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Nearer, My God, to Three

This pastor's ambitious goal—three hours in prayer daily—is inspiring and a little irritating.

Never would I have thought a life-changing purchase would only cost a quarter. I'm always looking for bargain books, but I didn't think the one that would change my life would be hidden at a garage sale.

It was the biography of George Müeller, and it wasn't so much the man's story that changed my life as it was the legacy of those who had formerly owned the book.

God put the book into my hands two days before I attended a prayer summit. I was desperate. I was just burned out and frustrated as I could be. Our church wasn't growing, I couldn't seem to manage all of our ministry activities, and I could just feel that something was missing.

I didn't read much of the book prior to the summit, but I did notice that someone had put a 5x7 card in the back with three columns. Each column had four names, names like missionaries David Brainerd and Rees Howells and great preachers such as Finney and Spurgeon. There were 12 names in all, and behind every one was the inscription ...

March
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