The Power of Intercessory Prayer
One of the thrilling stories in this book was how Henry and a team of men went to rescue a young girl who had been taken captive by a neighbouring tribe. But on his way to the village to go and confront these men who had kidnapped her, Henry became very sick. He developed a very high fever and his lips became all parched and eventually, exhausted, he collapsed and lost consciousness there in the middle of these forests.
The men with him believed that his time had come, looked at him and thought “he doesn't have much longer in this world.” So they gathered around his body and started to pray for him. But it looked as if he would be one more missionary who gave his life, trying to help the people in that part of the world.
But Garlock writes this, “Meanwhile my father living on the family farm in South Norwalk, Connecticut, was awakened from sleep in the middle of the night with a burden to pray for me. God gave him a vision of me lying on the trail in the African jungle, burning up with tropical fever. Kneeling beside his bed that cold March night in Connecticut, he prayed and interceded for some time until he felt the assurance that God had heard his prayer. In fact, in his vision he saw me get up from the path and struggle on.
Divine Intervention Stories
And then Garlock says, “How long I lay beside the trail I do not know, but suddenly to the amazement of those who travelled with me I regained consciousness, stood to my feet and was able to continue my journey.” And it was months later only when he got a letter from his father telling him about this experience and they eventually realised that it was that same night.
This reminded me of a time in my life as well last year when people who are dear to me were going through a great spiritual battle. And one night I woke up with a deep conviction that I needed to be praying for them. And so I got up and I went and sat on our couch in our lounge and prayed and I knelt on the floor and I lay on the floor and I prayed. It was really some warfare-type prayer where I wrestled and wrestled and came against whatever attacks they were under.
And it went on also for about two hours when suddenly I felt that it was done. I went to bed and although I've never told them about it, the same type of thing happened - those severe attacks they were under stopped.
Power of Intercession
So I want to say to you: there's power in intercessory prayer. When we get a prompting from God to pray for somebody, oh man, let's not ignore that and just shake it off! But even if it's in the middle of the night, let's get up and pray or let's stop and pray wherever we are when God prompts us.
There is power in the prayers of the faithful people of God, there absolutely is. Their story and my experience too proves it.
And so let's follow God's promptings and pray earnestly when he asks us to. We can be sure that God hears and answers our prayers.
