Like most Adventist schools, we’ve always had prayer meeting at Zaoksky. However, God knew something was missing from our weekly meeting and that we needed a spiritual revival on our campus. So last fall God sent Pastor Don McLafferty, from Clovis California, to lead us in a special week of prayer. Not only did Pastor Don share many inspiring messages about prayer, but every day he lead a early morning prayer time, which many of our staff, faculty and students attended.
As a result of this beautiful morning prayer meeting, the Holy Spirit was poured out in rich measure and many of us experienced a personal revival in our relationship with Jesus, as well as a desire to witness more, and go deeper in our walk with God.
When the time came for Pastor Don to leave Zaoksky, the Lord convicted us of the need to continue the prayer gatherings every morning at 6 a.m. Opening the church in the early mornings for the members to come and pray has been such a blessing. Already more than three months have passed, and these prayer meetings have continued daily.
In the past, it was rare to see church members gathering together to pray in the morning. Now our church members and students tell us that they could not get by a day without this morning prayer time for it is like fresh water for the thirsty soul. Because of these morning prayers, we’ve already seen God working in many ways.
One member of our church at Zaoksky is a sister by the name of Praskovia. Praskovia has a very generous heart and has helped many people from orphans to the elderly who are disabled.
Not long ago, she reached out with love to an older woman who was wheel-chair bound. This woman was also struggling financially. Sensing the needs in the family, Praskovia told the older wheel-chair bound woman that she would be praying for her every morning with our church family. Not long after Praskovia started praying, the woman in the wheel-chair came to the prayer meeting and asked us to pray for a friend who was having a birthday. We decided not only to pray, but to take music and go sing and meet her friend. As it turned out, her friend was an Orthodox Christian, and she and her family happily welcomed us into their home. During our visit, we shared with them about the beauty of a personal relationship with Jesus. They listened intently. After each testimony, we sang a song and praised the Lord together.
Finally, as we were preparing to leave, the Orthodox family stopped us at the door. “Wait, we want to share something with you,” they said as they pressed $150 into the hands of our friend in the wheel-chair. “We believe you serve a great God,” they said. ”We want to share our blessings because you have blessed us so much today.”
The Bible says, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38).
Not only was the sweet woman in the wheel chair blessed financially in her time of great need, but her faith was strengthened knowing that God had used her to bless others.
Boris G. Protasevich, President of Zaoksky Theological Seminary, Russia.