D.L. Moody in England

"Now this is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." (1 John 5:14-15)

        

     Almost everyone who has listened to a sermon or two has heard of D.L Moody and has probably heard a quotation or story about him and the Moody Bible Church and College in Chicago that has made such an impact for Christ around the world. D.L. Moody was an uneducated shoe salesman that was won to Christ by his Sunday School teacher who went to his place of work and led Mr. Moody to the Lord as a young man. Later Mr. Moody felt called to the ministry and was obedient to do all that Lord called him to do.

  After an intimate experience with the Holy Spirit in 1871, Mr. Moody became very responsive to the Spirit’s prompting even when he did not understand what God was up to. In 1872 he felt a strong call to go to England and study at the feet of the brilliant Bible teachers he had met in 1867. He had been asked to come and preach in 1876 but had declined and now he just wanted to listen and study. While there a pastor saw him in the congregation and talked him into preaching the next Sunday.

At the morning service nothing out of the ordinary happened but at night the atmosphere was charged with the Spirit of God and when Mr. Moody asked for anyone who wanted to become Christians to stand, all over the church people stood up. Thinking that they really did not understand his question he asked them all to come into the inquiry room where he again asked all who wanted to become Christians to stand. “The whole audience got up.” Still amazed and skeptical, they were all directed to come back the next night. They did and more came with them! He continued to preach for the next 10 days and 400 people made professions of faith, were baptized, and joined the church.

   Mr. Moody knew that he had not been praying very hard for the souls of the people the week before the first sermon so he knew that there must be someone at the church who had been praying. After making inquiries he found a bedridden girl had been praying that God would bring Mr. Moody to the church. “God had heard her, and brought me over 4 thousand miles of land and sea to answer her request.” Wrote Mr. Moody years later. (She had read an article in a magazine about a man named D. L. Moody doing a work among the poor in Chicago’s poorest children and began to pray, “O Lord, send this man to our church.”) (A Passion For Souls, The Life of D.L. Moody, Lyle Dorsett)

What is on your heart to pray for today? Is for revival in your heart and the heart of those in your church? Is it for lost members of your family or friends? Pray and continue to pray expectantly and fervently that God will answer your prayers!

   

Pray that:

1.     God will do a mighty work in my life and in the life of our church.

2.     That the Holy Spirit will come down and fill my life and the lives of all who call upon the name of the Lord.

3.     What God does in our lives during the upcoming weeks and months will stay with us until the Lord comes again for us in power and glory.

4.     It will truly be the Spirit of God that moves me and not just an emotional response.