While very ill, John Knox, the founder of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland, called to his wife and said, “Read me that Scripture where I first cast my anchor.” After he listened to the beautiful prayer of Jesus recorded in John 17, he seemed to forget his weakness. He began to pray, interceding earnestly for his fellowmen. He prayed for the ungodly who had thus far rejected the gospel. He pleaded in behalf of people who had been recently converted. And he requested protection for the Lord’s servants, many of whom were facing persecution. As Knox prayed, his spirit went Home to be with the Lord. The man of whom Queen Mary had said, “I fear his prayers more than I do the armies of my enemies,” ministered through prayer until the moment of his death. Our Daily Bread. April 2011
Dear church, may we also be a people of prayer. If you attend this church regularly how many times have you attended our prayer services on Wednesday evening at 7pm? I would encourage you to do so when we have so many pressing problems in our public and private lives. We can be often discouraged in this life, but when I pray with my church these things are lifted from my burdened heart. We must remember the words of Sidlow Baxter, “…Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons — but they are helpless against our prayers.” Pastor Mark