Prisons and Prayer; Or, a Labor of LoveWheaton, Elizabeth Ryder
Religion
Prisons and Prayer; Or, a Labor of Love
Wheaton, Elizabeth Ryder
Evangelistic work; Prisons
The meeting that night was led by the Holy Spirit; souls were saved,
Christians quickened into new spiritual life and power, and sinners
awakened. Other services were held in several of the churches. God was
honored and the Holy Spirit held right-of-way. Often I would have
services in the white people's church till 9 p. m., then hurry to the
colored people's church and preach and sing and pray till 11 o'clock.
Then at 5 in the morning would meet again, at the Methodist church,
such crowds of worshipers--devout, humble seekers after God. I left
the city just as the meetings were at their height. In the next world
when we all assemble together I expect to see many who were converted
at that series of meetings.
CALLED TO THE MINISTRY.
The young man who seemed so interested in that first street service
came to all the meetings. He was clearly converted and was called to
the ministry. For some time he was a successful soul winner,
manifesting a pure spirit and a godly life; but he afterwards became
discouraged and went into business to support his family. In a letter
from him in later years I received the following words:
"At the time I got your postal I was in serious meditation on
spiritual affairs and was fully considering re-entering the
Gospel ministry. I know I was called of the Lord through His Holy
Spirit to preach His everlasting gospel. Praise His holy name! He
gave me the seal of His approval in the witness of His Spirit and
the fruit of my labor in the salvation of souls. I know this of a
truth from experience. You cannot imagine how I long, Oh, so
intensely, to be again filled with His Spirit and to enter upon
His work in the salvation of souls.
Lovingly yours,
I. H. N."
A COLORED WOMAN SAVED AND PREACHING.
In the year 1886 I was holding meetings in Houston, Texas. Was in a
colored people's church one day, and was much perplexed as to how to
reach the people's hearts. I wept before the Lord in prayer. I did not
know it then, but God was working, using my zeal and grief to help
save a soul. Finally a woman who came to scoff and ridicule was
converted. She received a call to preach after vowing that women were
never called to preach. Well, the years rolled by and one night in
Oklahoma City I saw the Salvation Army gathering in a tent. I went in
and was invited to read the Word and lead the meeting. I did so, and
as the services were about to close a colored woman arose and said she
wished to state that she was saved, and told how she was also called
to preach by the Spirit of the Lord through what I said in that
meeting in Houston, Texas, so long before. She labored for years as an
evangelist and so far as I know is still preaching. In her
evangelistic work she has labored successfully in many of the states.
At one time she wrote of her conversion as follows:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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