SERIES ON PRAYER: "BE WILLING LIKE SHEFFEY"

Our soul waiteth for the Lord: He is our help and our shield.  For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in Thee. (Psalm 33:20-22)
My role model for Prayer is the incredible but unheralded circuit rider, Robert Sheffey. Most Christians will have never heard of Sheffey or thousands of lives he transformed with the help of the Holy Spirit back in the latter part of the 19^th century.  Even seminary graduates have no idea who Robert Sheffey is, for one simple reason – he was an incredible man of prayer, and most pastors and Christians do not pray as much as they should.  Brother Sheffey was not just the greatest prayer warrior in America, but added to his colorful character was the fact that he was also a man of Godly action.

In brief, Robert Sayers Sheffey was born in Virginia on July 4, 1820, and orphaned until Christ set him free at a fiery revival in 1838. The passionate 18-year-old only wanted to serve the Lord and applied for a license to preach at the Methodist Conference in rural Virginia. He was turned down, due to his lack of formal training. While he eventually was granted that license 17 years later, those years, (from age 18-35) molded the man, into the great Legend of the Appalachian Circuit Riding Preacher/Prayer Warrior he became.

Until he died at the grand old age of 82, Brother Sheffey, as he was called, would ride anywhere in rural western Virginia (and West Virginia). He and his faithful horses would go through snow, heat, rain and treacherous woods to help someone in need. Along the way, he would stop and communicate with his "Sweet Lord Jesus" by throwing his ever-present sheepskin mini-blanket (or prayer rug) on the ground and spend hours in prayer. If it was said of the great Protestant Reformer John Knox, by Bloody Mary, Queen of Scots that she "feared the prayers of John Knox, more than all the armies of Europe"; it was said of Robert Sheffey that every moonshine maker with a still in those mountains feared his prayers, as well! Sheffey once told one of those illegal alcohol makers that he wished a tree would fall on his still. There was not a tree in sight around this man's house. One night, during a fierce thunderstorm, the Lord picked up a tree from hundreds of feet away and dropped it right on top of the still, destroying it.

While these are humorous accounts of his life, Robert Sheffey was best known for his intercession at the great Wabash Camp Meeting. These camp meetings were somewhat similar to tent revivals, in the sense that they had large ongoing, open-air preaching meetings, under the huge sheds. This would be the major summer event for most families in the regions, who would pack up the kids in the wagon with enough food and furniture for a week's outing in the countryside. The preaching from the countryside and frontier Circuit Rider preachers would bring the Fear of the Lord, repentance, and salvation to countless thousands. 

Robert Sheffey was known as a preacher and man of prayer and was at all of these camp meetings in its heyday. However, when he was invited to preach, he would instead turn down the opportunity. He would then take his King James Bible and lambskin prayer rug which was now about 40 years old and head up the mountain next to the Wabash Camp, to pray. Sometimes, he would be gone up there half the day....or longer. Most times, when he was done, he would come of this Mountain of Prayer, with a glow all over the place and head straight for those in attendance, to minister, pray with, cry with them and more. He would comfort them, go with them to the altar or kneel right there with them. Sometimes Brother Sheffey would stay all night if he had to, in order to reason lovingly with the penitent soul that the Gospel is the only way to conversion to the Savior, Jesus Christ. It is estimated that because of his intercession and ways of evangelism, countless thousands came to be genuinely saved by the Blood of the Lamb. 

Robert Sayers Sheffey was the Circuit Rider of Prayer and shunned the limelight when his name would have afforded him anything he wanted. He was not rich in earthly goods, but his love for people, their physical needs and their souls stored up a divine fortune in heaven. For us, who have Sheffey as our role model, it takes a Micah 6:8 spirit and a self-deprecating self of humor to work for and love our "Sweet Lord Jesus" more than ourselves. To study the life of this great man, flawed as we humans all are, is to come away with the knowledge of the Grace, Love, and Power to transform of the Lord.

