The Prayer Room

“Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” — from Psalm 81

One day a missionary from Wales named Pengwern Jones came to speak at a meeting in a town called Ludhiana. He had travelled all night on the train. He was tired, and worried about the talk he had to give that afternoon.

Over a morning cup of tea, a quiet American said to him, “I want to see you, I shall wait for you at the door.” It was John. At the door he said, “Come with me to the Prayer Room.” They went in at about eight o’clock in the morning, and they prayed until half past three in the afternoon! Mr. Jones forgot that he was tired, and forgot to be worried.

Then John walked him to the meeting hall, took his hand and said, “Go in and speak, that is your work. I shall go back to the Prayer Room to pray for you, that is my work.” And God spoke to many people that day.

At the Sialkot meetings John loved to lie on his face on the prayer room carpet and pray. Once he prayed the Bible verse at the top of this chapter, saying the word “wide” over and over: “Wide, Lord. Wide.” He was asking God to make his people hope for great things.

The prayer room was not a gloomy place. When someone found peace with God, John was sometimes so full of joy that he clapped his hands and even danced, and others joined in, praising God!

John often forgot to eat or sleep, and his teenage helper used to cry about it. But once, when the lunch bell rang, a friend heard him whisper, “Father, is it thy will that I go?” Then he said, “Thank you, Father,” and went to lunch with a smile.

Some people speak, and some people pray for them. Both are God’s work. When you pray for your teacher, your church or your friends, you are doing God’s work too.

Dear God, thank you that I can help other people by praying for them. Please bless everyone who teaches me about you. Amen.