Matthew 18:19

Latching onto the promise in Mathew 18:19, George Müller and the ill-treated wife of an unbelieving man petitioned God repeatedly for his salvation. God answered them, and eventually made a convert out of this former persecutor.

A Chinese church was attacked over a child's desecration of a pagan temple. In the conflict, a persecutor was shot in the arm and falsely accused the pastor of the act, producing a gun with the pastor's name on it as evidence. There was little hope of justice from the non-Christian official, but the believers stood on the promise of John 14:13-14 and prayed. God moved the official to examine the evidence impartially.

Louisa Vaughan's very first experience in ministry to women in China was discouraging. The prospect of teaching illiterate women, who were completely occupied with the tasks of daily life, seemed impossible. When Ms. Vaughan took the matter to God in prayer, He spoke the promise of John 14:13-14, and her burden rolled away. She had merely to ask in His name and trust Him for the outcome.

Louisa Vaughan's "one method of work" was to pray with complete reliance upon the promise of John 14:13-14. When faced with a particularly difficult situation of presenting the Gospel to a highly distracted young mother, she simply asked for her conversion in the name of Jesus. God glorified Himself in the woman's thorough conversion.

Jonathan Goforth, his wife, and an elder at Lingchang were gathered in prayers for a deacon who was trying very hard to keep his sins unconfessed. Latching unto Jesus' promise in Matthew 18:19, they petitioned God for the life of this deacon, and the next morning the Lord honored His word and answered their prayers.

A woman was led to pray for a friend who was in another country climbing an icy mountain. He was narrowly rescued from a perilous fall at the very time she was led to pray.

When a drought ravaged parts of England, some farmers agreed with their pastor to pray to God for rain. On the chosen day, a young girl full of faith, arrived with her umbrella in anticipation of the rain that was to come, and she was not disappointed.

Darlene Deibler suddenly began to crave banana in prison and knowing how impossible it was to get her cravings satisfied, she asked God to send her banana. Though she wanted just one piece and even doubted her getting it, the gracious Lord, to her bewilderment, sent her ninety-two bananas.

Not even the trying times they were going through was enough to deter Christians of the China Inland Mission from demanding more from an ever faithful God. They needed more workers, and so they simply prayed! And God answered; providing not just the workers but the means for their sustenance too.

Father Nash was a Christian brother who gave his entire life to intercessory prayer for the ministry of Charles Finney. Armed with God's promise to give whatsoever is asked in believing prayer, Father Nash would travail, sometimes for days, until he prevailed.

Three instances of marked deliverance in answer to prayer from drought, from disease, and from storm damage, show that George Müller and his staff could truly ask anything of the faithful God.

A friend, seven thousand miles away, was prompted to pray for the Goldsmiths and their medical needs.

Jonathan Goforth had a problem reading and speaking the Chinese language, and he feared he would be a failure as a missionary. One day while preaching, he experienced an unusual fluency. God had performed a miracle. Unknown to him at the time, this help from God came as a result of the prayer of some students half a world away. They had prayed for Goforth at the precisely same day he had experienced the language breakthrough.

While in London Mr. Goforth met an invalid woman who was known as a powerful prayer intercessor on behalf of others. She told him that one time when she had heard about certain meetings Mr. Goforth was holding in Manchuria, she was led especially to intercede to God on his behalf. In comparing their calendars, Mr. Goforth was in awe that on the particular days she was led to pray for him, he was most effective in faraway Manchuria.

Jonathan Goforth had the opportunity to visit a lady in England who was led by God to pray for him at the specific times of various revival meetings in China. They compared stories and found that the times the woman felt led to pray for the Goforths corresponded with times of great revival in China.

The Lord honours Rosalind Goforth's request to have her son's gift used for his country's good but also that he be kept away from trench warfare during the Great War. God answers, intervening at every time when the son would have been deployed and keeping him off the front lines.

"Whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." This was the promise upon which Hudson Taylor rested with absolute certainty as the mission trusted God for a hundred new workers and the funds to meet their needs. And they were not disappointed, as God kept His promise.

Fifteen-year-old Hudson Taylor had picked up a little gospel tract to read, simply as a diversion. But at that same time, several miles away, his mother felt led to pray to God for his conversion. Locking her door, she cried for hours until she could no longer pray, but instead thanked God for answering her prayer. Indeed, her timely prayer was answered!

