Stock Market Crashes; 10,000 Gather to Pray

Stock Market Crashes; 10,000 gather to pray

"At noon on September 23, 1857, a businessman Jeremy Lamphier, started a prayer meeting in lower Manhattan on Fulton street only a couple of blocks from Wall Street. He invited many people but only six showed up, however this did not discourage Lamphier as he already knew the history of prayer and its ability to bring revival.

What does a prayer meeting have to do with Stockcasting and business on Wall Street? In times of crisis we need to pray. Seventeen days after Lamphier started his prayer meeting on October 10th, 1857 the stock market crashed. The crash is now described as the "great panic of 1857".

Within six months Lamphier's little prayer meeting had grown to nearly 10,000 people a day. This revival in prayer spread to other American cities as well. In Chicago 2,000 gathered daily for prayer. Other cities like St. Louis, Cleavland, Louisville experienced similar revivals. By February 1858 the media caught wind of the revival and several articles were written including ones in the New York Herald and the New York Tribune. It was this small prayer meeting of six men led by Jeremy Lamphier lead to what is now known as "The Third Great Awakening". This revival spread quickly to Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, Europe, South Africa, India, Australia, and the Pacific islands."

Thanks for posting this, AbideinHim!

It is disappointing that it often takes bad situations, calamities or rock bottom "valley of the shadow of death" experiences to cause some to look to Christ. I suppose that it is part of that "measure of faith" that is given to all men -- who bury it until they come to a point that is much bigger than all of their money, education and vocational tenacity.

During college, a young Christian man who played on the football team was in one of my classes. He had transferred from a top football school where he was a significant part of their team's defense and a potential draft pick for the NFL. He was a big guy -- about 6'5" and all muscle. I had wondered what happened that caused him to transfer.

This football player knew me and knew my faith. He had approached me several times asking for prayer over different matters. He was very polite and very scholastic (especially when compared to many other football players). One day, he asked if I could tutor him for an upcoming Inorganic Chemistry exam. During that study session, he shared his testimony.

At his previous university, this young man had been at a club that was popular with the football team. A drunk at the bar started a fight with one of this man's friends. They took it outside where this young man (and a team mate) held down the drunk while the team mate involved in the fight walked off. Suddenly, the fighting team mate returned with a manhole cover and smashed the drunken man's head. An ambulance arrived and quickly declared the drunk deceased.

A policeman who knew this young man quietly advised him to obtain an attorney immediately. Within a short period of time, this young man was convicted as an accomplice in a homicide and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Like those who pray during a stock market crash, this young man began to earnestly look to whatever "spiritual" guide he could find. He eagerly converted to Islam at the suggestion of a friend. He attended the meetings for Muslims and was very sincere. However, he noticed that, sometimes, he would find himself singing or humming the old Christian worship songs that he had heard in church as a child.

After he was in prison for about two years, he was reading through the Quran. He noticed several passages pertaining to Jesus. This puzzled him, because he had long been taught by clerics that the Biblical account (and teachings) of Jesus had been "embellished" in a much more recent past -- even after the death of Muhammad (in 632 AD). He was taught that Jesus was a prophet -- and had even ascended into Heaven -- but that the only "trustworthy" account of the life and words of Jesus is found in the Quran.

Yet, one day, he was reading a newspaper article about the discovery of some portions of the Gospel that predated the life of Muhammad and the Islamic religion. This puzzled him. This young man became curious to read about the life and words of Jesus. He found a Bible, opened it up and began to read.

This young man said that he immediately marveled at the differences between the Bible and the Quran. Whereas the Quran seemed ambiguously poetic and subjective in meaning, the Bible seemed much more clear, concise and straightforward. More importantly, this young man said that he felt what he described as "power" behind the words that he was reading. He was reading through the book of John when he began to weep. He gave his heart to Jesus telling him that he desperately wanted to know and belong to Him.

This was a "born again" experience that we all know so well. Life immediately changed for this young man. Whereas he was previously feared in the prison (even by the guards), he was now a model prisoner. He attended Bible studies, prayer meetings and was compliant with whatever he was told by prison guards and officials. He was eventually transferred to the cell of an older prisoner who was also a Christian. They spent a couple of years encouraging one another in the Lord.

One night, this young man had a dream. He dreamed that he was attending classes at a university and playing football. He dreamed that he was married, working and serving the Lord outside of a prison. When he suddenly woke up, he jumped into sitting position...trembling. His cellmate was awake. He told this young man, "I had a dream about you. You are going to get out of prison, go to college, play football and even get married. God has a call for your life!"

This young man skeptically thought, "Yeah...right." Although the coincidence was startling, this young man said that he was unwilling to believe it. After all, he had been sentenced to 30 years in prison...and it didn't look like he would ever get out.

