Walls of Prayer

I wanted to share this testimony at prayer service last Wednesday, but couldn't remember the details so I didn't share it then. But I still feel the need to share it, so I am copying it now.

This testimony can be found in True Restoration Testimonies, page 82. It was submitted by Clara Thomas.

In Oklahoma, one of our pastors was stricken with a severe illness. He had a long period of recovery, allowing him time to pray diligently for his congregation. One night he was given a dream. In the dream he was taken by one of God's messengers into every home in his branch.

He saw that Satan was not allowed to enter the truly dedicated home. A beautiful wall of prayer was standing firmly around every home which had regular family worship. Each day of family worship added another stone of strength to the wall of prayer which Satan could not penetrate.

In the homes where family worship was observed only occasionally, Satan could creep in with sin and sorrow. And in the homes where there was no family worship, Satan freely came and went as his evil heart desired.

This made the pastor realize the importance and great need for constant daily prayer, scripture study, and daily worship in our homes.


I will call upon the Lord, for he is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
~ Psalms 18:3

Wheels When We Needed Them - Jean Schmidt

 Cars!  It’s hard to live without them!  We live close to work and a grocery store, but still, we need a car to get to church, doctor appointments, Wal-Mart, visit our grandkids, etc.  The Lord has blessed us with cars just when we needed them.  I would like to share a few testimonies about those cars.

When we were engaged, Ken had a car, but it died on our way to North Dakota to visit his family for Christmas.  For several months we had to rely on Jean’s parents for rides to Graceland and the grocery store.  But just before our wedding, Ken was able to buy a car for $35.  Think of that!  It was a decent car, not fancy, but needed tires and a few other things.  It served us for a few years and was definitely a testimony to us.

After Daniel was born, we decided to move to Independence because Sariah had so many medical appointments that it didn’t make sense to drive back and forth from north Missouri. He was still an infant when we moved, and Jean was busy caring for two babies.  Ken worked at night and was free to take Sariah to the doctor, and that worked out well. But then our car broke down and we were without wheels.  Friends came to our aid with a car they had that they didn’t use and they just gave it to us!  Once again, God blessed us.

Fast forward several years—to the time when Ken was serving Grain Valley as pastor, about 1991 to 1996.  We drove an old clunker station wagon that had no air-conditioner and the bottom was rusted so badly you could see the road under your feet while driving.  But it was big enough to get all 6 of us to church and back home (we had Ryan by this time).  Some friends at church decided that we needed a better vehicle and one night, just before Christmas, a large, beautiful van came to our street and parked close to our house.  Those friends gave us an envelope containing the keys, title, and money to license it.  What a wonderful gift!  We were so thrilled!  And we all had plenty of room and a comfortable seat to sit in.

After the van had served its useful life, and Daniel was in college and Ryan had moved to a group home, we didn’t really need such a large vehicle anymore.  Just at that time, some friends (we sure have a lot of wonderful friends!) gave us a blue Chevy Citation that was perfect for the 4 of us.  It had a shimmy that got worse as the speed increased, but when we had the tires balanced and the front end aligned, the shimmy went away.  God was looking after us again!  We eventually gave the van to a family in need of a larger vehicle.  It was good to be able to “pay it forward”.

In 2002, Jean began praying for another vehicle as the blue car was showing its age and wasn’t too reliable anymore.  On Easter Sunday, we noticed a different car at our neighbor’s house and thought they had got a new one.  When we asked them about it, our neighbor said, “Oh no, it belongs to my sister and her husband and then brought it up here to try to sell it”.  We took it out for a test drive and liked it very much.  It was a navy blue Ford Crown Victoria.  The price they wanted was just the amount we had saved, so we bought it on the spot.  How great was that—we didn’t have to go look for a car, it came to us!  We drove that car on several vacations and put many miles on it.  It was a comfortable car and got fairly good gas mileage for a V-8.  It was a true blessing.

That brings us to our current car.  In 2008, we knew we were going to have to look for another car.  The Crown Vic was beginning to “nickel and dime” us to death.  Once again, we started praying.  One night at prayer service I mentioned to Sallie that we were looking for a car to buy and told her to keep her eyes open for one.  She immediately said she knew someone who wanted to sell their second car that they didn’t need.  We went and looked at it and it was in good shape, had a new transmission, and was priced right.  It needed a little cleaning and polishing but looked fine when we were done.  We have really enjoyed our minivan and it has been very reliable. 

Who knows what kind of car we will have next time.  But we do know that God takes care of us and is even interested in providing us with cars when we need them.  Every time we prayed for a car, one came.  God is good!

A Book of Mormon Testimony - Sent by Gus Ralston

My childhood religious background consisted of various neighbors taking me to the particular denomination to worship. This did not result in any person commitment to the Lord Jesus on my part.

           

In 1967, when I was 28 years old, I was living with my Aunt Carrie and Uncle J. Baird in Grain Valley, Missouri. Book of Mormon events and characters were always discussed in their home, and I decided to read the Book of Mormon so I could participate in these conversations.

