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"The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor. The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything."
-- Author
Unknown Pease
write the names of three people or groups you feel led to pray for? What would
you want God to do for them more than anything? Will you pray this simple
prayer? God help…
Doug
Coe, who is a remarkable man of faith, told this story about his friend, Bob
Hunter. One day when Bob was searching to understand his own faith and what it
all meant he asked Doug, "Doug, do you really believe what the Bible says
about moving mountains when we pray?" Doug thought about it and answered,
"Sure." Bob
was rather incredulous, "Do you mean to say that you believe that if I
prayed for a mountain to move, that it would move?" Doug thought for a
while and said, "Let me put it this way. I not only believe it, but I will
make you a bet. A $500 bet. Bob, what do you know about Africa?" "Nothing."
"Then here's the bet. I want you to pray for 45 days, 'God help Africa.'
You can't miss a single day. And that's all you have to pray: 'God help Africa.'
At the end of 45 days, you be the judge on whether any mountains have moved. If
you think a mountain has moved, you pay me $500. If you don't think a mountain
has moved, I'll pay you $500, no questions asked." Bob,
being an astute businessman, rather liked the odds. He accepted the bet and
began to pray daily, "God help Africa." Matthew
17:20 – 21: Afterward
the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that
demon?” “You didn’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I assure
you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this
mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be
impossible.” Jesus and three disciples had just experienced “The Transfiguration” where Jesus is confirmed before Moses and Elijah to be the Son of God. Later, they come down only to find themselves unable to heal a little boy. Now what? Jesus says, if you have the faith as small as a mustard seed you could move mountains. How do we receive that kind of faith? Prayer! Every
week we have prayer needs brought before our church… we dutifully pray for
someone who has the flu or needs surgery or has emotional problems. Recently we
prayed as a congregation for needs around the world brought to us through the
Sowing Seeds Ministry website by email. Every week, I hear about an improvement
in one area or a healing in another… Such
is the power of prayer. (The
story continues) A few days later, Bob was at a dinner and sat next to an
elderly lady. In the course of the conversation, he found out she lived in
Uganda, and ran an orphanage there. Bob asked her a number of questions about
Uganda and Africa. After
a while, she asked him why he was so interested in Africa. Bob responded, with
some embarrassment, "You'll never believe this, but I made a bet with a
good friend," and proceeded to tell her about his bet with Doug Coe. By the
end of the evening, she invited him to return to Uganda with her in a few days
to visit the orphanage. Bob accepted the invitation. When he visited the
orphanage in Uganda… his heart was touched by the orphans. After
coming back to the US. Bob got a few friends together and bought a load of toys
and clothes, and sent them to Uganda. The following week, he got a phone call
from the orphanage. "Mr. Hunter, the children are so grateful for what you
did, they would love if you could come again so they can make a special
presentation to you to show you their appreciation. Can you come?" Bob
accepted the invitation, and was off to Uganda again. After a heartwarming
ceremony at the orphanage, there was a phone call for Bob. It was the President
of Uganda. The President had heard about the gifts to the orphans and called to
thank Bob personally on behalf of his country. The
President of Uganda also invited Bob to visit him that afternoon. When Bob
arrived the President was in the middle of rushing out of his office. He
apologized as he had appointments, and invited Bob to come along, so they could
get acquainted in the car. Bob accepted. Along
the way, at one of the stops, Bob looked out the window to see what appeared to
be a stockyard -- only this was a stockyard not filled with cattle, but with
men. Bob asked the President what he was seeing. The
President responded that it was prison, and those men were his political
enemies. The conversation went something like this: "But Mr. President,
that's not right to have men living in such horrible conditions. You must let
them go." "But
those are my political enemies--men who have tried to subvert my authority. I
cannot let them go. That would be foolish." "You
have to let them go -- it's not right that human beings would have to live in
those conditions." The
conversation did not last long, and shortly thereafter Bob was back in the US
About a week after getting back, he received a phone call. This time it was from
the State Department, asking him to come to a meeting with the Undersecretary
for African Affairs. Puzzled
over the purpose of such a meeting, he nevertheless went to the appointment. At
the meeting, the Under secretary of State for African Affairs and Bob had a
conversation along these lines: "Mr. Hunter, on behalf of the Government of
the United States, I want to thank you for what you have done in Uganda." "What?
The US. Government is thanking me for sending some toys to some orphans in
Uganda?" "No,
Mr. Hunter. It is about political prisoners. The President of Uganda recently
released the political
prisoners, which is something our government has been trying to get him to do
for years, without success. He told us after taking this action that he was
doing it because of what you said to him." 1
Cor. 13:1–3: If
I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn’t love others, I
would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal. If
I had the gift of prophesy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and
knew everything about everything, but didn’t love others, what good would I
be? And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make
it move, without love I would be no good to anybody. If I gave everything I have
to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I
didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever. Paul
pointedly reminds us that our most important function, as Christians is to love.
Prayer helps us to truly love. Prayer is also humility because you must learn
ultimately Who is in control: God! Prayer
gives us the courage to love unconditionally. We learn to love when answers are
not easy. We love even when things do not go our way. We learn to love even when
we are suffering. The
serenity prayer reminds us: “Lord, grant me the serenity to change the
things I can, to accept the things I cannot and the wisdom to know the
difference.” Such
is the wisdom of prayer.
But,
Bob went. And did what he could to help the President select his new ministers.
A close friendship developed between Bob Hunter, American Business man and the
President of Uganda. The President even stays in Bob's home in the DC area when
he visits the US. And you can guess, after 45 days of praying "God help
Africa," Bob sent Doug Coe a check for $500. Jesus
said, “I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you
could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move.
Nothing would be impossible.”
Swallowing
hard, after doing some quick math, he accepted the bet. He laid out the ground
rules for them that they had to pray every day for 45 days. They did not have to
tell him what they were praying for and at the end of 45 days; it would be up to
them to decide whether a mountain had moved as a result of their prayers. After
those 45 days, Doug received 12 checks for $500 each. A while later he received
the 13th check, accompanied by a letter that went something like this:
"Doug, my mountain didn't move. But the discipline of praying every day for
45 days has changed my life, and so I feel I owe you this $500." Jesus
said, “I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you
could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move.
Nothing would be impossible.”
I
can’t think of a better way to prepare during Lent, Holy Week and Easter than
to pray. Look at your three prayer requests again. Write them down again where
you will see them every day until April 30th.
On that Sunday be prepared to hear about mountains being moved. Take
the 45-day challenge. I can’t promise you $500 dollars but I can promise you
God can move mountains if you give Him a chance. "The
shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your
knees and the floor. The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to
anything."
-- Author Unknown ---------------------------- Our latest potential prayer miracle from the 45 Day Challenge may come from a pastor imprisoned in North Korea. Click here for the story. If you take the prayer challenge, please let me know and I will pray for you. Do you have a prayer need? Click here
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