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A missionary on furlough told this story while
visiting his home church in Michigan..... "While
serving at a small field hospital in Africa, every
two weeks I traveled by bicycle through the jungle to
a nearby city for supplies. This was a journey of two
days and required camping overnight at the halfway
point. On one of these journeys, I arrived in the city
where I planned to collect money from a bank,
purchase medicine and supplies, and then begin my
two-day journey back to the field hospital.
Upon arrival in the city, I observed two men
fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. I
treated him for his injuries and at the same time
talked to him about the Lord. I then traveled two
days, camping overnight, and arrived home without
incident.
Two weeks later I repeated my journey. Upon arriving
in the city, I was approached by the young man I had
treated. He told me that he had known I carried money
and medicines. He said, 'Some friends and I followed
you into the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight.
We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs.
But just as we were about to move into your camp, we
saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards.'
At this I laughed and said that I was certainly all
alone in that jungle campsite. The young man pressed
the point, however, and said, 'No sir, I was not the
only person to see the guards. My five friends also
saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of
those guards that we were afraid and left you alone."
A man in the congregation jumped to his feet and
interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell
him the exact day this happened. The missionary told
the congregation the date, and the man who interrupted
told him this story: "On the night of your incident
in Africa, it was morning here and I was preparing to
go play golf. I was about to putt when I felt the urge
to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Lord
was so strong, I called men in this church to meet
with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. Would
all of those men who met with me on that day stand
up?" The men who had met together to pray that day
stood up.
The missionary wasn't concerned with who they were,
he was too busy counting how many men he saw.
There were 26.
This story is an incredible example of how the Spirit
of the Lord can move in mysterious ways. If you ever hear
such prodding, go along with it.
Nothing is ever hurt by prayer except the gates of
hell.
If we all take it to heart, we can turn this world
toward God once again.
As the above story clearly illustrates, "with God
all things are possible" and more importantly, how God
hears and answers the prayers of the faithful.
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