When Corrie Ten Boom of The Hiding Place fame was a little girl in Holland , her first realization of death came after a visit to the home of a neighbor who had died.  It impressed her that some day her parents would also die.  Corrie’s father comforted her with words of wisdom.  “Corrie, when you and I go to Amsterdam , when do I give you your ticket?”

“Why, just before we get on the train,” she replied.

“Exactly,” her father said, “and our wise Father in heaven knows when we’re going to need things too.  Don’t run out ahead of Him, Corrie.”

When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need — just in time.”

My heart is full as I write this. I just came from a prayer meeting initiated by the teenagers at our school that started at 12:20 (they skipped lunch and fasted) and went till 2:45 . What a wonderful time as our sophomores, juniors, and seniors poured out their heart to God asking him to give them more of a love for others and more fire and zeal for him. What a blessing as God’s presence came down and I was privileged to see them praise God, shout, run the aisles, and hug each other in an exuberance of love as well as doing some incredible praying during the prayer time. When it came time for class they were so involved in praying to God I doubt if they even had a clue it was time to go to class. I didn’t either till several minutes after class should have started. So I just canceled class, as did some other teachers and let them continue praying. Some things are just more important than others. It has been a long time since I have been in a prayer meeting just like that. When we were done, several of us just sat there totally drained physically while the spiritual part was going “WWWHHHEEEE!!!!!!”. No energy left. I had very little voice left either.

The idea for this prayer meeting started Saturday morning after a rock-a-thon on Friday night. The rock-a-thon went till 3 in the morning then they played some volleyball. After that we sat around and talked for a while. (I was the sponsor for the rock-a-thon). After I said we really needed to leave, they asked if we could read the bible and have a short devotional. I said sure. They got a Bible and God directed me to Psalm 47 and the first couple verses of Psalm 48. Those two verses make a nice chorus and we sang that. While we were singing the Lord came down and really filled the place. It wasn’t a hilarious, jump up and down time. We sat there quietly, basking in the almost overwhelming presence of a loving God. We sang a chorus softly about every 3 to 5 minutes but the rest of time we just sat, cried, and softly told God how much we loved Him. You didn’t want to be loud, it was just a time to be soft and quiet. That is the way that the Spirit was moving. That lasted for an hour then we spent another big section of time talking about spiritual things, praying, and singing. I’m not sure exactly how long that lasted. What I do know is we left the gym at 8:30 am . Exhausted in body, but thrilled in the soul. That night they set the plan up to meet for a prayer meeting Monday at noon . I agreed to join them. They didn’t have to twist my arm.

- Bill, A Christian College Teacher

Just then, it flashed into her mind that “God made man in His own image,” and looking up with a brightening eye, she said: “to God’s kingdom, sire.” The king was deeply moved. A tear stood in his eye. He placed his hand on the child’s head and said, most devoutly, “God grant that I may be accounted worthy of that kingdom!”  Reader, are you, too?

“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-11 KJV)