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by Lt. Colonel Mervyn Morelock –
Oh, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing. Psalm 107:21, 22 (NKJ) So begins the Territorial Keeping in Touch Call to Prayer
Praise Reports that are delivered to the territorial evangelist’s office each day.
More than 300 prayer leaders are encouraging Prayer Partners in corps and institutions around the territory to pray for the Prayer Points published each month in New Frontier and for specific prayer needs in their corps, ARC, and community.
One of our special joys is reading the Praise Reports that are being sent in by Call to Prayer leaders throughout the territory. Each of the prayer leaders is using his or her own creative ways to emphasize the importance of prayer in their corps and wonderful examples of God’s answers to prayer are being received in our office every day.
Praise reports are very much like a personal testimony. Not only do they bless and inspire the listeners, but the reporters have their own faith enlarged and enriched. They experience the awe and wonder of the power of prayer and the miracles that follow! Many corps do not seem to schedule testimony meetings very often. Perhaps there are many good reasons for not inviting people to testify, length of the meeting, fear that no one would respond, etc. I’ve often thought that the value of a testimony meeting is really two-fold; it helps to encourage those who are hearing the way God is blessing and, of almost more value, is that the one who is to testify has to go back in his or her memory bank to recall what God has done and is doing for them. This experience helps us to be reminded that God is doing miracles, some little, some large in our lives. Our problem is we forget so easily! We need to remember…and then to share.
Some of our Prayer Leaders have organized their corps families in a wide reaching fellowship. One report just received from Mary Rose Silk at the Rita Corps in the Marshall Islands reports that she has 10 different prayer groups meeting. They make a list of 10 prayer requests and these are rotated to the groups. They met 62 times last month, 750 people prayed and 7,124 minutes were spent in prayer! That’s not only great statistical information but a great record of a praying people! They are seeing direct answers to prayer in Majuro!
The Call to Prayer Leaders are aggressively recruiting new people to become Prayer Partners. San Fernando Corps’ Prayer Leader, JoAnn Evans, sent us a list of 64 people who have covenanted to become Prayer Partners. At the Seattle Central Corp, Captain Bounmy Luangamath sent in the names of 17 new Prayer Partners! Many other corps are responding to the emphasis on prayer. We are beginning to experience anew the Power of Prayer and the miracles that follow!
Corps are reporting new people being won to the Lord. In one corps a person who had been coming for some time, but had never made a decision for Christ, was gloriously saved.
So many have written simply to say, “I am proud to be in this prayer group;” another, “Thank you for the privilege of being part of the Call to Prayer.” Faith Steele rejoices in the opening of their outpost in Gilbert, Ariz., with 22 in attendance, and a new Home League member enrolled. “We praise God for going before us to open these doors.”
As we pray for revival and for a renewed emphasis of Holiness in our corps and in our Army, may we never forget to “praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”