One Man’s Mission
Practice the amazing blessing and responsibility of spending time in prayer with God: Contact a mentor and we will help you pray.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19
In the mid nineteenth century there was an enormous economic collapse. Hundreds of businesses closed and thousands were unemployed. A quiet and zealous businessman named Jeremiah Lanphier took up an appointment as a City Missionary in down-town New York. Burdened so by the need, Jeremiah Lanphier decided to invite others to join him in a noonday prayer-meeting, to be held on Wednesdays once a week.
Accordingly at twelve noon, September 23, 1857, the door was opened and the faithful Lanphier took his seat to await the response to his invitation. Five minutes went by. No one appeared. The missionary paced the room in a conflict of fear and faith. Ten minutes elapsed. Still no one came. Fifteen minutes passed. Lanphier was yet alone. Twenty minutes; twenty-five; thirty; and then at 12.30 p.m., a step was heard on the stairs, and the first person appeared, then another, and another, and another, until six people were present, and the prayer meeting began. On the following Wednesday, October 7th, there were forty intercessors.
Within six months, ten thousand business men were gathering daily for prayer in New York, and within two years, a million converts were added to the American churches. Undoubtedly the greatest revival in New York’s colorful history was sweeping the city, and it was of such an order to make the whole nation curious. There was no fanaticism, no hysteria, simply an incredible movement of the people to pray.
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of this great revival, a likeness of Jeremiah was cast of him sitting on a bench which appropriately placed on Broadway in front of the American Bible Society, as a reminder of the great revival started by one man.
Our world today needs to return to prayer and revival. One person can make a difference. Might there be another Jeremiah Lanphier today, Might he be you?
Question: What in your life currently depends on faith?
Dear, Tom,
I write these all myself as I listen and think about different subjects. I starter writing them when I taught college. I taught an intro to education class at 7:05 in the morning and I need to do something to keep them awake so I started this then.. I expanded it to my other subjects when I realized, when grading notes, that the students wrote these statements down when they didn’t other important facts for a class. I also found that the more I could say with less gave the students a better shot at grasping concepts and ideas. It has become a small ministry for me in recent years. It has been fun and I enjoy trying to find a way to challenge a thought with a line.
The difference between a task and an opportunity is attitude.
Faith is forward thinking; doubt is the reverse.
Becoming a better person does not make you a good person.
You can change but only salvation can make you a good person.
Only Jesus can give you salvation.
Do what you can, while you can, before you can’t.
To see opportunity you have to first look away from yourself.
A village can raise a child but only Jesus can save him.
Oh how I long for that to happen again. I am desperate for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our city. Even so Lord Jesus come.
Richard:
You must have one gigantic book on pithy sayings! Or do you develop all these yourself? If not, we’d love to hear your personal comments occasionally.
Atheism is a result of coming to the wrong conclusion.
Prayer needs no formal training other than a confidence in His help.
Friends notice the successes of others more than their failures.
Godly people make the best friends.
Beware of the words that flatter you, to do wrong.
Christian’s do not judge others but explain the judgments of God to them.
Grace brings understanding, understanding brings wisdom, wisdom brings good deeds.
Service is a rare privilege that few pursue.
Service is a complicated blessing; but a blessing it is!