|
|
"The effective, fervent prayer of a
righteous man avails much" (James 5:16).
James Rutz, author of MegaShift, tells a wonderful story of God's
supernatural hand in answering prayer.
"I have a good friend named Barclay Tait who sells vacation real
estate in Niceville, Florida. Back in 1977, he was a 36-yeard-old Florida
basketball coach. That summer, he decided to hitch-hike to a Christian
conference in Front Royal, Virginia. Arriving four days early, he went to
a nearby forest and pitched his tent by a stream. On the last day, a tall,
thin hiker with a notebook under his arm suddenly appeared, startling him
as he read his Bible. Barclay explained that he came out there to fast and
meditate.
Dave, the hiker, replied, "Well, I'm an intercessor. What would
you like me to pray for?"
Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, Barclay said, "Uh, frankly, I'd like
prayer for a wife." The man wrote the request in his notebook and
walked on.
By 1988, Barclay, now married to Sherry, has been divinely guided to
move to Asheville, North Carolina. A chance encounter in the Holiday Inn
parking lot led to an invitation to join a gathering of a Christian group
outside of town. Arriving just before the 7:00 P.M. meeting, the host
walks in from the kitchen and stops dead in his tracks. "I know
you!" he exclaims, pointing his finger. "You're Barclay Tait!"
Barclay draws a blank.
"Just a minute. I have something I want to show you," the
host announces. He scampers upstairs, leaving the puzzled Taits standing
in the middle of the suddenly hushed room. In a moment the host reappeared
with a well-worn ledger book. "See here? This is where I wrote your
prayer request in column one when I met you in Front Royal in 1977:
'Barclay Tait: God's choice for a wife.'" Barclay looked down at the
journal entry. It was the most detailed, methodical prayer journal he'd
ever seen.
"I prayed for you for seven years," proclaims Dave.
"Then in the middle of the night on December 30, 1984, God woke me up
out of a sound sleep and said, 'Write in your journal, "Prayer
answered." So I did. See? Here in column two, "Prayer
answered.'"
Barclay and Sherry look at each other with their mouths open. They sat
down, and their eyes fill with tears. Quietly, Barclay tells Dave,
"That was the day we were married." |
When does God call people to long-term missionary service?
|
