It was the beginning of a new year, and my church was about to join in the 10 Days of Prayer program.1 During the months leading up to this special time of prayer, I shared testimonies of how other churches had experienced a revival in their spiritual growth as a result of this program to encourage my members.
On the first day, 5 people came. At the end of the 10 days, our group had increased to 8 participants—out of 120 members. The prayer meetings were a blessing to the small group, but I was disappointed and discouraged. I wanted the whole church to experience this blessing.
Soon I realized that experiencing the power of prayer is not so much bound to an event but instead comes with an attitude of surrender to God. I remembered how Jonathan did not lose faith when facing the enemy camp. He stated, “For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few” (1 Sam. 14:6, NKJV). It is not about how many people pray but about individuals surrendering to the power of the Spirit.
As the year came to an end, we decided to rejoin the 10 Days of Prayer. This time, we prayed for the Holy Spirit to move more church members to attend the prayer meetings. God answered our prayers, and the first night, 20 people came. In the end, we had more than 40 participants. As the 10 days came to an end, church members expressed that we should not stop praying but instead continue asking God for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
A weekly prayer meeting was established. Young and old came together to pray. We decided to especially pray for members who had left the church.
One night we prayed for Michaela. Michaela had left the church 10 years ago, along with her husband. Michaela received a sudden and strong impression to go to church the following week. At first, she found this thought strange. Why should she go to church now, after such a long time? But as the days passed by, the impression grew stronger until Michaela was convinced that God was calling her to come back to church.
That next Sabbath, she found herself in church. The members of the prayer group couldn’t believe their eyes. A member of the prayer group immediately went up to Michaela and asked her if she could bring a dessert to the fellowship meal. Michaela was expecting all kinds of questions but not a request for a dessert. It made her feel very welcome and still part of the church family.
From that day on, Michaela decided to recommit her life to Jesus and be part of His church again. She asked the prayer group to also pray for her husband. Before long, that prayer, too, was answered. Today, both Michaela and her husband are leaders in the church and very much involved. They are so thankful for the people who cared enough to pray persistently for them to find their way back to Jesus and the body of Christ.
It all started with a small group participating in the 10 Days of Prayer and being willing to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). No matter how big or small, as the old gospel song says, “Little is much when God is in it.”2
- 10 Days of Prayer is a global prayer initiative held each January, available to churches of all denominations. See https://tendaysofprayer.org/.
- Kittie L. Suffield “Little Is Much When God Is In It,” 1924, public domain, https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Little_Is_Much_When_God_Is_in_It/.
