Free Prayer - Found!

After days and days of listening to Bill Johnson sermons (for at least the 3rd time) I have finally found the recorded testimony I've been looking for. This is the story that inspired the idea for the Free Prayer booth at last weekend's Dogwood Festival. I won't post it word for word but here's a fair an accurate representation.

Bill Johnson's younger (little) brother heads up a ministry on the streets of San Francisco. He's 6'6" and describes himself as "280 pounds of love". He takes these little old grandma's into the bars of San Francisco and puts them at a table where they put up a sign that reads, "Free Prayer". Bill's brother orders a 7-Up and sits at the bar watching the ladies to make sure they are OK. Pretty soon people start coming to the table, kneeling asking for prayer and before they know it there's a vibrant ministry time going on.

I share this with you for a couple of reasons. One is that the general concept of the Free Prayer table was not my original idea. I am grateful for the encouragement I continue to receive but I don't want to take credit for something that wasn't completely mine. In fact, I've since learned that the prayer booth concept has been very successful at many festivals across the nation for years. This is also encouraging to me as we are seriously planning on doing it even bigger and better next year (51 weeks to go).

The other reason I share that story with you is I have tried to do so verbally with a number of people and I've probably botched it up like a old tired joke and so I wanted to set the record straight and for you to be able to hear it as accurately as possible. I think there is a lot to learn from this testimony and so I want to present it as accurately as possible.

I know that I am encouraged anew just having heard it again. I hope it also inspires you to new ideas and levels of boldness and courage. He speaks to you in that still quiet voice. Move forward with the ideas, even if they aren't your "cup of tea" as a friend put it. I trust you will be as richly blessed as I have been.

- Wade Baker