“LAST WEEK the Lord took me and told me a secret,” Mrs. R. wrote two friends, June 29, 1931. “It was a very serious one. This work is letting Mr. Brooks overwork and he does not know it. And moreover, Mr. Brooks is not able to bear just what one would suppose just now. He is not to be told he is so bad and might be extremely ill. Instead, the Lord wills to let Mr. Brooks find out he ought to, for Jesus’ sake, give up his work, for a time. And the Lord asks us to have a prayer for him at once.”
Elder Brooks was now seventy-five. Thirty-five years before this he had been healed of a complication of diseases when in a dying condition. Through all the years since then he had trusted the Lord implicitly for his body and had experienced a number of miraculous healings from very serious illnesses. He had taken it as a matter of course that the prayer of faith would save him and raise him up for the glory of God.
This time, however, his attitude was different. When he had this breakdown, he felt that since he had passed his three score and ten, “the days of our years,” probably his time to go to be with the Lord had come. None of the will to live which had always characterized him appeared in him. Meekly he resigned himself to whatever might come.
For over twenty years he had attended and participated in two or three meetings almost daily. In addition, he had spent hours in personal counseling and prayer and had shared in the conduct and management of the Faith Homes. In all his labors he had shown zest and enthusiasm. For the most part, now this fire burned low, even if it was not quite extinguished. Especially noticeable was the fact that meetings which had been his delight now held little interest for him. And he who hardly knew what it meant to take a moment’s relaxation, considering such rest a shameful, sinful waste of time, now lay languid on a lawn chair or on his bed. A valiant soldier had suddenly become worn out and was ready to lay down his armor, having fought a good fight.
But the Lord thought otherwise. He wanted Elder Brooks to live. He was too valuable to the kingdom of God to go at that time. And He had the ear of one person, Mrs. R., to whom He could speak and reveal His will and who He knew would see that his condition was prayed through. First of all, his wife was instructed what to do.
“Mrs. Brooks was told to look after him and persuade him to take care of himself,” Mrs. R. explained in the letter already quoted from. “Yet he was allowed to apparently go on with his work without overdoing or overtaxing himself. Finding out Mr. Brooks’ estate, the next step was to get real prayer for him. So those of our best pray-ers of the work were called together for a go-through prayer. This included the most experienced people and ministers. They were told to put aside other things, to go right into this prayer wholeheartedly. You know, this time of the year it is a very busy time with us, extra visitors, etc., meetings pressing—houseworkers among those who are on the prayer—very busy. But those who went on this prayer were told it was not just one big prayer, but would require perhaps a week, with prayer each day.
“You know, Mr. Brooks is not a young man, and he is worn out. And we were told that if this prayer did not go through, well, he might not live. This, I said, was the secret and was not told to the praying band,” Mrs. R. confided to her correspondents.
The Lord did give very specific instructions to the leader of this prayer group, telling him, among other things, that there were to be nine sessions of prayer and no more, suggesting that these periods would be about two hours in length, though this was not told to the pray-ers.
Accordingly, on and on, day after day, the faithful intercessors gave themselves to prayer until the ninth session. At the end of that period no one seemed to feel that he had the assurance that the victory was won. Somehow the prayer had not been prayed through, the victory had not been won.
The leader, remembering the word of the Lord, knew that something desperate must be done. Therefore, he rose and asked all who would consecrate to pray until they knew that the prayer was finished and that Elder Brooks was delivered to come into the center room of the meeting rooms, covenanting not to leave the room till they knew they had the victory. As one man, the whole group moved into the one room, and the doors were shut. Together “they lifted up their voice to God with one accord,” claiming the answer to all the prayers prayed, and crying to God to give a finished work. Within twenty minutes, all knew they had the answer and overflowed in one paean of praise and shouts of joy.
Now, for the first time, Elder Brooks was told of the prayer and of God’s purpose for him. He believed the word of the Lord. Slowly but surely he began to mend from that hour.
The Lord then indicated he should go away for a complete rest. Still so weak that he had to sit down on the steps of the house while waiting for the car to leave on the morning set for their departure, nevertheless he started forth in faith for New Jersey. There he spent some time at the ocean enjoying the sea air and the swimming. Daily he was strengthened so that it was quite a vigorous man who returned home after three months.
The Lord made it clear, however, that for a year he should make no attempt to attend all the services of the Homes, that he should be careful to do only what the Lord led him to do. In that way, the victory would be established completely. Careful to obey the word of the Lord, Elder Brooks was fully restored and lived for twenty-three years, the greater part of which he was actively engaged in preaching and in the leadership of the Faith Homes.
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Martha Wing Robinson (1874 - 1936)
Martha held meetings which touched people to return to the work of the service of God. The Robinsons opened a "Faith Home" where people would come for teaching and prayer. Like George Muller they depended on God to provide what was needed for expenses. Thousands came through her home and healings were a regular occurrence. Her husband died in April of 1916, but Martha continued in her ministry. She had a very sharp gift of discernment and regularly told people the secrets of their hearts. She often had directive prophetic words for those under her care. Many young people came to the home for training and went into the mission fields and evangelistic endeavours.Martha Wing Robinson died June 26, 1936. Shortly before she died she stated her life's message "Nothing matters but Christ Jesus." Her whole life was spent in the service of God and for the Glory of His Son Jesus. She had seen many healed, saved, delivered, empowered and sent out. She was truly a mother in Israel. In 1962 Gordon P. Gardiner wrote a book about her life called "Radiant Glory" because that is how she lived her life.