I was about 12-13 years old when a young lady in our church felt called to start a Girls Club. The main thing I remember about the "girls club" is, the prayer meetings we had. Shirley was someone I looked up to and was very instrumental in leading me into a "spiritual walk with the Lord". I had been raised in the church, I had heard the ladies and men in prayer meeting getting in touch with God. I heard them as they prayed in the spirit, hammering down the very gates of hell. I heard them rejoice when those they had been praying for came to God. I heard them stand and testify about the things God was doing through a "time of prayer and fasting". I can still hear my Mother as she communed with Almighty God. She would stay until she broke through in the spirit and felt God had heard her prayers. I can hear the"anguish of her soul" as she prayed to see her children saved, for Daddy to have the wisdom to lead the church, for souls to be saved, and situations in the church to be resolved! Mother knew how to pray and how to change God's mind through her persistent praying! Yes, I remember hearing Daddy as he agonized in prayer for the moving of the Spirit to be felt in our congregation, and lives to be changed in our city! I can hear Daddy and Mother, and the saints as they prayed, but no words would come forth. The cry of the heart for the lost was so deep that they prayed with "groanings which could not be uttered" (Rom. 8:26). "Time" was not worried about. It didn't matter what was going on when they were in the "spirit of prayer"! Oh, how I feel God's presence as I write today. There is a hunger for the things of God like I've not seen in a long time. It is spreading all across our land and I am thankful! It's almost as if I am being returned to my "teen years" once again. I thank God that I am feeling that drawing!
Shirley started prayer meetings with us girls. I wish I could remember all the little details, but I remember after a few prayer meetings Shirley asked us if we understood about "praying in the spirit" and we gave her our answers, then she started teaching us as we sat around the altar. I will never forget the very spot we were sitting! That very day I started understanding a depth in prayer I had never experiened. I thank God for a young lady taking the responsibility to teach us how to pray and the power we had through prayer. One day she told us she was planning on having an "ALL NIGHT Prayer Meeting". I do not remember if the boys were having one or not, but I do remember that night! As we prayed, read our Bibles, prayed, rested, prayed some more, we were carried into the "depths of prayer" and we were "doing battle in the spirit world". That's the only way I know how to describe it! We prayed for hours and God heard our cries! We were so HUNGRY to see all of our young people living for God and we were willing to do what ever it took to get this accomplished. We were DESPERATE for things to change in our youth group. After much prayer we finally came to the realization of "what" we needed to pray. Our prayer became, "God, save all of our young people. I want to be saved, I want my friends saved, I don't want anyone to be lost. God, don't let any of us be lost! But God, if any of them do not want to serve you, and they are just going to "play around" and not be serious in living for you...if you see they are not going to serve you, no matter what you do or no matter what we do, then God remove them so we can have a revival among our friends and other teens that will serve you. Don't let the ones who have grown up in the church, but do not take you serious...don't let them hang around and pull any of us down with them. I want to serve you...no matter what, and we want our youth group to grow!"
First, let me say, if you are not ready to see God "cleanse your church" don't pray that prayer! I watched over a period of time, young people who were just "playing church" leave all they had ever known, and I never saw them return to live for God! That is not what I wanted, but it is what they CHOSE. There was plenty of God's mercy and love from the saints, Pastor and Pastor's wife, for anyone to be saved.
I want to also say that I experienced a "HUNGER for REVIVAL" and watched a whole church CHANGE because of young people who were so hungry for God to do "something miraculous" that they were willing to fast and pray UNTIL......
Note: I will attempt in the next little while to tell you more about one of the greatest times of my life. I might have to get some help from those who were there, but for some reason I feel God is directing this communication at this time. Only God knows what we can see if we get back to "old-time prayer and fasting".
8 comments:
Thank you, Sis. Elms for posting this. Since I've been asking around for more about that revival, some things are being shown to me that I've longed for for a long time. On my side, it's developing into something I hadn't expected, and it's getting to be very deep for me. The hunger is growing each day. The window of heaven is being pushed open and it's pouring out blessings! Seems everywhere I turn I'm being called into prayer! I can't wait to see what God is doing!
I anxiously await your next writing. I always have but even more so.
We are getting closer to heaven and I so desire to not only hear of other revivals from the past and other places but also to watch and be a part of ours right here at Life Tabernacle.
When you write like this is gives me an overwhelming feeling of excitement but also a desire for more.
The memories flood my mind as I read this post. I remember those old time prayer meetings. I was to young to be in the "girls club" but I remember the saints of God praying until...
I believe that some of those prayers still live on. We are also experiencing a renewal in this kind of prayer here in Hollister. If we are not careful we can let the cares of life and the pace of life cause us to miss out on the greatest thing of all. NOTHING is to hard for God. I love to see Him at Work. GO GOD!
Thank you for sharing some more of your "time machine." I've always loved stories from the past, and those about revival are the best ones!
This post reminded me of those days of hearing mom and dad pray. We have been in a prayer revival at our church and having prayer at the church every night for the past month. God has done some wonderful things. Nothing can take the place of old-fashioned prayer and fasting. Great post.
I am weeping even now as I read this post and try to comment. There has been such a hunger stirring in the hearts of God's people for revival! The writer said "If my people which are called by my name would humble themselves..." II Chron 7:14. I think our praying and fasting is helping us to humble ourselves. God is now showing us what He wants to do for for us and through us in these last days.
Sis. Elms, I sit in our church office with tears in my eyes after having read your post. I truly believe God is calling each of us to more prayer. It is something that I too remember being such a part of my childhood life. I want nothing more than this to return to each of our churches in a powerful way. Thanks for your post it is encouraging to know there are others with that same longing in their spirit. I will look forward to hearing the results of this longing for more prayer in each of our lives and churches!
Thank you, Sis. Elms! I have been feeling this drawing more and more to spend a "little" longer in His presence. God did a little cleansing in our church this past year, and we are seeing results from it. He knows what is best and what we need before we even ask. He answered a couple of prayers just this past week, that I only whispered while going about my daily duties. It happened almost instantly. God cares and is waiting on us to talk and spend time with Him!
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