Thought I'd start a thread on the spiritually influential people in your life. Who has influenced you spiritually, in your walk with God? Who mentored you? Who taught you things which greatly benefited your life and (most importantly) helped shape who you are today?
I put them into two categories - those who you personally knew, and those who you only knew through their writings, audio, video, music, etc.
I'll go first.
Brother X. I call him brother x because honestly, for the life of me, I cannot remember the dear brother's name, it's been a long time since I knew him. Anyway, here's the story -
We started attending a UPC home missions church years ago, VERY small church (pastor, his wife, two or three other people, that's it. When our family arrived the church population doubled overnight! lol) I asked the pastor 'do you guys have all night prayer meetings?' See, I had been reading a lot about revival histories, Bartleman, Azusa Street, The Phenomenon of Pentecost, etc etc. I was very much on fire for God at the time. But, I admit I was very inexperienced in the subject of prayer. I had prayed through a deliverance when I first turned to God, but I had never been TAUGHT about prayer beyond 'confess the word and believe God and give thanks'.
My prayers up to that time were actually pretty weak. What I mean is, I would always pray barely above a whisper, I would always have to force myself to 'stay focused', my mind would wander, I would get tired and sleepy, I often had no idea WHAT to pray or how to pray. But I knew the revival saints of old were 'prayer warriors' and I wanted to do my part.
So there I am, new guy at a local church, asking the pastor about 'all night prayer meetings'. I was put out by what he said - 'Well, that's just an old tradition.' However, he did direct me to Brother X (Lord, help me remember his name, please!) and said he has the keys to the church, lives right down the road, he loves to pray, get with him.
So I did. Now, Brother X was an elder. Not 'officially' (this was a UPC) but he was much older (in his 60s I think) and far wiser than I. He was also in bad health and couldn't see worth a hoot. Had THICK glasses. Had trouble walking around. Had heart trouble, but was trusting God and using some herbal extracts, didn't trust any doctors.
Anyway, I met him at his house (he was very poor, lived in a seriously ramshackle little shack). We talked for a good while, sharing testimonies. I told him what the pastor had said about all night prayer meetings being an 'old tradition' and he said 'well, it's a traditon we need to get back to! He was an incredibly interesting man, had seen a lot, lived through a LOT of hardships, but was as holy as anyone I've ever met. If I ever met a 'true christian' this old brother was undoubtedly one. He had a heart of gold and did nothing but pray and read his Bible, all day, everyday. He loved everyone and anytime he opened his mouth about ANYTHING he would fit Jesus or a Bible verse into it somehow, and it fit perfectly.
So we go to the church building, and it's time to pray. It's just me and him (nobody else from the church bothered to come for a prayer meeting). Now remember, I really did not know how to pray effectively.
First thing he does is plop down on his knees at the altar. And spent about 20-30 minutes praying for nothing else than the ability to pray aright! He confessed his (and my) inability to pray 'as we ought to'. He confessed our total dependence on God and His Spirit, our utter lack of innate ability to understand what needs to be prayed for and how it ought to be prayed for. Every other sentence was a quote from Scripture, claiming the promises of God to help us to come boldly before His throne. He then arose and began walking the floor, praying up a storm. I had never before heard such powerful, anointed, authoritative, fervent prayer in my life. I now KNEW what REAL, holiness, Pentecostal prayer was about. I NOW understood what the old writers - even going back to the Quakers and Methodists - meant when they described earth- and heaven- shaking prayers of saints, pleading the mercies of God, storming the gates of hell in the name of the Lord...
I persevered, I learned, his prayers for me helped me, and his prayer itself taught me, encouraged me... I persevered in seeking GOD'S HELP to help me pray aright.... and then it happened....
True, fervent, spiritually directed prayer is PROPHETIC in a sense... the Holy Ghost takes over and gives us wisdom - and authority - and power... the spirit of prayer, the spirit of travailing prayer, the spirit of effectual, fervent prayer, the spirit of POWERFUL prayer...
I learned one must get past the flesh... it was revealed to me by the spirit that night what 'pray without ceasing' actually meant. It means to not CEASE praying, ie do not let the flesh determine it is time to stop praying, do not MAKE THE DECISION to stop or end prayer-time, but let God have His way.
We prayed for several hours. Probably 3 or 4, maybe 5 hours. We did not stop until we BOTH felt in the spirit that the work was done, God had accomplished what he wanted to accomplish.
I had tried before to pray for extended periods - say 30 minutes or so, and usually felt SOOOOO tired, so scattered and unfocused. But not this time. This was like a fresh baptism with the Holy Ghost. It went on for hours and there was NO FATIGUE WHATSOEVER, no 'scattered intrusive thoughts', no lack of focus.
Brother X taught me how to pray - by going straight to Jesus, and saying 'Lord, teach me to pray, RIGHT NOW, TONIGHT'... and to keep at it until the answer came.
It totally changed my life. Totally changed my views on prayer. Totally changed my views on many things. I had a new appreciation for 'TODAY, if ye will, and not harden your hearts...' I had a new understanding of 'pray without ceasing'. I KNEW what 'the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man' meant.
I understood what
Hebrews 5:7 really meant.
I thank the Lord for Brother X, and I know I will see him again someday, even if I can't remember his name.
Threaded Mode
