Saturday, October 1, 2011

Prayer at the Bank

I had a chance to publicly share Christ in a very unusual way today.  While at the bank doing some business for GSF, I was sitting at the Assistant Manager's desk.  It was the end of the business day so the workers were trying to put things into the vault.  No one could find the key!  The bank managers are Hindu and there are Muslims who work there also.  But many of the workers are believers in Jesus.  I was the only customer remaining, because I needed something that was in the vault and the bank had closed by this point.
They searched everywhere, focusing on the manager's desk where I was sitting, because it is directly in front of the vault.  I felt God telling me to stand and pray out loud.  I was afraid to do it.  Once, I told the manager that God knows where his key is.  He laughed nervously and kept looking.  A few minutes later, while they were still frantically searching, I told him again that I would pray to God, because my God knows all things.  Again, he nervously laughed.  There were at least 6 or 7 people searching for that key for more than 30 minutes now.
Finally, there was enough courage in me to fully do what God was saying. I stood and announced in a loud voice that there is a God in heaven and he cares about the affairs of men.  "God knows where the key is and I am going to pray that He will show you where your key is."  Then I prayed out loud to the One True God and asked Him to shine His light on the key so that all the people would know that He alone is God.  All the Christians said a big "Amen!" when I finished.  I have never done anything like that in my life.  After praying, I quietly started pleading with God, that His reputation was now on the line (probably more concerned about my own name, in reality).
Within ten minutes they found the key in a drawer that had already been searched many times by several different people.  Many people started saying "God answers prayer!"  One man shook my hand to thank me.  I just sat quietly and pointed to Heaven.  Even the Hindu bank manager shook my hand and said "Your prayer was answered."  The Muslim worker got into a cordial, yet pointed conversation with one of the Christian clerks – I'm supposing (as they were speaking in Luganda) that they were talking about whose God had answered the prayer.
Friends, if you only knew how nervous and afraid I was to stand up and do this.  I don't know what will come of that act of courage.  Pray that God will work in the hearts of those people in the bank.  May they continually be reminded that there is a God, and He is One God, and He is concerned about the affairs of men – even at the bank.

3 comments:

Renae said...

Thank you for sharing your heart and courage.

Darren said...

Darren Talley here, Mark. Great story and great courage! Let your voice be heard...even if it shakes.

Outside My Window said...

Hi Mark, thanks for following the Lord. He wants to make His Name know to all the Nations. You have made a big contribution today. Diana