers gathered twice each Sunday. His 4,000 published sermons (which sold up to 25,000 copies per week and reached into 40 languages) remain in high demand today. Get Charles Spurgeon Books Here
Catherine Booth -Weeping and Reaping
For some time the young boy didn’t speak, but then deliberately looking
his mother in the eye he said, “No, I don’t want to give myself to
God!”
Putting her hands to her face, tears spilled from Catherine Booth’s
cheeks to the sawdust below. What now, she thought? Concerned for some
time about her seven-year-old son, she approached him again after a
children’s church service. Gently placing her hand on his shoulder, she
said, “You are very unhappy”, to which he said, “Yes”. Catherine
continued, “You know the reason”? Again the boy replied, “Yes”.
Earnestly the young mother then asked him the clear question about giving
himself to God. The boy said, “No”, and it rang in Catherine’s ears.
Young Bramwell’s response hurt his mother’s heart deeply, but
Catherine also knew for it to be valid, the decision must be the boy’s
own. As she recorded later, “God would not invade the freedom of the
will, even of a child of seven. No one can decide for him, no one in
heaven, earth or hell, but himself.” Shaken, but convinced that the
Spirit of God works mightily on little children long before grown-ups
think they are able to understand, she knew what must be done. Setting her
face to pray for Bramwell, Catherine mingled prayer with tears, trusting
God with the results.
Three months later at another children’s service led by his mother,
Bramwell’s decision for Christ was made. Catherine sent the news to her
mother, “Bramwell has begun to serve God, I feel a great increase of
responsibility. Oh, to cherish the tender plant of grace aright.”
Catherine Booth’s strong love & prayers for her eight children
helped nurture them into powerful men & women of God.
Catherine Booth and her husband, William, founded of The Salvation Army in
England, in 1865. After giving his life to God at the young age of seven,
Bramwell Booth flourished in the things of God; administrating his
father’s five soup kitchens, preaching among the poor, and taking up the
cause to help eliminate the slavery and prostitution of young girls on the
streets of East London, England. After the death of his father, Bramwell
became The Salvation Army’s second General.
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Adapted from Catherine Booth: The Story of Her Loves--Catherine
Bramwell-Booth ©1970
Get Catherine Booth Books Here
David Wilkerson -God Proves Himself
The kids at the Center woke up like any other day, washed and went down to breakfast. But today there wasn’t any food on the table. By the time I arrived at the office, the Center was buzzing with the problem of no food. “I guess your prayers didn’t work this time, did they Dave?” jeered one of the tough street boys.
“Lord,” I said to myself, “teach us a lesson in faith that will live with us forever.” Then turning to the hungry residents, I said, “Let’s make an experiment. Here we are without food for the day, right?” Heads nodded in silent agreement. “And the Bible says, ‘Give us this day our daily bread,’ right?”
“If you say so,” one of the street boys snapped. “So why don’t we all go into the chapel right now and pray that we either get the food for this day or the money to buy the food.”
“Before lunch, Dave?” the boy asked, “Because, I’m getting hungry.” I glanced around the room. “Hmmm, before lunch. How many people do we have here?” There were 25 people, which would cost around thirty-five dollars to feed both lunch and dinner. So we went into the chapel, closed the door and all of us began to pray.
“While you’re at it Lord,” the rowdy boy asked, “would You please see to it that we don’t go hungry for the rest of the summer?” I looked over mildly annoyed. It seemed to me that this was stretching things a bit to far.
As we continued to pray, a stranger walked in. We didn’t even hear her knock on the chapel door. Finally she let herself in and when she did, she saw all of us on our knees. “Excuse me,” she said softly. Then louder, “Excuse me!” Upon hearing her, I immediately got up. Everyone else kept right on praying.
The lady asked many questions, and one was about the prayer session. I told her how I’d walked in that morning, only to discover that we had no food in the house. This explained the purpose for the prayer meeting. “When did you begin this prayer?” the lady asked. I figured up, “About one hour ago.”
“Well,” she said, “that is truly extraordinary. I knew very little about your work. But an hour ago I received a sudden impulse to do something that is completely out of character for me. I felt that I was supposed to empty my piggy bank and bring the contents to you. Now I know the reason.” She reached into her purse. Placing a white envelope on my desk, she thanked me for showing her our Center and left. That envelope contained just over thirty-two dollars, exactly the amount we needed to feed ourselves for the rest of the day.
And, do you know what else? That teenager’s prayer was answered too! For the rest of the summer we never again lacked food.
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Adapted from The Cross and The Switchblade ©1963 by David Wilkerson with John and Elizabeth Sherrill.
David Wilkerson is perhaps best known for Teen Challenge, his ministry to young drug addicts and gang members on the streets of New York.
In
1987 David opened Times Square church located in the heart of Manhattan's theater district, now a congregation of 8,000. The church is a virtual microcosm of New York City's inhabitants: doctors, students, entertainers, teachers, attorneys, ex-convicts, Wall Street brokers, former drug pushers and addicts, CEO's, the homeless, the middle class and the very poor.
Get David Wilkerson Books Here
The Weapon of Prayer
"Oh, Amma! Amma! Do not pray! Your prayers are, troubling me!"
We all looked up in astonishment. We were just finishing our Band Prayer Meeting, when a woman rushed into the room and began to exclaim.
She was the mother of one of our girls at our school. Now full of excitement, she poured out a curious story.
"When you went away last year I prayed. I prayed and prayed, and prayed again to my god to dispel your work. For my daughter's heart was impressed with your words. I cried to my god to wash the words out. But has he washed them out? Oh no! And I prayed for a bridegroom for my daughter, and one came; and the cart was ready to take her away, and a hindrance occurred; so the marriage fell through. I wept till my eyes nearly dissolved. Another bridegroom came, and again an obstacle occurred. Later another bridegroom came, but the wedding was hindered by an obstacle. I cannot get my daughter married, the neighbors mock, and my caste is disgraced," cried the poor old mother, sobbing in her shame and confusion.
"Then I went to my god again and said, 'What more can I offer you? Have I
not given you all I have? And you reject my prayer!' Then in a dream my
(demon) god appeared, and he said, 'Tell the Christians not to pray, I can
do nothing against their prayers. Their prayers are hindering me!' And so,
I beseech you, stop your prayers for fourteen days - only fourteen days -
till I get my daughter married!" "And after she is married?" We asked.
"Oh, then she may freely follow your God!” the mother declared, “I will
hinder her no more!" But we knew the proposed bridegroom came from three
hundred miles away, with the idea to carry the poor girl off by force as
soon as she was married. We have been praying night and day to God to
hinder this marriage. And He is hindering!
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Story adapted from: "Things As They Are; Mission Work In Southern
India" by Amy Carmichael. Amy Carmichael, 1867-1951 Known as “Amma”
(mother) to thousands of children she rescued from Hindu temple
prostitution, Amy Carmichael spent 53 years in India sharing the Gospel
message of hope. Her numerous books and poems reveal her extraordinary
love & dedication to Christ and His lambs. Get Amy Carmichael Books Here
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