“Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.” John 9:31
During devotions in my first full-time ministry at a Children’s home, prayer and the dangers of doing wrong things to one’s body were preached about. I believe more than once we talked about drinking alcohol and how it does harm.
On the way to church, at least three times a week, we passed a local, rough-looking bar. One boy took the class lessons to heart as we passed that establishment. Perhaps, he had experienced how drinking personally hurt him or others in his family, but he had a burden to close that business.
In nighttime devotions at the dorm, he prayed that the bar would close. During prayer time at the start of our school day, he begged for prayer to close that tavern. Soon others caught the burden to halt drunkenness at that business, and they too prayed often.
Several weeks after the praying started, we passed the bar on the way to church. Sometime during the week it caught on fire and was burnt to the ground. Not much remained amongst the charred rubble.
As we passed the scorched remnants, silence fell on that van. Soon all heads turned to the originator of the praying. It was not long until the silence vanished and was replaced with praises and with shouts of victory. More than one “Did you see that?” and “Wow”s were heard.
Every single child in that ministry learned that there was a God and that He heard their humble pleas. All learned that the “… effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16b
To learn more about what the Bible teaches about drinking alcohol, read “Should A Christian drink Alcohol” at http://openthoumineeyes.com/lessons/Drinking.html.
“Prayer requires more of the heart than of the tongue.” — Clarke
