“Keep watching and praying…” Jesus – Matthew 26:41
Today marks my Dad’s first Sunday in Heaven. Don Miller was a churchman to the core. Long before it was cool to say it, Dad believed the local church was the hope of the world. It still is.
From 1946-1977 Dad pastored Liberty Hill Baptist Church of Eddy, Texas, First Baptist Church of Wilmer, Texas, Forney Ave. Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas, Farmingdale Baptist Church of Farmingdale, New York, East Dallas Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas, and North Shore Baptist Church of Kings Park, New York.
In every setting God placed him, Dad bloomed where he was planted, making a powerful impact on the lives of people. He was at home in a rural country church, a small town church, a blue-collar church, a transitional neighborhood church, and a metropolitan church setting. Dad’s message and ministry were marked by a passion for prayer. His personal intimacy with God fueled his fire for evangelism, and his heart for missions. His passion for both took him across the street and around the world.
During the last week of Dad’s life, a window of opportunity opened up to ask once last time, “When did prayer move from being a personal devotion to your main passion in life?” Dad paused, letting the question soak in, and he pulled from deep within his soul the moment in time when God called him to step out on faith, to leave a thriving pastorate, and to begin Bible Based Ministries. “The Don Miller Prayer Conference,” was not a good idea. It was God’s idea. Big difference.
God turned prayer into a powerful message in Dad’s life, through a near death experience. In 1975 following emergency surgery resulting in the loss of his colon, Dad developed peritonitis. This required another emergency surgery to repair the damage done by the infection. With three crude colostomies, a year long recovery process, and two more serious surgeries. Dad’s weakened condition kept him out of the pulpit until February 1976. His powerful body withered to 90 pounds and his booming voice became a whisper. It looked liked his days of preaching were over.
Dad recalled, “When they took the colon out, I felt so empty. I felt nobody knew how I felt. A warrior always needs to be ready. I began to call out to God in the darkness, ‘Now what, Lord!’ I don’t know when I first began to believe this, but as long as I can remember I have always believed, ‘God and I make a majority.’ As I slowly recovered I learned I was never alone and never without, when I was with Him. I can’t say I had a disciplined plan. I just followed God, and listened to His voice along the way. Somehow He led Momma and I to where we are. That God would take two people like Momma and I and melt us into one is indescribable.” Indeed, it is.
From 1977-2010, Dad and Mom travelled to every state in the Union, except two, The Dakotas. They conducted prayer conferences in over 1,000 churches, and circled the globe many times, fulfilling a personal call to missions. They ministered to missionaries and nations on every continent except South America. The closest Dad came was a prayer conference in Trinidad. Large or small, far or near, Dad was always on call to share the priority of prayer, and his passion for a Great Awakening.
Monday, April 20, 2015 was the last day I was able to clearly converse with Dad. His body was weak, but his vision was clear. He could see the answer to his most passionate and persistent prayer. He said with confidence, “I still believe we will see revival, and we will see people get in on it. Prayer, Peace, Power, we can have all three. I long to see the atmosphere of prayer that would cause strangers driving by the highway to pull over and get in on it. God did not create dirt. There needs to be that cleansing wave, a movement, when people see Him, hear Him, obey Him, and call Him. Prayer, peace, power, what a trio.”
I asked Dad, “What is peace?” He responded, “Peace is being right with God. When that happens anything can happen. You are on the vestibule of Heaven. Prayer, Peace, Power needs to return to the church. These three things are only found in praying churches. Some talk about it, but that is as far as they go. I have longed for this so much. Fire. Oh, to feel the fire of God. I have been to a few conventions, but 500 men on their knees in a prayer meeting, oh, that is what I long to see. I have always wanted that for the United States of America. It starts with praying men. We have always had praying ladies, but the crying need is praying men. It needs to breath forth.”
At that point, Dad asked permission to read to me one last time what he called, “the greatest prayer package in the Bible.” He apologized for reading it again, saying, “I know I read this to you this morning, but I believe it bears repeating.” With that he read through Matthew’s account of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Matthew 26:36-46)
Turning in his bed, and leaning on his right elbow, Dad looked at me, and said, “Tell them prayer is the priority. My favorite song is, ‘He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own.’ Just to belong to the Lord, Jesus Christ, Oh, my soul. I want to pass it on. PASS IT ON. PASS IT ON. PASS IT ON.” I said with tears in my eyes, and with a raspy voice, “I will pass it on. I will pass it on. I will pass it on.” He said, “Good boy.”
Dad returned to the theme of his entire life, praying for the next Great Awakening. Prayer for him was not a syrupy sanctimony. It was war. He prayed for victory over evil and for a spiritual turnaround of his nation. He said, “What a day that will be when they do turn around, when there is awakening. There is possibility and potential of an awakening, O my yes. There are so many brilliant people beating their gums, but not praying. POTENTIAL. POTENTIAL. POTENTIAL. There is the potential of a Great Awakening in a moment, and within our lifetime. Awakening will be marked by people, who will want God more than anything or anybody. Oh, that they would believe. To believe is so strong. BELIEVE. BELIEVE. BELIEVE.”
To the very last Dad believed. “I believe I will live to see revival come.” I asked him, “What does revival look like?”
Dad said, “Rejoicing. Joy. Happiness. Unity. Oneness. Real revival begins with real worship. Everlasting life. Nothing stops. What a wonderful thought. What a wonderful comfort. What a wonderful possession.”
Dad’s final thoughts and prayers were focused on the next Great Awakening. The Message was clear. Prayer is the treasure, and the priority. There is potential in prayer. Prayer is the vestibule of Heaven. Awakening is a prayer away. Praying men lead the way to it, on their knees. Pass it on! Chiseled in stone on Dad’s grave marker are the words, “TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!”