Remember to Pray

 

“I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.” – 2 Timothy 1:3

 

Prior to speaking at a Pentecostal college chapel service, there was a prayer meeting for Pastor Tony Campolo. One of the men was not even praying for Tony.  He went on and on praying for somebody named Charlie Stoltzfus: “Dear Lord, you know Charlie Stoltzfus.  He lives in that silver trailer down the road a mile.  You know the trailer Lord, just down the road on the right-hand side.”  (Tony said he wanted to inform the pray-er that it was not necessary to furnish God with directional material.)  “Lord, Charlie told me this morning he’s going to leave his wife and three kids.  Step in and do something, God.  Bring that family back together.”

Tony writes that after he delivered his message, and got in his car to drive home, he noticed a hitchhiker.

“We drove a few minutes and I said: ‘Hi, my name’s Tony Campolo.  What’s yours?’  He said, ‘My name is Charlie Stoltzfus.’  I couldn’t believe it!

I got off the turnpike at the next exit and headed back.  He got a bit uneasy with that and after a few minutes he said, ‘Hey mister, where are you taking me?’  I said, ‘I’m taking you home.’  He narrowed his eyes and asked, ‘Why?’

I said, ‘Because you just left your wife and three kids, right?’  That blew him away.  ‘Yeah!  Yeah, that’s right.’  With shock written all over his face, he plastered himself against the car door and never took his eyes off me.

Then I really did him in as I drove right to his silver trailer.  When I pulled up, his eyes seemed to bulge as he asked, ‘How did you know that I lived here?’  I said, ‘God told me.’ (I believe God did tell me) …

When he opened the trailer door his wife exclaimed, ‘You’re back!  You’re back!’  He whispered in her ear and the more he talked, the bigger her eyes got.

Then I said with real authority, ‘The two of you sit down.  I’m going to talk and you two are going to listen!’  Man, did they listen! … That afternoon I led those two young people to Jesus Christ.”

 

Prayer is releasing God’s power. Today in prayer, thank Christ for the extraordinary privilege to come to Him at any time in prayer.

 

"I am so busy now that if I did not spend three hours each day in prayer, I could not get through the day." - Martin Luther

 

God’s Word: “With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.” – 2 Thessalonians 1:11