“Prayer, faithful, earnest prayer will move the arm that moves the world.” (Signs of the Times, January 15, 1880)
A colleague and I were on our way to an Adventist World Radio (AWR) youth evangelistic series held nearby India. Not long after we set out, we received word that elephants were within sight. I asked what this meant. Three nights earlier, I’d been told that approximately 175 elephants were roaming, earnestly in search of food. However, in their search, they damaged 25 houses, rice fields, and other crops! The following night, a herd of about 60-70 elephants returned again, causing great trouble to the people living in the area where we were holding the event.
I was not sure if we would make it to the site or if the meeting would continue that evening. I immediately whispered a prayer and messaged my wife and our network of people around the globe to offer prayers on our behalf. My wife responded to my message informing me of their prayers, and she noted that “only angels could move these elephants.”
As we drove to the site, a motorcycle came to meet us along the dusty, rough road. The rider was the mission president who came to lead our AWR rented van to the remote site. He welcomed me with a hug of gratefulness and thanksgiving that we still came.
We arrived at the end of the road and several pastors on motorbikes came to meet us. I was extremely humbled by this warm reception and eagerness to bring us to the site, even if it endangered their own lives. We continued the short journey on the backs of motorbikes in the foothills. We then quickly hiked in darkness into what appeared to be a hilly jungle!
As we neared a flat clearing, I began to hear people singing. I saw lights and a building. It was our remote site still filled with people waiting for the message. What a sight to behold! People were hungering and thirsting for the Word of God! I was told, “These people waited hours for us, and by the way, the elephants are nowhere in sight. They must have turned away.”
We proceeded to share the Good News with these hungering souls, and they responded to our appeal to be ready for Jesus’ coming.
Jesus loves these villagers, and no number of elephants could stop them from hearing the words of heaven when God’s people prayed! Effective fervent prayer doesn’t only move hearts . . . a prayer offered in faith also moves herds of elephants!
Thank you for praying for AWR’s evangelism outreach, and please continue to keep the AWR efforts nearby India in prayer. People are responding to Jesus, but much prayer is still needed so that Satan’s plan for them fails and only the plan of heaven triumphs.
If you want to support AWR’s projects in Asia, visit awr.org/projects/asia, where you can easily give online. Thank you for your support of AWR!
By Dr. Jan Cabungcal
