A few years ago I heard Winkie Pratney speak at a luncheon for church leaders. I was immediately impressed by the man's intelligence and humbled by his heart for Jesus Christ. Recently, I have begun reading his books as part of my personal study. I would like to share an excerpt from his book "The Thomas Factor" with you this week:
I have often prayed that God will reveal Himself to me. When I was a new Christian, I wanted God to talk to me in an audible voice! I didn't know what I wanted Him to say, I just wanted Him to say something. I had been saved about six months so I said, "O Lord, how come You have never spoken to me? You've spoken to some of these people in the Bible. You spoke to Your Son." I had forgotten that, as far as we know, Jesus lived thirty years before his Father spoke to Him in an audible voice. And there I was, a six-month brat, who wanted God to do all kinds of audible, supernatural things for me.
So late one night in a Christian campground I said: "God, I'm going to fast and pray… I'm going to die unless You come down and speak to me. Amen." Then I got my Bible and my sleeping bag and went out into the woods. I started to pray, "Lord, come down." I was yelling out in those woods at two o'clock in the morning. Suddenly I realized that all the crickets had stopped chirping. All the birds and owls had stopped hooting. Everything had stopped. It wasn't just that I was making a racket. I was on my knees with my Bible in front of me and I thought, why is everything so quiet? So I shut up a minute. It was very, very still right then. I think I stopped breathing. And then, without turning around, still on my knees on the sleeping bag, I very slowly looked behind me. And it seemed to me that something white was standing there. Do you know what I did? I did not turn around. I did not dare.
Pratney, Winkie. The Thomas Factor: Dealing With Doubt (Kindle Locations 1317-1332). Ministry Of Helps. Kindle Edition.
