Blog Just Another Prayer Meeting

By Barry Simpson

It was just another prayer meeting with the usual number of attendees.

Our Wednesday night prayer meetings at New Hope are held in a Sunday school classroom so that the choir can practice in the sanctuary. Many years ago, we changed our Wednesday evening service from a 35-minute preaching/teaching service with a five-minute generic prayer and devotion to an extended period of prayer. As a church family, we came to realize we were spending very little time praying together. So we went “retro,” and turned the Wednesday evening meeting back into a prayer meeting.

One of our deacons usually leads the prayer service. On this particular night, deacon Steve Willhite led the service. He began with a brief devotion from Psalm 81, reminding us of God’s goodness and faithfulness. The Scripture also reminded us that God does answer prayer. “God answers prayer” seems obvious—after all we were in a prayer meeting. Yet that little statement seemed to take on new meaning as the night unfolded.

About the time Brother Willhite’s devotion ended, Shane and Karen Birdsong entered the room. Though they were a little late, they were a welcome sight and their presence seemed to move the atmosphere to another level. Shane and Karen had recently arrived from Germany where Shane had been stationed with the United States Army. He had recently finished a tour of duty in Iraq. The church had faithfully prayed for him while he was in that war zone. Through tears of joy and gratitude, he thanked us for praying for him, his unit, and his family. One of our men spontaneously responded, “Shane you don’t need to thank us, we need to thank you for what you have done for our country.” Across the room, there was a rumble of “amen” as we all echoed those sentiments. Shane was safely out of Iraq. God had answered our prayer!

The meeting continued with varying kinds of requests. Then, Bill Ezell shared that seven years ago this month his wife Frances was diagnosed with cancer. At the time of the diagnosis, the doctors spoke of her having five years to live. Bill and Frances were a vital part of New Hope’s ministry and had been the recipient of many prayers. Now, seven years later, she is doing very well. God answers prayer!

Almost every week, one of the ladies shares a list of unsaved people for which we are praying. Her name is Mattie, and the regulars affectionately know her list as “Mattie’s list”. Mattie’s list includes family members, spouses, and friends of those in the New Hope family. Some of the names have been on the prayer list for quite some time. However, one of the names was recently scratched from the list. I was there the Sunday Pat Johnson went forward during the invitation to publicly declare his faith in Jesus Christ. Because of Mattie’s list, there is a new name written down in glory—Pat Johnson. God answers prayer!

While one of the men prayed that night, he thanked God for what He had done in Christine Vann’s life. I was with the family in the waiting room in 1990 when the doctors determined Christine had experienced a cerebral hemorrhage. Brain surgery was necessary. Those were anxious hours filled with much fervent prayer. Seventeen years later, in another typical Wednesday night prayer meeting, Christine Vann was seated on the front row. God answers prayer!

As we placed our petitions before our faithful Father, there were tears of joy and thanksgiving all around. God was honored, individuals were encouraged, and the church was strengthened.

All of this, and more, was the result of “just another prayer meeting.”