Dare to Ask Shamelessly

The following is taken from Samuel Logan Brengle's devotional entry on October 27.

"For many days there had been no rain in Ohio. The fields were parched and brown, and everything, cried out for water. One Sunday, before his sermon, evangelist Charles Finney prayed for rain. Finney told the Lord all about their great need, and among other things said, 'We do not presume to dictate to Thee what is best for us, yet Thou dost invite us to come to Thee as children to a father, and tell Thee what we want. We want rain. Our pastures are dry. The cattle are lowing and wandering about in search of water. Unless Thou dost give us rain our cattle must die, for we shall have no hay for them for winter; and our harvests will come to naught. O Lord, send us rain, and send it now! Although to us there is no sign of it, it is an easy thing for Thee to do. Send it now, Lord, for Christ's sake!'

"And the Lord sent it. Before the service was half over, the rain came in such torrents that the preacher's voice could not be heard.

"Finney took God at His word, and dared to ask for what he wanted. Just so, we should be definite and pray for what we want."

Mr. Finney was praying in the way Jesus said to pray when he gave the example of the man who called to his neighbor at midnight and asked for bread for his guest. "I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need" (Lk. 11:8).

Dear Jesus, I want You to find that kind of faith in me.

"The prayer of a righteous person has great power" (James 5:16).

For more on this, see this video by Dr. Nabeel Quresh, a Christian who was formerly Muslim and now is a lecturer with Ravi Zacharias. (He speaks from his hospital bed where he is being treated for stage 4 stomach cancer.)

Aletha