However, a short time later, this young man was called into the warden's office. The warden was aware of his faith and remarkable transformation. The warden told him, "You don't belong here. I am going to try my hardest to get you out." He went on to tell the young man that he has NEVER tried to get anyone out of his prison before, so he wasn't sure what he could do. The warden told him something to the effect, "Many men find God in prison. However, they leave him here when they get out. After a while, many return to prison...and to the God that they left behind. But I don't think that will happen to you. There is something real about you. I don't suspect that I will ever see you back here once you get out."

This young man remained somewhat skeptical about getting out, because he didn't want his hopes up only to have them dashed. However, a short time later, he was summoned to meet with his attorney, the warden and some others. He was told that he was getting out.

This young man was able to get into the university that I attended and play football there. He was an undergraduate Wildlife Biology major (on his way to Veterinary Science degree) -- and maintained good grades though graduation. He eventually married a young English professor. He was also very active with campus ministries as well.

I apologize for digressing by sharing this young man's testimony. It is just that your post reminded me about what this young man said that the warden told him about people who turn to God during a crisis...or imprisonment...but leave or ignore God behind once it is over.

I suppose that it is good whenever someone turns to Christ during bad times. However, it is better when they turn to Christ regardless of the things that they are going through. I suppose that one of the reasons that this young man remains in the faith is because he didn't turn to Christ because of the situation (prison), but irregardless of it. He turned to Christ because he wanted to know and walk with Him.

When I read an account of the prayer meeting in Texas (with Rick Perry), I was very happy. However, I wondered how many of those who are experiencing difficult situations might be lulled to spiritual slumber when times are good. I suppose that this is a bit like what happened to Israel when they didn't have a righteous judge to lead them. They "did what was right in their own eyes" and often slowly turned to sin.

My prayer is for a revival that awakens people to Christ and keeps them desperate to know and walk with Him -- even when times are good. After all, He is the God of the valleys and mountain tops -- but also of everywhere in-between. I pray that we have a revival in this world where the "leaf also shall not wither" (Psalm 1:3).

I loved reading about this young man's testimony. Thanks for sharing it!!

Thank you, SDE. The next time that I speak with him, I will let him know that his testimony encouraged you.

By the way, I didn't want to digress or take anything away from the quote from AbideinHim's post...because it is quite encouraging.

However, those words did remind me of what this football player said to me about people who "found God" in prison...yet left Him (and their Bibles) behind when they were freed from the prison.

I have often heard ministers lament the fact that some people want to come to God simply to avoid going to Hell. I suppose that all of us obviously want to avoid eternal damnation. Yet the motivation of our salvation isn't just about avoiding punishment. Rather, it is to know, love and worship our Creator for all of Eternity.

Bad and difficult experiences certainly cause people to turn toward God...and rightfully so. After all, He is our "very present help in times of trouble." But it is "fruit that remains" that we must pray for. We pray for an awakening and revival in the hearts of man that doesn't grow dim when things are going well.

Paul said, "I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:12-13 KJV). The NIV expresses this same passage as "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

I believe that a true revival in the hearts of man follows a tumultuous and desperate longing for God even when things are going great! Nothing that this life can offer us will satisfy! The pleasures that this world affords...and allof the troubles of life...mean little when the heart follows hard after the Lord. That longing is unquenchable -- except by intimate fellowship with Christ. Like the old song says, "The things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace."

If the stock market were to collapse this week and this world were to be thrust into a Great Depression, it just doesn't really matter all that much. If this world were to suddenly persecute believers like the early church, it shouldn't even move us. The most important thing that we have in this life is our relationship with Jesus. When we walk earnestly with the One who created all things and who died for us on the Cross, our faith is secure. As a result, the light and momentary afflictions of this world just don't seem to matter as much.

Be encouraged!

Chris,

Thank you very much for the story that you shared for it was very appropriate with the account of the stock market crash and men praying and seeking the Lord. That is the story of the nation of Israel as well as our testimony. That in times of prosperity we have forgot God, going our own way, saying that we are rich when we are poor, that we see when we are blind, that we are clothed when we are naked. When we become desperate enough then like the nation of Israel we turn back to the Lord, and God never fails us, He heals and restores.

The story of the young man in prison blessed me because through prison ministry I have seen many men come to the end of their selves, broken, empty, and have cried out to the Lord in their time of need. I have also seen some of those same men being released from prison, being blessed by the Lord, and becoming lukewarm, and it wasn't long before they ended up in trouble again and were back in a place where they said they would never return again. The ones that learn the lesson that without Him they can do nothing, and that they need God every day in the good times and the bad, are the ones that make it.

Mike

Chris, this story is a great inspiration to me. It really blessed my soul. Thanks for sharing it.

Yes, God uses calamities to awaken people to the fragility of the things people have placed their trust. All we have, all that we are can in an instant be destroyed - all that is except our faith and this process may even test it. I know well what change our daughters death brought to me so when I see people experience something like this, I experience a reassurance in my soul that God is indeed working in the life of this person and that it will be very interesting to see what will happen. We have loved ones who have spurned God and nothing happens to them in any form of chastisement and I grieve. Does God not love them? I wonder...but then maybe I am impatient. Time is short and getting shorter by the minute....