Dr. Parker's return to Scotland created a new need for the missionaries in China as the expenses incurred to run the hospital and dispensary were until that time, borne by him. But holding onto the promise to seek God’s Kingdom first and have “all these things” added to them, they chose to trust and not to close down the hospital. Their faith in God was beautifully rewarded.

Nine years before he wrote this testimony, Buddy's sister was about to undergo a life-threatening medical procedure with a 1/100 chance for survival, and though she was 500 miles away, he went to God at that moment to pray for her. By the next morning, he learned that she was well and even wanted to see him!

In an hour of failing strength, when he doubted his ability to go through with a service, a preacher mysteriously finds his strength renewed and completely rested. It was only later that he discovered that at that particular time, two groups of believers in different places were praying to God on his behalf.

A young orphan needed a jacket and in answer to believing prayer, a jacket exactly his size was made available the very same day.

Ned's faith in the power of prayer was greatly strengthened when in answer to his prayer, his heavily laden boat was able to safely pass—without any human assistance—a bridge he dreaded so well.

When a company of Miaki's men attacked a mission house with the intention of killing the missionaries, they prayed and boldly trusted God who delivered them by sending a mighty wind and rain.

John Paton was out working when he suddenly found himself surrounded by a party of armed heathen men. With nowhere to run to, John remembers the words of Jesus: "Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, I will do it" - consequently, his faith grew and he prayed for his safety; and was saved from the hands of his enemies.

Martin Goldsmith learns very early in his christian walk; the power of trusting God's word. And basing his confidence on God's written word, Martin asked God at several times to stop the rain so he could ride out to his tutorial and time and again, God honoured His word.

Lord Radstock was told to get another horse as his favorite had fallen ill and was beyond saving. Inspired by the faith of missionary Hudson Taylor, instead of giving up on the animal, Radstock prayed that the youthfulness of his charger be renewed. God heard his petition and granted his wish, providing a spiritually formative experience for Lord Radstock.

In answer to the prayers of a group of young officers, their chaplain, at his weakest, was imbued with the power to proclaim the word of God so much so that a general was won over to the Kingdom of God.

When Lord Radstock was young, he visited the sick and dying in hospital to read to them and pray for them. One room contained two patients, one “dying in terrible agony of mind,” and the other with a face “lit by divine joy.” Radstock and the joyful man agreed to pray together for the dying man, claiming Matthew 18:19 as the Lord’s promise to answer their petition. Later, after the man has passed away, they learned that their prayer had been answered.

Like a child in conversation with her loving father, so was Mary Slessor's prayers to God. When she needed strength or help with anything -- like finding her misplaced reading glasses; God was her go-to Person. And He always answered her!

Charles Finney shares how instrumental prayer was to the revivals that happened at Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties. Believers were taking the promise, "If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven," and making specific supplications to God and prevailing with Him.

Mr. Ishii believed strongly in the power of prayer and when one day an ex-convict ran away from the Home, he besought God that the fellow returns on his own volition and that same day, the wanderer, now penitent, returned to the Home.

Parents led to pray for their wayward son just as he—unknown to them—is in a gospel meeting. He was saved that night.

John and Isobel Kuhn witnessed a great spiritual victory that came about through prayer at exactly the right time, but from the other side of the world.

When Tesfai and Fitsum went for evangelism, they encountered a group of young people including Sam. Sam had an usual growth on his skin, he challenged the missionaries that if Jesus truly loved him and could heal then he should be healed. Tesfai and Fitsum prayed for Sam, believing in the promise of Jesus that "whenever two or three of His disciples are gathered in His name, He’s right there with them. And if we ask for anything in His name, God will grant it." The next day, Sam testified and showed everyone that he was healed.

The doctor was sure Jozeca needed to have an emergency abortion to save her life as her body was not strong enough to carry a child full term. But Jozeca was also sure she and her child would live; her confidence was in God. Taking to prayers they begged for God's intervention and He answered; she had her baby when her time came!

A woman who founded a religious school for women began to doubt whether God accepted her work. To test her faith, she chose the most difficult student and prayed that God would bring her to Him. Within a week the student, of her own accord, came to her, seeking the way of salvation, and later became a missionary. This answered prayer not only gave the school's founder hope, but also signalled the school's future success in producing Christian women.

A woman who founded a religious school for women began to doubt whether God accepted her work. To test her faith, she chose the most difficult student and prayed that God would bring her to Him. Within a week the student, of her own accord, came to her, seeking the way of salvation, and later became a missionary. This answered prayer not only gave the school's founder hope, but also signalled the school's future success in producing Christian women.

