Dedicated To All You “Rope-Holders”

Call it what you want. I call it the hand of God. A few years ago Diana and I were on our way to Kansas City when in the middle of no- where our van “mysteriously” went out. We nursed it to the next exit and found a garage for the needed repairs. With a few hours to waste we decided to make the trek to a local shopping center where we “discovered” a Christian bookstore. There I “happened” to purchase a book by Bill Thrasher entitled A Journey to Victorious Praying. That book has since offered us much encouragement. Today we dedicate one of its stories to all of you “Rope-Holders” who pray and believe God on our behalf:

The largest and most popular course at the college that Richard Harvey attended was a first-year chemistry class. Dr. Lee, the most renowned professor in the school, taught the class, and every year before Thanksgiving he lectured against prayer. He would conclude the lecture by offering a challenge to anyone who still believed in prayer. Richard Harvey recall the occasion when he writes:

Then [Dr. Lee] would challenge, “Is there anybody here who still believes in prayer?” And he would say, “Before you answer, let me tell you what I am going to do and what I am going to ask you to do. I will turn around take a glass flask and hold it at arm’s length.” Then he would continue, “If you believe God answers prayer, I want you to stand and pray that when I drop this flask, it won’t break. I want you to know that your prayers and the prayers of your parents and Sunday school teachers and even the prayers of your own pastors cannot prevent this flask from breaking. If you wish to have them here, we will put this off until you return after the Thanksgiving recess.”

No one had ever stood up to Dr. Lee’s challenge until a Christian freshman learned about it. He sensed that God had given him the conviction to stand up to Dr. Lee. Finally the day came when the annual challenge would be made. Dr. Lee made it in the same way that he had done for the past twelve years. The only difference was that this time this courageous freshman responded when asked if there was somebody who still believed in prayer. Harvey recalls the events that followed:

“Well,” said the professor, “this is most interesting. Now we will be most reverent while this young man prays.” Then he turned to the young man, “Now you may pray.”

The young man just lifted his countenance toward heaven and prayed, “God, I know that You can hear me. Please honor the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, and honor me, Your servant. Don’t let the flask break. Amen.”

Dr. Lee stretched out his arm as far as he could, opened his hand and let the flask fall. It fell in an arc, hit the toe of Dr. Lee’s shoe rolled over and did not break.

There was no movement of air and there were no open windows. The class whistled, clapped and shouted. And Dr. Lee ceased his annual lectures against prayer.

God’s Spirit gave this young freshman the conviction to believe God…What does the Lord desire you to believe Him for today? Depend on the Spirit to strengthen you to believe Him as you seek Him.

1. Bill Thrasher, Journey to Victorious Praying (Moody Publishers, 2003)
2. Richard Harvey, Seventy Years of Miracles (Horizon House, 1998)