While holidaying in England, DL Moody visited a London church that was spiritually dead. The pastor recognised him and asked him to preach at the morning service. Reluctantly, Moody agreed. Afterwards, he told a friend the congregation was so unresponsive it was all he could do to finish his sermon. Later, he remembered he had committed to preach there again that night. Wishing he had never interrupted his holiday plans, he spent the afternoon dreading what was ahead.

But behind the scenes, something was happening that Moody knew nothing about. After the morning service, an elderly lady met her invalid sister for lunch and told her about Moody’s upcoming visit. Her sister’s eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, ‘I’ve been praying God would send Moody to England! Put away the lunch, Sis. We’ll spend the afternoon fasting and praying for tonight’s service.’

When Moody took the pulpit that night, an ‘electric’ sense of God’s presence filled the sanctuary. He preached like a man on fire and, when he issued an invitation for people to follow Christ, five hundred responded. Thinking they had misunderstood, Moody had them sit down while he re-explained the Gospel call. But when he issued a second invitation, the same five hundred stood to receive Christ. That Sunday initiated one of the greatest revivals ever to sweep England.

What helped make it happen? Two elderly ladies who understood their church desperately needed the fire of God’s Spirit. They believed God’s promise, ‘When a believing person prays, great things happen.’ Today, tap into the power of prayer. Your prayers can help ignite the fire of God and make great things happen.