Sheffey's favorite statement was "I will take it to the Lord in prayer". Today, over 100 years after he went on to be with the Lord, the fields and roads to these fields are still as untamed, wild and unforgiving as they were 140 or so years ago. But the basic truths remain:
-  Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
-  Love God, and His Son Jesus Christ with EVERYTHING you have
-  Be willing to pray at a moment's notice for anyone in pain, distress, in an ambulance speeding towards the hospital, for a friend or family member
-  When you say you are going to pray, don't think about it - DO IT...and do it immediately
-  You do not need a prayer closet or "war room" to hide in and pray. Unlike other religions, Christians have the Spirit of God in us, and we can be walking down the street praying. Driving long distances with the radio off is the perfect time to be with the Lord, in what we call "windshield prayer"
-  Develop friendships with brothers and sisters who pray and stay in touch regularly, through texts, Facebook or phone. Ask them how you can pray for them because next week, without fail, you are going to need THEM to pray for you. Nourish and cherish those friendships for a lifetime. Prayer warrior friends are the most loving and faithful because we know where our Strength, Life, Breath, Love, Peace, Joy and identity are found. They are found in Christ.

Now, let us "take this to the Lord in prayer", for He is our "Sweet Lord Jesus". Amen

UNSUNG HERO OF THE FAITH - ROBERT SHEFFEY

JOIN US FOR 30 DAYS OF PRAYING THE NAMES OF GOD!

Last night I watched one of my favorite movies of all times about a great man of God and Appalachian circuit-rider - "Brother Robert Sheffey"!


(WATCH THE TRAILER OF THE MOVIE HERE)


In the history of famous preachers or evangelists or superstar pastors of today, you won't find the name of Robert Sayers Sheffey won't be found. However in God's book, he is one of the greatest in the kingdom! Best-selling TV star preachers are getting their rewards on earth now - with all their fame and fortune. However, this humble man with a horse, has impacted more regions and families of the mid-Atlantic coast than anybody I know.


How did Sheffey do it? By prayer! How he got started in prayer ministry is actually amazing. After getting saved, Brother Sheffey was so on Fire for Christ, that he tried to be licensed by the Methodist General Conference in Virginia, so he could be legally allowed into churches to preach the Gospel on the Circuit! They rejected him because he did not have enough education!


This is where God showed up and equipped Sheffey with the Power and Might of the Holy Spirit. While a powerful Circuit preacher who worked for nothing most of the time, except a hot meal (if that), Sheffey soon found out he was an Intercessor and Prayer Warrior! God's ways are not our ways and neither does He have to respect the institutional biases of educated 'religious' men! Look at what happened to the Scribes and Pharisees, who ended up not just killing Jesus the Messiah, but getting all the blood of the prophets they killed and persecuted, heaped on them!


This is the incredible thing about the Holy God we serve, friends! While Sheffey may not have had the book learning those Methodist Conference Head honchos did, he had something better - A Passion for God and His people!  His soul was consumed  with the fire for our Lord and Savior Jesus, to Whom he talked face to face daily and a desire to help others. Sheffey did both with integrity, passion and absolute success.  When his more than six decade ministry was over, he had both positively impacted the lives of ordinary people, while exposing the permanent decline of the Methodist denomination into an almost secular liberalism, with no passion for the One True God.


I tell you this very brief account of an amazing life for a reason - to spur us to the non-fancy or non-glamorous ministry of prayer.We don't have to ride the dangerous mountain roads and snowy trails of Virginia, like Sheffey did, but we are supposed to take the Gospel to the highways, biways and rest stops of American.....and THAT begins with total submission and application of the Believer to a life of permanent communication with Holy God through Prayer.


Therefore, with humility and joy in the journey, I wish to invite everyone reading this blog to a significant Prayer Initiative called THIRTY (30) DAYS OF PRAYING THE NAMES OF GOD!


This is now Day 2, so I will include both prayer points for January 1 and 2, 2012


Each point below, gives the specific Biblical name for God and describes the attribute which caused those Names!
The process is rather simple: 
1. Read the Bible passage recommended by the prayer point of that day and number 
2. PRAY the words found in the Scripture and just glorifying God first in that prayer back to Him! 


So let's get to praying, as the Rev. Robert Sayers Sheffey did over 120 or more years ago....in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen!


Day 1: God is Jehovah. The name of independent being—“I AM WHO I AM”—only belongs to Jehovah God. As we consider His greatness, we fall down in fear and awe of this One who possesses all authority. Exodus 3:13-15

Day 2: God is Jehovah-M’Kaddesh. This name means “the God who sanctifies.” A God separate from all that is evil requires that the people who follow Him be cleansed from all evil. Leviticus 20:7,8

CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTIRE 30 DAYS OF PRAYER POINTS!