36 Straight

I recently posted about John Hyde better knows as "Praying Hyde" or the "Apostle of Prayer." The stories about him are legendary. While in Seminary people credit God answering his prayers for more people going out as missionaries. God heard and sent dozens of people in answer.

I wrote about how he would get so caught up in God that he often missed sleep and meals. I am just settling into the biography about him. One story I read grabbed my attention. On one occasion God so gripped this man of faith that he prayed on his knees for 36 straight hours. That is a day and a half without sleep or food lost in the wonder of worship through prayer and intercession.

I am confident there are many people who do not pray that long in a month. Maybe not even several months. God so gripped this man that nothing else distracted him from communion with his Father. We are so easily distracted. An email, phone call or text arrest our attention away from supplicating. We find various things to keep us busy and away from the prayer closet. Prayer is hard work. 36 straight hours is humanly impossible.

To pray that long with such devoted attention requires surrender of the flesh. Only God can keep a man solely shut up to Himself for 36 straight hours. Only God can grant a person that kind of endurance physically and that kind of faith spiritually to pray that long. I am both awed and humbled that God can get so much of a man.

What in the world could he have prayed about for that long? How about these things. The millions of lost souls in India. Strength for the pastors and missionaries to carry on the good work. Revival of the churches in India. Prayers for God to call more workers into the harvest. Prayers for holiness to characterize the lives of the church. Prayers for people to be drawn into deeper and more effective praying. Prayers for more opportunities to share Jesus with lost people. Prayers for a deeper love for God and people. These are only a few possibilities. On top of that you could add all the time he spent listening to God instead of doing all the talking.

Still 36 straight hours is beyond impressive. It is inspiring. Don't get me wrong. I am not about to set out and try to pray for 36 straight hours. I do want to pray so devotedly that I am not enticed away from God and distracted from giving Him my full and undivided attention. O that God would get more of me. O that He would get more of all of us. So much so that everyone and everything else takes second place to Him.

History records the powerful answers to "Praying Hyde's" prayers. It is also true that history is recording the lack of answers to our prayer less generation. Woe is us.