Broken Before the Throne 2009
By Dan Biser
The vision for this prayer conference began long before it first convened in 2007. As I made the rounds in my pastoral duties in West Virginia, I began to long for revival. But I wondered how spiritual awakening takes place. What needed to happen in the church first? As I began reading the works of great preachers of past decades, I especially noted their spiritual disciplines. I began studying the prayer lives of Andrew Murray, George Mueller, Hudson Taylor and John Hyde. Though I had attended many prayer conferences, I noticed that very few made prayer a priority in their lives. I was determined to find Christian leaders who had prevailed in prayer and seen revival come. I talked with T.W. Hunt, Dennis Kinlaw, Henry Blackaby, Roy Fish and others about their experiences. Around that same time I was given a book on the Keswick Convention and a collection of some of the most memorable sermons there. After talking with these men and reading this book my vision grew. I decided to organize a conference featuring some of these men. They would teach and preach for two and a half hours, then lead the group in prayer. The prayer format could be corporate, small group or silent personal time. With three separate sessions a day, people could spend nine hours waiting in prayer and worship before God.
The Broken Before the Throne (BBtT) conference encourages believers to prevail in prayer for revival. I called Al Whittinghill, Greg Frizzell and John McGregor to be with us August 8-14, and T.W. Hunt to speak mid-week. But other activities in the West Virginia convention disrupted their promoting and supporting us. Within two days the convention backed away from helping, and so did Westview. That left us completely at the mercy of God, which is where I think He wanted us anyway. Aaron, pastor of Virginia Avenue Baptist Church, found two churches in Hagerstown that had showed interest in hosting. Both did not seem right. After praying for leading, I told Aaron, “I think the Lord wants it here.” He agreed and led the people there to accept it.
We had set a budget of $15,000 to take care of everything and leave some for next year and other regional opportunities. $3,000 remained from the year before and so we prayed for $12,000. When all was said and done, God provided $7,000. Except for a gift from the Maryland convention, all the money came from churches, associations and individuals. “Look what the Lord has done”-- He is able, and our faith must be strong in Him!
Much prayer must precede a prayer conference. Four ladies had been motivated by the previous years and organized the prayer meetings. Connie Gordon had been with me previously in a smaller conference with T.W. Hunt. But her health had been affected and she was not able to travel much. Linda Smith, a secretary at the local Christian radio station, let us use a conference room. The prayer meetings were held once a month and then every two weeks as the time drew near. Only a few showed up for these, but numbers didn’t matter as much as the depth. Jean Miller and Tracy Hoffman were two others who had grown in great ways and held BBtT in prayer. Their prayers were a great part of what happened this year. Joe Quisenberry prayed for the Lord to work salvation during the week and one soul to be saved. Another prayer came from II Kings about digging ditches which would be filled with water despite the absence of rain and wind. It seemed the Lord was offering His promises for our hearts’ desires.
On Friday, August 7, John McGregor was picked up and at 7 p.m. a handful of people gathered at the church to pray for the upcoming week. It wasn’t a long time in prayer but I told them all that this year’s conference was going to be different.
On Saturday, August 8, an afternoon session began the conference, where about 30 were registered. Our nucleus of intercessors included H.L. and Janie Allen from Columbia, South Carolina, Terry and Ruthie Critten from Missouri, Ann Landry and Kay Stumpf from Pennsylvania/Delaware, and our own group from Hagerstown. Because of the labor inherent in prayer, not many people come to prayer conferences. The American church does not know how to pray, nor does it desire to. But that first night an aroma of sweet prayer arose. As we controlled the video feed going out to internet users, we noticed there were as many watching by internet as in the sanctuary. The first day laid the foundation for what was to come.
On Sunday morning, there was prayer at 8:50 a.m., and the small group of people praying at the church tripled with the intercessor group. In Pastor Aaron’s Sunday school class, he said that within 6 – 8 hours of Hagerstown lived three-quarters of the US population. If revival broke out, millions could be reached through prevailing prayer! John McGregor preached the morning sermon and spoke about the church. After a one- hour break, we resumed at 1:30 p.m. when Aaron and John divided the time. There was a consistency in the speakers’ themes; the Spirit made it all flow in unity. This was yet another proof of God’s working. That evening I spoke; we were now on our set schedule and ready to prepare for the week before us. I wanted to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading as I began to see Him move upon the people. One person testified that even though he had heard me speak before and share some of the same things, the power of God was evident and he was “strangely moved.” I attribute this to the prayer that had gone before, saturating the place. God can take a man’s words and bless them to touch the soul. As I led the prayer time, the Spirit would not allow me to move past the topic of families and surrendering them. Several commented that they could not let go until at last peace came as they surrendered. I knew nothing of their personal prayer, but the Spirit forbade me to move forward.
John, Henry Blackaby, and I finished up Monday and Tuesday and one soul had been saved, the answer to Joe’s prayer. The Lord was moving and speaking clearly to this gathering. On Wednesday John and Henry went home and Al and Greg came. Even in the transition of speakers, the Lord continued the consistency in our midst.
On Wednesday, Connie Gordon came and shared her testimony -- how her sickness was attacking but she was still able to come. Although she came in a wheelchair, when called upon she rose up and walked to the pulpit to share the power of God. What an inspiring message! Tracy Hoffman was baptized and gave a testimony of what the Lord had done in her life, and the service was so moving. Wednesday night, Greg Frizzell led a powerful prayer time as the body agreed in prayer about needs and concerns. One woman requested prayer for her son-in-law who was bleeding internally. We heard the next day that all was well. Effective praying brought results. One night the supper time was especially good when most of the gathering went to Golden Corral and had supper together in fellowship. Likewise, each conference session emanated a sweet spirit and leading.
As I was taking Greg to the session Thursday morning, he asked me what my vision was for BBtT. I told him I did not know but was praying about it. While he was speaking and leading us in Ephesians 5, I got it. It was verse 16, “redeem the time, for the days are evil.” It was a special word to me, that time was of the essence and we needed to capitalize on the momentum of this gathering. I want to establish a monthly prayer meeting, ustream out and keep the prayers of the saints fixed on the work. At lunch with Albert and Bryan, I found that the Lord was leading them in the same way. Again, more confirmation.
As people came and went, the Spirit continued to work right up to the last moment. God heard and answered many prayers, and moved among us that week. What lies ahead? Only He knows, and may we be blessed to continue being led of Him.
We anticipate signs of what is next for BBtT. We hope that regional events of one, two or three day conferences can be set up to demonstrate the power of prayer to God's people who will wait upon Him. A wide range of speakers testify this is needed in our land and churches. Pray for the radio station to develop and the ustream to be effective. Pray for more regional opportunities. Pray that the fires of revival will spread all around this area as we look forward to what the Lord will do through the next year.
