Faith Builder

Every Sunday morning on the way to church we passed a huge flea market set up overnight in the parking lots of Ponca Plaza, a local shopping center.  It was packed solid with people, vendors and all kinds of junk from boundary to boundary, and it was growing.  Each Sunday the crowd was larger. 

"I wonder why those people don't go to church," I would lament every time we passed and saw the people milling about.  We could see it was the routine of many to have breakfast at the Perkins next to the parking lot, then amble around the flea market. What a way to spend the Lord's Day!

We have lived here for almost six years, and the flea market has been a fixture at least that long.  "Howard, I wonder what would happen if you went down there and suddenly started preaching to them," I said, only half joking.  Two Sundays ago at prayer time during church, my husband requested prayer.  "I just want to pray that God will do something about that flea market," he said, "Those people need God and revival!  I pray that he does something to get their attention!"

Last Sunday as we drove to church, I felt like something was missing.  Did we pass the flea market?  I looked behind me and didn't see it.  The plaza was swept as clean as a whistle! Where was the flea market?  They must not be having it today, I thought, although they'd never missed a Sunday, as far as I knew.

Then tonight at midweek service, a friend said to us, "Did you hear about the flea market?" I  recalled that I hadn't seen it  this past Sunday.  "It closed down!" she announced triumphantly!  "After we prayed!"  Wow!  How dramatic was that?  An undeniable answer to prayer!  "It had been there for years!" the lady exclaimed.  She said something about Penney's not renewing their permit, I think.

Praise God!  That flea market had been a blight on the city, set up during church hours and attracting so many of our citizens who could have been in church!

"It was in the newspaper that it closed," she went on.  "I'll bring you a copy of it."  No doubt it was a surprise and big disappointment to many, and we were surprised ourselves at the speedy answer to prayer!  "You're going to be in trouble," people teased Howard, "when they find out it was your fault!"

The pastor observed, "You know, Newkirk First Assembly has a reputation for seeing answers to prayer. Wait till this gets out!"

Not long ago, our pastor asked Howard to preach for tonight's service.  And preach he did!  His impassioned sermon was a charge to the people to pray for revival, his heart's desire.  He predicted a mighty heavenly outpouring as in the book of Joel, where God promises to send the former and latter rain in the same month.  He urged the congregation to pray and seek God for it.  And God answers prayer!