Rayburn was a long time member of a church I pastored. He often dropped in to visit with me at the office. Many times I visited him and his wife in their home. On a few occasions I had the privilege of ministering to Rayburn in the hospital. Rayburn loved the Lord. He loved to study the word of God. He also loved his church.
When he called to come see me in the early spring of 2010 I did not have any idea what a fateful day that would be and the divine encounter I would have. Rayburn was older. In the time I served that church I never saw him in attendance at any service. He watched our services faithfully on television. He was a key player in getting the services televised.
He walked into my office with the aid of a cane. We exchanged a few pleasantries and then he got to the point of why he came to see me. He told me he thought the lord was leading our church to have a revival. My initial response was not positive as he kept talking. I went through a list of people in my mind I could invite to a revival meeting and the list was very narrow. Rayburn continued. He said bluntly, "Pastor, I think you are supposed to preach that revival and furthermore, I think you should schedule it to last ten days."
I had not expected that. I could not think of a single instance where the pastor of a local congregation preached a revival meeting for the church he served. I assured Rayburn I would pray over it. We then prayed together and he left.
I did pray on the matter diligently. I can't tell you what God used to convince me this was His prompting but in time I did feel God was leading in the matter. We scheduled the revival meeting for late July of 2010.
I took a little three day retreat to write a devotional book to be used in preparation for the revival. Only God could have inspired such a book. I completed the rough draft of 40 Days To Shake The City in those three days and brought it back to have people help me edit it. We printed it on copy machines and spiral bound copies for our members. 40 days from the start of the revival I encouraged people to fast, pray, and go through the devotion to prepare for what God wanted to do.
God honored Rayburn's visit that day, the people's prayers, and that little devotion book. That ten day revival lasted 23 straight days with 36 people getting saved. Only God could do that.
Few who read this knew Rayburn. He and his wife are now gone on to heaven. Yet this obscure man was used of the Lord in a mighty fashion to deliver a message to this pastor that still humbles me. When I think about Rayburn praying for me and the church I wonder how he received the burden to come visit me that day. I wonder how he received the inspiration to ask me to preach a revival and to schedule it for ten days. That is not an ordinary request. He could have easily dismissed the matter. He did not though. He received God's message for me and acted on it promptly.
How many obscure people has God used to accomplish His purposes. We never know their name. We may never hear their prayers. I think of an invalid lady praying for D.L. Moody to come to her town to preach. Moody did come. Many souls were saved. I think of a praying lady who asked God to send Duncan Campbell to her island to preach bringing revival. Duncan did come and God did usher in revival.
Only God, Rayburn and I were witness to that conversation in my office that day. Yet history was made in those few moments. Eternity will tell the full story. 36 people were gloriously saved. That is part of that story. Thank you Rayburn.
I also think of a single mother named Joan. Several years ago, after I had left the community she lives in, she called to ask me if I would pray with her over a burden she had for a little west Texas town named Kermit. I told her I would pray. I did pray for Kermit for sometime but eventually the burden lifted and I forgot all about that town. That is until out of nowhere I had a dream about Kermit. Subsequent dreams followed over the course of months all with a similar message. I was to go to Kermit to hold revival meetings in that town.
I don't know what God will do in Kermit but I do know He used Joan to draw my attention there. The first thing I did after my first Kermit dream was to remember Joan and the burden she carried for that town. I called her soon afterward. I knew this was not coincidence. That revival meeting is scheduled for July 23-29 of 2017.
How many countless followers of Jesus has He used to change the course of history but we will never their know their names. I do believe that history hangs on the hinges of the obscure people. There will always be the leaders, the out front people, and the people on the stage. Charles Finney was such a leader. Fewer people know about Father Nash who went before Finney to towns to pray for breakthrough before Finney arrived to preach. Finney got the recognition but Father Nash prepared the way for revival through his fervent intercessions.
I thank God for the obscure people who seek God and His kingdom first. I thank Him for the people who work behind the scenes, do the mundane tasks, and never get noticed. Heaven notices. God sees their every deed. I praise His name for such people.
Let me conclude with one other example. Many have heard me preach. I have preached in several states and in two foreign countries. Yet few people know the invaluable service my wife Brenda is to me praying for God to inspire fresh messages. I do not come up with sermons on my own. They are inspired and I know it is because she prays for me so fervently and especially on the weeks when I cannot get a clear or fresh word from the Lord. She is behind the scenes doing the herculean work of interceding for her husband and pastor. I owe a debt of gratitude to her I can never repay. So does every person who ever heard me preach.
I salute the obscure people whom God uses to change history. I humbly bow to the intercessors who should be credited for the work they do but they do it in obscurity. May God raise many more to keep the intercessory work flowing. Through this history will be changed.
Thank you Rayburn. Thank you Joan. Thank you Brenda. History hangs on the hinges of your ministry.
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