           

There is a passage of scripture in the book of Moroni which says, And if you shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth to you by the power of the Holy Ghost.

“Fair enough. I’ll do that,” I said when I read those words. I began to pray continually for the Lord to manifest the truth to me through some experience. For at least a year I prayed fervently for that experience, but nothing happened.

           

In the meantime I continued reading and studying. It occurred to me that from a theological viewpoint, the Bible and Book of Mormon were compatible. Therefore, I realized that the Book of Mormon must be what it claimed to be. I was baptized and became a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of latter Day Saints. Then I was ordained to the office of priest in the ministry of the church.

           

Three years passed from the time my reading of the Book of Mormon commenced. I had just finished reading the book, He Walked the Americas and I was mentally comparing this book to the Book of Mormon. Suddenly, the Spirit of Truth descended on me in such power that I had to reach out and take hold of something to steady myself. This spirit was so powerful. It was physical, not mental, and it caused my very flesh to know that these books were true. Even the flesh in my little finger knew the truth.

           

I know beyond a shadow of doubt that the Book of Mormon is what it claims to be because of the totality of the experience that was mine, from the inception of the reading to the very powerful spiritual witness. Nothing would cause me to deny it!

           

The Lord may be slow in answering our prayers, but He is never late.

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. ~ John 14:17


From the book, To the Convincing by Ardie Launius page 63

The Potter's Wheel - Sallie Presler

I love pottery. I love to make pottery, read pottery books, study about ancient pottery and teach pottery. Last fall I sold one of my kick wheels so that I might have space and money towards the purchase of an electric wheel. At my age, physical strength and limited funds, I was looking for a middle-of-the-road wheel.

 For many months, I would look each day both morning and evening on Craigslist, EBay, The Star and different pottery sites for a good used wheel. In that time, many have come up for sale. Each time I was too late, out bid, or for some other reason did not get it. Each time I would pray and say, "If this is not the wheel for me, Lord, please make it so." And each time I did not get the wheel, I would simply thank Him.

The last couple of years I have been feeling lost spiritually. I knew that God was there, that He loved me and cared for me, that He knew my name and had plans for me. But, where was He? I had been asking for light and direction. It seemed He was only giving me barely enough for the present moment. I wanted to see farther down the road. I have seemed always to be on edge, almost in a stall pattern. It has been easy to see that He was sustaining me, just as He did the Israelites in the wilderness, but like them I wanted more. I had begged and pleaded. Each time, I would just feel an overwhelming amount of His love and grace, but no direction at all. I wanted a map.

About three weeks ago, a Brent B wheel came up on Craigslist. It would be a perfect wheel for me. Brent is my favorite wheel maker and the "B" is the middle-of-the-road model. The price was right; the seller lived nearby, and it was not too old. But it was Sunday.

I have been trying to keep the Lord's Day holy. I know that we each look at that principle differently and I am not judging anyone for his or her interpretation of what it means to keep the Lord's Day holy. I know emergencies come up even on Sunday. Here, I reasoned, was an emergency for me. I knew this wheel would be gone tomorrow. So I called. Apparently, I was the second to call because she had already accepted a deposit on it. I would have to wait until Friday it see if the other person came up with the money for it. Each day I felt worse. I had rationalized calling on Sunday and now felt sorry about it. By the time Friday came, I had decided that there was no wheel out there that was worth this feeling. I did not get that wheel.

One day last week, as I was praying on the situation, I remembered a book I had read by Stormie Omartian. In it she tells of giving everything to God, then asking Him to sort through it and give back the things He wants for you. I pondered this for a while. I had given my heart, might, mind, will, husband, son, family, work, home, vehicle, health, wealth/or lack of it. What had I not turned over to Him? Then it hit me...my pottery.

So after much thought, I laid my love of pottery at His feet. I told Him I did not want anything in my life that would be a distraction from where He was trying to lead me. No pottery wheel was more important to me than He is. Even pottery itself was not as important to me as He is. "Lord, do you want me to give it up altogether to better follow You?" I prayed.

Then, this past Monday morning, I sat down at the computer and opened up Craigslist. And, you guessed it, there was another Brent wheel. This time it was a CXC. That is like the Cadillac of wheels. It is professional wheel, one that would successfully center a piece of pottery six or seven feet tall. My heart leapt.

Then I looked closely at the ad and realized it had been posted on the day before... Sunday. I knew that wheel; at that low price and young age was already gone. But, I stopped and prayed that if God wanted me to have it that it would be there. I called. It was still available. The seller asked if we could pick it up in the afternoon and pay with cash only. My husband, Aaron, and I were scheduled to take our son, Dane, to the airport that afternoon and I kept thinking is there a way to pick up the wheel and still get Dane to the airport? Finally, I left that in God's hands, too, and told the owner that it would be 9:00 pm before we could be there to pick it up.

