An Overwhelming Burden

Andrew Bonar was one of the great preachers and writers of the 19th century.

His daughter told a visiting evangelist how her father would take her to the church with him, telling her to sit in a pew, saying, “I will be back in a little while.” One day, she decided to see what her dad was doing. She saw the following: “My dad would be seated in a pew, bent forward as if to read the name on the plaque. [In those days it was common to put names on each pew]. He would read the name and bow his head and pray. Then he would scoot over and read the name on the next pew, and pray again. My father would spend an entire evening in the place where the people of God came to worship, and, one by one, prayed for every parishioner in his church. He had an overwhelming burden for his people.”¹

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”
– Ephesians 3:14-16

“The pulpit and pen should be knowledge aflame with love.”²