Provoking Thoughts on Prayer
The secret of the success of the apostles lay not in what they did and said, but in the presence of Christ in them and with them. They saw with the eyes of Christ, felt with His heart, and worked with His energies. They were nothing: Christ was everything. Christ was living, breathing, and triumphing in their personal lives. Their entire nature being replete with His life, their spirits bathed in His light, and their souls kindled with the fires of His love, they moved in the midst of men as embodiments of supernatural power…Brethren, this is what we must be, if this mighty empire (China) is to be moved through us. But to be this, the throne of grace must be our refuge, the secret place of prayer before the Most high must be our daily and hourly habitation.
Griffith John
Who was Griffith John?
Griffith John served in China for 55 years. He was among the first to begin Christian missionary work in there. He set up schools, hospitals and training colleges, with a permanent base at Hankou (now part of Wuhan city) in Hubei. In 1861 he went from Shanghai through the provinces of central China, and established over 100 mission stations. During a career spanning 60 years John left China only three times. He became fluent in Chinese. He fought the opium trade and established one of the first major thrusts to address its impact on Chinese culture.