Now I realized that we wouldn't even have time to go by a bank to get cash for the wheel and still have time to get Dane to the airport comfortably. A quick check with my relatives (mother, father, husband, brother and sister-in-law) and together we had exactly the amount needed... to the dollar!

On the way back from the airport, my husband asked if I had been anxious about the wheel, thinking that perhaps the wheel had been sold to someone else during our delay to pick it up. I told him honestly, it was almost every thought I had going to and from the airport! But, I also told Him that if I trusted that God really had provided this wheel for me, it would be in His hands waiting for me.

We picked up the wheel that evening.

God desires to bless us. He is a loving Heavenly Father. And, as our pastor's wife, Donna Billings, so often prays, God blessed me with that which was "better than best."

He didn't just give me a middle-of-the-road wheel. He gave me a CXC for virtually the same price as the Brent B wheel had been. He didn't just hint at my question of whether or not pottery was part of His plan for me, He answered it in such a way that there will never be any doubt in my mind.

How great is our God?

Wherefore, seek not the things of this world; but seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:38

Walls of Prayer

Today's testimony was published in True Restoration Testimonies, by Clara Thomas (Red book, page 82). 

In Oklahoma, one of our pastors was stricken with a severe illness. He had a long period of recovery, allowing him time to pray diligently for his congregation. One night he was given a dream. In the dream he was taken by one of God's messengers into every home in his branch.

He saw that Satan was not allowed to enter the truly dedicated home. A beautiful wall of prayer was standing firm around every home which had regular family worship. Each day of family worship added another stone of strength to the wall of prayer which Satan could not penetrate.

In the homes where family worship was observed only occasionally, Satan could creep in with sin and sorrow. And in the homes where there was no family worship, Satan freely came and went as his evil heart desired.

This made the pastor realize the importance and great need for constant daily prayer, scripture study, and daily worship in our homes.

Calm in the Midst of the Storm - Laura Handy

In the summer of 1979, we were preparing for our home dedication service. The night before the service I was awakened in the middle of the night with an urgency that something was wrong. The Spirit told me to check the iron in the kitchen. When I got halfway down the hallway I could smell something “hot.”  I quickly went to the laundry closet and saw that the iron was face down on some clothes, and they were smoldering. I unplugged the iron and ran water on the shirt that was almost on fire.

 

I thanked the Lord for waking me in time to avoid a fire. As soon as I was done with my prayer of thanks, there arose a tempest of rushing wind out side. It sounded like a thousand voices speaking at once. I can’t describe the way it sounded, but it was like a roaring. It rattled all the windows and beat at the doors. I realized that we were under attack. The adversary was trying to instill fear and doubt. I rebuked the evil in the name of Jesus, and calm regained control.

The next day we were told by the Spirit that our home would be a place of safety, a refuge in the storm. We would be protected with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night. We were also told that we would never be lacking in basket or store. Over the years there have been many people who have come to stay with us….some for a short time…some longer.

The Lord has greatly blessed us. We have weathered many a storm, and by His grace have always had our needs met. He is my daily bread!

 

 

Psalms 107:28-31

28) Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

29) He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

30) Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

31) Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

An Angels' Handywork - by Barbie Jones

Last fall my husband, Jim, went to Arizona on a missionary trip. He was going to be gone for over a week. In preparation for his leaving, I prayed that my needs would be taken care of while he was gone. Not having my handyman around was a real step out in faith for me.

While he was gone, I had been reading a book about angels. It pointed out the many times they appeared in the scriptures and how they are on duty 24/7 for the Lord’s command to go on a mission. It was such an enlightening book and I really enjoyed it.

As I got ready for bed one night, I went to flush the stool, but to my surprise, the handle didn’t work. Instantly I said, “Oh no, Lord, not while Jim is gone.” I’ve been trying to remember and work on the scripture Philippians 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputing. So instead I said, “This is probably a testimony to help me appreciate my handyman husband.” I tried to see what I could do by looking into the top. Sometimes the chain just gets tangled or comes off, but that was not the case. The tank was not even full of water; the valve just was not working. It would be almost a week to go before Jim would be home, so I prayed, “With your help, Lord, I can handle this problem.” (This meant flushing it manually with a bucket of water.)

That night as I said my prayers, I remembered about the angels on duty 24/7 so I just prayed, almost half jokingly, “If there would just happen to be one of those angels around in the neighborhood and is not too busy, could you have one of them fix my stool?” I then went to bed.

The next morning while getting ready for work, I just realized that the stool had not worked the previous night. As I went to flush it again, I paused and remembered my prayer, so I said, “Lord, if this will work I will tell this testimony.” I have to admit that I laughed as I said it, because I really did not think it would work. However, to my great surprise, it worked! I was so grateful and thanked the Lord over and over, and asked for forgiveness of my lack of faith.

So, here I am sharing my testimony, as embarrassing as it is, but I promised the Lord I would. God is so good and He hears and answers our prayers.

32) ... Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin.
33) And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.
34) Therefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and tom-morrow is cast into the over, how much more will he not provide for you, if ye are not of little faith.
Matt. 6:32-34