Saints Don’t Stop Praying

SAINTS

DON’T STOP PRAYING

#SomebodyPrayedForMe

By Suffragan Bishop LaVelton J. Daniel

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” - James 5:16 KJV

can recall during the time, over 45 years ago, when I was praying for and witnessing to my Mom (and other family members) about “really being saved” (Acts 2:38); she told me that she was already saved…though we didn’t even use those terms in my former church, where she still attended! She said that something was wrong with me and was determined to prove that I had been brained-washed or even bewitched. She started going to different churches and Bible Studies to gather information to validate her conclusions. The more she searched, the more she found that…maybe I was correct; especially about “Speaking in Tongues” and the Baptism of the Holy Ghost! Anyway, weeks into our “Being Saved Conversations” Mom was diagnosed with tumors in one of her breasts and was subsequently scheduled for surgery. She was an accomplished seasoned educator and the well-respected secretary of Jefferson County Georgia largest A.M.E. (African Methodist Episcopal) Church! Prior to salvation I was a minister in the A.M.E. Church. However, when all of this occurred, I was a member of Emanuel Tabernacle in Cincinnati, Ohio, and we prayed, fasted, and interceded greatly for my mother’s physical healing and her soul’s salvation! My Mom was examined and prepped for her surgery the day before the scheduled procedure and sent home. That night as she too was praying while watching Christian TV, the host said that God was healing a woman with breast tumors who had already been scheduled for surgery! My Mother immediately examined herself and did not feel any lumps in her breast! God had instantly dissolved (removed) all of them!! The next day when she went for her surgery appointment the doctors could not find any tumors! Hallelujah! That healing led to her eventually embracing the full truth concerning salvation! A few months after the healing miracle, our family had a special gathering in our native Avera, Georgia, that included five of her six sisters, four of their husbands, and several of their children from a number of different states. I also excitedly returned from Cincinnati to this quasi-family reunion because her sisters (who also attended A.M.E. Churches in their own cities) had agreed to allow me to share my “new found” plan of salvation! Some had even talked about getting baptized again.

Well, when we all got together, an amnesia epidemic infected my whole family and no one wanted to talk to me about Jesus and getting saved. When it was time for me to return to Cincinnati, I began to pray for direction I because I knew that God had sent me to be “a light” to my family! After talking to God and my Pastor (Elder Paul A. Bowers) I made arrangements to extend my trip. Then I reminded my family that they had said that they wanted and needed help with the ever-amounting issues and even devastating problems that all of them were facing. It immediately got real serious…and Jesus moved on their hearts! Before the conversation was over my wonderful loving family decided to “Try Jesus” and go down in His Name and allow Him to fill them with the Gift of the Holy Ghost! After many unsuccessful inquires to find a church for the baptisms in our area (There were no Apostolic Churches in our entire County); I went to the Augusta Yellow-Pages (Richmond County) and after many failed attempts finally found an Apostolic Church that would allow and assist me with the Water Baptisms (There were no PAW or “Black” Apostolic Churches in Augusta at that time). Did I mention that the husbands, including my father, wanted no parts of this “Stuff!” So, my mother, her sisters, and my cousins (some of whom had bought a whole kilo of drugs with them from “The City” to “Throw Down” in the Country!”) went with me to this little seemingly “All White” Apostolic Church in Augusta, Georgia, in April of 1976 to be Baptized in the Name of Jesus! You’ll have to read the next issue to find out what GOD did that night and how all of our lives…including the Saints at that Church were changed, enhanced and impacted forever because “Somebody Prayed for Me!” “Spoiler Alert!” My mother became a highly anointed Bible Teacher, a 1stLady (when my Baptist father became an Apostolic Pastor), and a Powerful Praying Mother in Zion until she recently went home to be with the Lord!!! Glory to GOD!!!! Other Family members that were baptized that night have become prominent church leaders, even Pastors in the PAW and other Pentecostal Organizations. The Miracle is Not Just What GOD Did…It is also HOW He Did it!! The Process was and still is Powerful and Profound! I promise that You will be amazed and give God Glory!!! Your Faith will be increased and your doubts released! You do not want to miss Part Two… Next Issue!!! You will hear how… “Hundreds” of Family members have been saved since that one night in Augusta! Somebody Prayed for US!

About the AUTHOR

Suffragan Bishop LaVelton J. Daniel is the Senior-Servant Pastor of the Greater Emanuel Apostolic Temple, Cincinnati, Ohio. He served as the Coordinator of the IPYPU’s Prayer Warriors, the Director of Evangelism for the IPYPU and the PAW parent body for over 33 combined years. He earned an B.A. and M.A. degrees from Hampton University. He is married to Pastor - Evang. Patricia A. Daniel.