Our first prayer group began about four years ago, after I visited the Kress Memorial Church in Florida. While there I had the privilege of attending their midday prayer session, which was for everyone, but especially for those who could not easily go out at night.
When I returned home, I asked our pastor if we could begin something similar. He said, "You do it." So our Tuesday morning prayer group began. Every Tuesday we meet from 10:30- 11:30 a.m., and afterwards we have lunch together. In our meetings we study different books of the Bible or a Spirit of Prophecy book with study sheets. And we pray.
Many, many prayers have been answered. It is a wonderful feeling to witness first hand how God answers our prayers. As a group we have grown closer and are more aware of each other's needs and the needs of our whole church.
Some months after our Tuesday prayer group began, Elder Victor Brown visited our church and conducted a seminar on small group ministry. After attending the seminar, several of us decided to have a Sabbath afternoon prayer group.
The Sabbath afternoon group is made up of young married couples, unmarried couples, singles, senior singles and couples. Mostly we meet in my home after church, where we have lunch together with each one contributing to the meal. Often we invite visitors to join with us. After lunch and fellowship we have our intercessory prayer group. We have a book with names and the needs listed. We pray for each one.
One young lady in our church, who was right in the middle of her senior year, decided she would quit school. Her mother asked us to pray for her to change her mind. Both prayer groups prayed, and individually we prayed every day for her to be wise and to stay in school. Before the end of the week, her mother called to tell me that her daughter had just decided to go back to school. The mother said it was truly a miracle.
Another member's daughter, who is married, was very distant to her parents. We prayed especially for the parents and the daughter. After a short time the daughter called her mother, invited her for dinner, and told her that she wanted to have a relationship with her.
The following is a testimony by an 82-yearold retired school teacher and a prayer group member: "Recently, a dear friend, Connie, called to let me know that she had a large growth on one of her hands. It was swollen and painful. She had already been to the doctor and surgery was scheduled. The Holy Spirit led me to pray for her. Then when I went to my prayer group, I asked them to also pray for my friend, who was scheduled for surgery on Thursday.
"Wednesday morning I got a call from Connie saying she had just been to see her doctor again and to the doctor's amazement, he could not determine where the swollen growth had been."
"What happened?" the doctor exclaimed. Connie replied, "It's a miracle."
"When she came by to show me her hand she had tears of joy and thanksgiving to God for His miracle manifested in August 1996. This was proof of God's faithfulness in answering our prayers. Needless to say the joy that I experienced was powerful and overwhelming."
Meeting with my prayer groups are my bonus prayer days. I also enjoy the wholesome fellowship. During the week when my phone rings and a friend calls, and we close the conversation by saying, "Please let's close this chat with prayer," my heart overflows with thanksgiving.
Eulene Gallimore writes from Greensboro, North Carolina, where she is head elder in her church. She is the mother of two Adventist ministers.
