What are the 10 most important days of your life? Biblical writers often date significant events with the day, month and year (Ex. 12:l; 16:21; Haggai 1:1). Annually we celebrate Christmas, Easter, July 4th, Thanksgiving and other days. In American history SEPTEMBER IS A MONTH TO REMEMBER.
On 9/11/01 our nation experienced the most devastating invasion ever when four commercial passenger jet airliners crashed into the World Trade Center in NY City, the Pentagon in Washington and a field in Pennsylvania. At the end of this trail of blood were more than 3,000 people who died. They were from more than 90 countries of the world and 40 of the United States of America. We will NEVER forget this day that signaled an era when "America will never be the same."
On 9/23/1857, another day that changed America, a zealous forty-six year old business man in New York City decided to pray for an hour on the third floor of the North Reformed Dutch Church. Jeremiah Lamphier had been appointed on July 1 to be a missionary to downtown New York City. After printing 20,000 handbills entitled "HOW OFTEN SHOULD I PRAY?" he passed them out in offices, warehouses, homes and churches encouraging and inviting others to join him in a time of prayer. After climbing the steps of the church Jeremiah prayed alone for 30 minutes. By the end of the hour 6 others had joined him from 4 different denominations. On the next Wednesday there were 20 and the next week 40 and it became a daily meeting. By February, 1858 6,000 people were praying daily in New York City. Like a raging wildfire prayer meetings sprung up all over the nation in Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, New Orleans, Chicago and Mobile. This Third Great Spiritual Awakening moved a nation Godward. The essence of this spiritual movement was not fiery evangelistic preaching but "fervent, effectual, earnest, powerful and persistent praying."
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I PRAY? The Psalmist said, "I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice" (Psalm 55:16-17). Now is the time for all godly men, women and youth to cry out to God for an outpouring of God's Spirit upon us. GIMME FIVE! Would you be willing to allow God to use you as he did Jeremiah Lamphier 150 years ago to spark a NATIONAL REVIVAL of faith and obedience toward Him who has blessed us and invites us to His throne of grace? Would you GIVE HIM 5 minutes in the evening, in the morning and noon until He changes us in such way that it touches our family, church, community, county and country? If so--historians will write of what God did in 2007. Praise the Lord! Let us pray!
We invite you to share your comments and inform others of these articles if they touch your heart. We're waiting to hear from you: jgrobbins@verizon.net. Jack and Ginnie Robbins, Missionaries in west central Indiana.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment