“Prayer for others is as it were the very breath of our Lord’s life in heaven. ‘He ever liveth to make intercession for them.’ [Hebrews 27:5b It was becoming increasingly true of John Hyde. How often in the prayer room he would break out into tears over the sins of the world, especially of God’s children. Even then his tears would be changed to shouts of praise according to the Divine promise repeated by our Lord on that last night when He talked with His own. “Ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.’” (John 16:20)
The dark river of sin
“I saw a Punjabi brother convulsed and sobbing as if his heart would break. I went up to him and put my arms about him, and said, ‘The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.’ A smile lit up his face. ‘Thank God, Sahib,’ he cried; ‘but oh! what an awful vision I have had! Thousands of souls in this land of India being carried away by the dark river of sin! They are in Hell now! Oh, to snatch them from that fire before it is too late!’”
“22And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire.” (Jude 1:22,23a)
“Then she asked us to pray for her father. We began to pray, and suddenly the great burden of that soul was cast upon us, and the room was filled with sobs and cries for one whom most of us had never seen or heard before. Strong men lay on the ground groaning in agony for that soul. There was not a dry eye in that place until at last God gave us the assurance that prayer had been heard and out of Gethsemane we came into the… joy of being able to praise Him that He heard our cry.”
“10Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. 11For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.” (Isaiah 48:10,11)
“Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.” (Psalm 119:136)
Don’t we want our pastor to have this kind of burden for souls? Don’t we want to have this kind of burden for souls too?