I was brought up in a small town called Dromore in County Down, Northern Ireland. My family went to First Dromore Presbyterian church. Christianity has been part and parcel of life in Dromore dating back to the time of Saint Patrick. The picture is of a Celtic cross that still stands beside the cathedral in Dromore to this day. It dates back to the 9th century. Pointing all that time to the cross of Jesus Christ.
On childhood related memories I have one memory that has been etched in my mind by the Lord. I went on a few occasions to stay with my paternal grandmother during my summer holidays. She and my grandfather, lived in a big rambling house. In my memory it contained big rooms, lots of rooms.
In one of these rooms lived a very old lady. My great grandmother 'Granny Bell' who was well into there 90's was being looked after by my grandmother, and as I passed her room one day, spied me passing and looking intently at me, called out "Are you saved?"
I was only about 8 or 9 at the time and did not know what she meant, so I said "I don't know"! I still remember this as if it were yesterday, as she ushered me into her room, made me kneel down at the side of her bed, and as she knelt beside me she prayed and she prayed. It was a fervent prayer!
I know in my heart that this was a prayer for my salvation, and it was many years later that it was answered. God's timing is not always our timing, and in his sovereign will God answered the prayer of this righteous woman, many years after she had gone to be with him.
Just a 'wee' bit more on my great grandmother. She was a direct descendant of 'Jenny Geddes' (worth a search on Google for that story). She would pray for hours on end, and so fervent were her prayers that my grandfather often had to ask her to be quiet, as she prayed on into the middle of the night, so that he could get to sleep.
How she became a prayer warrior is a remarkable story, but true testimony to God's mercy. As a young woman she was partially disabled in one of her legs, unable to walk up a flight of stairs, having to pull herself up stairs on her hands and knees. She had seven children and when her husband suddenly died, she was left with a young family and a small farm to run.
Her disability meant that she could not run the farm successfully and at the point of desperation she prayed with a sacred promise, for her affliction to be taken from her. Her sacred promise was that she would serve the Lord for the rest of her life.
Shortly after that prayer she fell into a coma for two weeks, and was thought to be near deaths door. It was my grandmother who found her cooking breakfast early one morning, standing on two perfect legs. Her disabled leg had been fully restored. That woman kept her promise, and served the Lord faithfully until the day she died. I will talk about Granny Bell again later in my testimony, and how I know that her prayer was answered.
Jas 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Please Note: The fervent prayer of a righteous woman also avails much!
Finally ........... a thought for to-day
Faith and love are vital to effective prayer
What a treasure!!
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