A Mother Who Prayed

Wesley Duewel said that from his earliest memories, he knew a Spirit-filled, praying mother. He relayed the following about her experience of becoming Spirit-filled.

"One of the things that kept convicting my mother of her need of sanctification was going near the upstairs steps and hearing her mother on her knees weeping and praying that God would deliver her daughter Ida from her terrible temper. I never saw that temper, because God delivered her. 

"My mother went to a minister and said, 'I read these wonderful things in the book of Acts that God did in the early church. How can I have this experience?' 

"The minister said, 'Oh, that's not for you. That was just for the apostles back there.' 

"Mother was so distressed, but she soon received a letter from a sister saying, 'I have just been filled with the Spirit!' 

"'Filled with the Spirit!' my mother exclaimed. 'That's what I want! My sister's been filled with the Spirit! Lord, I'll not go to sleep tonight until I know that I, too, am filled with the Spirit.'

"She worked hard all day as a helper in the home of her older sister whose husband was the minister she had questioned, and so when night came she was tired. However, she went to bed determined to pray all night if necessary. She was so weary she went to sleep, though, and in the morning she cried, 'Oh, Lord, how can you sanctify me? How can you fill me with the Spirit if I'm so lazy as that?' 

"Again, she worked hard all day, washing clothes, taking care of the little children, and doing all the things she had to do, but that night she stated, 'Lord, tonight I am not going to sleep until I know I'm filled with the Spirit.' Once again she went to sleep in spite of her best intention.

"The next morning, though, while lighting the fire, she sang in German a little song, 'Into my heart, into my heart, come into my heart, Lord Jesus.' Suddenly her faith took hold of God's promise, and she was filled with the Spirit.

"So I, from my earliest memories, knew a Spirit-filled, praying mother."

Wesley was the only son of my Aunt Ida. Wesley said his mother prayed two to three hours daily for him when he was a missionary in India. Today they are celebrating together in heaven. Multitudes will join them as a result of her hours of prayers and his fruitful ministry.