The Hodge family often opened their home to itinerant preachers. They did so again when Methodist pastors gathered for a ten-day convention near their home. Homer, one son in the Hodge family, was a young, aspiring minister in his own right. He found the visiting ministers agreeable yet wasn’t impressed with any special praying among them.
A small man with grey hair and eyes like an eagle stayed with the Hodge family for the convention and shared a room with Homer. The first morning at 4:00AM, Homer saw the minister down on his knees in prayer. He figured it wouldn’t last long yet the man kept right on praying for several hours. The next morning, he repeated the practice and did so for all ten days of the convention. His devotion to prayer made a lasting impression on this budding minister, “At last I have found a man that really prays.”
Edward McKendree (E. M.) Bounds (1835-1913) was a praying man. He prayed every morning without fail from 4-7AM. He wrote, “Prayer should not be regarded as a duty to be performed, but rather a privilege to be enjoyed.” Of the eleven books attributed to him, nine concern prayer. Only two were published during his life but Homer saw to it that all nine made it into print. E. M. wasn’t well known in his lifetime, but his books on prayer have enlarged his influence. His warm, succinct writing style resonates with today’s readers.
Two stories stand out about his ministry. First, he officiated at the marriage of a black couple in 1872, which did not sit well with his small Alabama church. Second, he did away with the pew rental system at an exclusive St. Louis church and advertised, “Seats are Free. All are welcome in God’s House.”
His quote leads us into prayer, “Christians fail so often to get answers to their prayers because they do not wait long enough for God.” E. M. often referenced Psalm 130 in relation to prayer: