The Redemptive Power behind each Prayer

We are a little more than five weeks from the beginning of our 125 Hours of Prayer. In anticipation, today’s post is from our public relations assistant about the connection between her own experience with prayer and now attending the school founded on prayer. 

By Elizabeth Parilli, public relations assistant 

I was 18 years-old and desperate, fiercely craving freedom from endless sin that chained me. I was desperate for eternal healing in my hurting heart, desperate for a life that recklessly followed Jesus Christ, the God I was just starting to get to know. This desperation led me to YWAM in Ensenada, Mexico where I attended a discipleship training school for four months.

In Mexico, Moody Bible Institute began to consume my mind. I borrowed my roommate’s laptop and would sneak away to a café downtown, spending a couple afternoons writing my essays while fervently praying that God would allow Moody to accept me. Six months later, my prayer was answered.

My desire as an 18 year-old to pursue a life of living for Christ does not make sense through the eyes of our world. As I reflect back I can see the faces of the prayer warriors who interceded on my behalf throughout that dark season of my life: believers at my public school and church members who saw me slip in and out of the door, various family members and friends, my YWAM leaders and Godly strangers. The Lord continually used the body of Christ to fervently fight for me, and I overflow with gratitude for their hearts and God’s faithfulness.

Confidently speaking, the simple act of prayer from so many believers is what helped pull me out of the pit, remove the veil from my eyes, soften my heart and set me free so that I might attend Moody.

As a student I learned that our school was founded on prayer as much as my life has been transformed by it. In 1857, D.L. Moody began faithfully praying for our school, along with his mentors, and as the years went on more and more faithful warriors joined alongside in interceding for the Institution. Prayer meetings, sessions and conferences were held to surrender the school to God, to ask for provision, to meditate on His will and to intercede for the plan. 125 years later, Moody, grounded in Christ and rooted from prayer, continues to be tuition-paid, ministry oriented and saturated in the word of God. 

The prayers of Moody’s supporters, alumni and students, faculty and employees have flipped my world around to glorify God and expand His kingdom. Will you join me in praying for future students and future ministry leaders, that their lights will rise up for His glory and many will experience redemption and grace through Christ’s power. Let’s pray for blessings for the faculty that serve daily and surrender their lives to see God’s will be done. Let’s pray for unity in the body, for the Spirit to be active in our lives, and for a revival inside the hearts of those connected to Moody. Let’s pray especially that this place will be the launching ground of bold leaders in the faith to go out and share the good news of Jesus Christ to all the nations.

I am so grateful to be a part of this legacy and excited to know there will be many of us praying during those 125 Hours.