Bolted Doors Are No Match for Angels
Chantal Klingbeil
The Australasian Missionary College in Australia opened in 1897. Two years later, right as the college was in the middle of a very important building project, they received bad news from the United States (US). American church members had been supporting the college with special offerings, but this assistance was suddenly cut off because of banking issues. Now the college leadership had a big problem—how were they going to pay the workers and buy the rest of the bricks and other supplies needed?
To make matters worse, a donor who had loaned the college money made a surprise visit to the administration and wanted their money back—the next day. With no cash on hand, three of the leaders dashed off to try to get some money from the bank to pay the donor. It was already 4 p.m. and the bank was closed. The front door was locked tight. The three men prayed together that God would intervene.
As they passed the side door of the bank, they noticed something strange. The side door was open about the width of a man. The three men walked in. Inside the bank, they found the banker and his assistant with all the money from the vault out in piles on the table. The banker and his assistant were very busy counting the money. Both men turned pale when they realized that they were not alone. After all, you can’t have people just walking into the bank while all the money is being counted!
Once the banker and his assistant realized that they were not being robbed, they wanted to know how the three college leaders had gotten in. “We walked in through the side door,” they replied. “Yes, I know,” replied the banker, “but how did you get the door open? I shut, bolted, locked, and chained that door myself. How did you get it open?” The leaders explained that they had prayed for God to intervene, and they found the door open. For a few seconds everything was quiet as the three leaders, the banker and the assistant all realized that an angel must have gone before the leaders and opened that bolted, locked, and chained door. Of course, the banker saw to it that the college got the money they needed.
Chantal Klingbeil is an associate director at the Ellen G. White Estate in Silver Spring, Md.
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World Church Prayer Requests
March 3 - 10, 2019
• PRAYER REQUEST: Please pray for Global Youth Day, which takes place March 16, 2019. On this day young people worldwide will seek to “Be the Sermon” as they adopt a prisoner, a patient, or an orphan to show them the love of Christ. (To learn more visit: https://youth.adventist.org/gyd)
• PRAYER REQUEST: We are now three weeks away from the big Total Youth Involvement event, which will take place March 24-30, 2019. Please continue praying for the General Conference Youth Ministries Department as they prepare to mobilize Pathfinders and other young adults all over the world to preach at 100,000 different sites for Total Youth Involvement. #TYI19 (To learn more visit: https://youth.adventist.org/Total-Youth-Involvement)
• PRAYER REQUEST: Please pray that our young people would learn how to be faithful in giving their tithes and offerings. Pray that they would grow up to be good stewards financially as well as in how they use their talents.
• PRAYER REQUEST: Pray for protection of our young people from ever-increasing worldly influences. Pray that they would focus on the Word of God and service to others.
• PRAYER REQUEST: Pray for local churches to emphasize mission outreach and service opportunities, sponsoring young people through “One Year in Mission” and through other programs designed to focus attention on the mission God has given us.