Great Moments in Prayer by G. Campbell Morgan

"During the Welsh Revival, it is said, that a certain minister was marvelously successful in his preaching. He had but one sermon, but under it hundreds of men were saved. Far away from where he lived in a lonely valley, news of this wonderful success reached a brother preacher. Forthwith he became anxious to find out the secret of this man's success. At length, reaching the humble cottage where the good man lived, he said: "Brother where did you get that sermon?"

He was taken into a poorly furnished room and pointed to a spot where the carpet was worn shabby and bare, near a window that looked out toward the mountains. The minister said, "Brother, that's where I got that sermon. My heart was heavy for men. One evening I knelt there and cried for power to preach as I had never preached before.

The hours passed until the midnight struck and the stars looked down on the sleeping valley and silent hills; but the answer came not. So I prayed until at length I saw a faint gray shoot up in the east. Presently it became silver, and I watched and prayed until the silver became purple and gold, and on all the mountain crests blazed the fires of the new day; and then the sermon came and the power came.

I lay down and slept and arose and preached and scores fell down before the fire of God. That is where I got that sermon."