An elderly widow, whose father was unconverted, prayed for his conversion. Despite living six hundred miles away, she wept in prayer for him one Monday evening, casting him over to Christ until a feeling of perfect peace came over her. The very next day, she received a letter from her family announcing his conversion on the same evening she had prayed for him.

Eva didn't want to join the family for a night out at the theatre, but knew not how to tell her father. She ran to God and asked for his help, and while she was yet praying, God granted her request.

A Christian wife was home praying for her husband and his brother who were both out in the cold on a stormy day. It was when her husband finally returned that she learned that her prayer was timely, even though her husband was distant!

Marie Monsen and S.E, both missionaries in China, clung unto the promise, “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:19-20:), and together they prayed to God for revival and He was with them - just like he promised!

A brother whose relationship was severed with his father on account of his becoming a Christian was returning to see his father after a long time. George Müller and the brother cried to God for not just a good reception for this brother but for the salvation of his father too; holding into the promise in Matthew 18:9 and in the fullness of time, both requests were graciously granted.

In 1938, during a Japanese attack on China, the premises of the China Inland Mission in Shansi were at risk of being bombed. But in the midst of the crisis, Kathryn Lederach found herself much at peace, and was even singing. A month later she learned that someone in her home country had been clearly led to pray for her at that very moment.

When Helen Dalton came down with spinal meningitis, it was war-time and the serum needed to save her life was hard to come by. But because God cared, as saints in China and in her homeland began to cry to God on her behalf, a miracle happened; the serum needed to save her life was found. And her life was spared, because, "God cared."

In a remarkable and definite answer to the prayers of Hudson Taylor and a few other Christians aboard a ship, God sent a much needed and timely wind to help redirect their course; for a four-knot current had them drifting helplessly toward some sunken reefs—much to the dismay of the cannibals at shore—who were already lighting fires in anticipation of the preys they were soon to catch.

In 1764, a Methodist preacher, Dr. Whitehead was asked by a man to pray for his critically sick daughter who was miles away. He did, and that same night, the daughter dreamt of a man praying fervently for her, and incredibly, when she recovered from her illness, she recognized Dr Whitehead as the man from her dream.

Willis Hotchkiss tells of being chased by a lion, only to have it give up the chase suddenly and run away. Later Hotchkiss learns of how far away friends were led to pray for him at that very moment.

Edman's attitude was seen by all and highly commended to be like Christ. This attitude was partly due to a near death experience in Ecuador. Believers far away in America were praying for him at the same time.

While Marguerite and her team were in far away eastern Europe one night trying to deliver two smuggled large print Bibles to needy believers in a country there, unbeknownst to them, a believer in their home country was at that very moment interceding that they will be successful, and they were!

By fervent prayer to God, Mrs. Van Cott made the two hundred converts she had seen in the spirit at the beginning of the revival she held in Stone Ridge.

A Christian wife prayed that the Lord would preserve and save her husband; unknown to her, the husband was facing turbulence at sea on that very day. The next day he returned home with news that he had been saved from waves and gave his life to Christ.

Mrs. Chipperfield had a strong impression of praying for her son, sensing that something evil would happen to him. She prayed earnestly. The next day she opened the papers and saw that her son had escaped a train accident. God heard her prayer!

While praying, Hamilton felt a great burden to pray for a crew traveling from Boston to Cienfugos. He travailed for a long time until the burden was lifted. When the crew returned safely, they related how they faced a turbulent sea at the time Hamilton was praying for them. God had delivered them through his prayers.

Some bishops gathered to pray for their friend, Bishop Simpson, who was sick at the hospital. After an intense prayer session, many thought, "Bishop Simpson will not die." At that very hour, Bishop Simpson was beginning his recovery, a few moments after the doctor had declared there was no medical hope for him.

A twelve-year-old girl, upon hearing the verse of scripture, “all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive,” began to pray fervently for her father. Meanwhile her father, who was three miles away, felt an irresistible impulse to return home, and then to the church.

Surprise Sithole had been trying without much success to teach his wife Tryphina, the English language. But much to his surprise, he returned home after a few days away to find her speaking the language and when he asked how it happened, she simply replied, “I was just praying that God would help me, and then one day I was able to speak English.”

The Sanborns, with their kids were all terribly exhausted as they hiked down a mountain. Fearing that the kids may suffer a heatstroke and dehydration, Art called for prayers and they gathered to seek God's help. Just after their prayers, help, unlikely as it was, appeared at the scene.