Doug Coe Testimony

Doug Coe's friend, Bob Hunter, a new Christian, asked "Do you really believe what the Bible says about moving mountains when we pray?" Doug thought about it and answered, "Sure!"

Bob was incredulous. "Do you mean to say that if I prayed for a mountain to move, it would move?" Doug responded, "Let me put it this way. I not only believe it, I'll make you a $500 bet.

Bob, what do you know about Africa?" "Nothing." "What do you think about when you think of Africa?" "I think about monkeys swinging from trees."

"Then here's the bet: you pray for 45 days 'God help Africa.' You can't miss a single day, and that's all you have to pray. At the end of 45 days, you judge whether any mountain moved. If you think one has, pay me $500. If you think not, just tell me and I'll pay you $500 -- no questions asked." Bob, liking the odds, accepted, and daily began to pray "God help Africa."

A few days later he was sitting next to an elderly lady at dinner and discovered that she lived in Uganda and ran an orphanage there. He asked many questions about Uganda and Africa. When she asked why he was so interested, he was a little embarrassed but told of the bet with Doug. She invited him to return with her in a few days to visit the orphanage, and he went. He was so touched, that when he got home he and some friends sent toys and clothing.

A week later he received a call from the lady at the orphanage. "The children want to give you a special presentation if you will visit again. Can you come?" He went.

Following the heartwarming ceremony, a phone call came for Bob from the president of Uganda to thank him personally, on behalf of Uganda, for his gifts to the orphans, and the president then asked him to visit that afternoon. When he arrived, the president was rushing off to some appointments, but invited him along.

During their travels, Bob saw a stockyard full of men, instead of cattle. The president explained that these were political prisoners. Bob said, "...Mr. President, it's not right to have men living in such horrible conditions. You must let them go." "They have tried to subvert my authority," he said. "I cannot let them go; it would be foolish to do this."

Bob persevered. To free the prisoners was the only right thing to do. One week after returning to the US, Bob was called to meet with the undersecretary of the state for African affairs. The US government had tried, unsuccessfully for years, to get these prisoners released, but the president of Uganda "...told us he was doing it because of what you said. What did you say?"

The story is not over! The president of Uganda called Bob to help him choose a new cabinet for his country. Bob protested "I don't know anything about your country or the people who could best serve in your cabinet. I am just a businessman. I'm not qualified. How can I possibly help you choose a cabinet?"

But he went and gave what help he could. Now they are close friends; and when the president of Uganda visits the USA, he stays in the home of his friend, Bob, in the Washington, DC area.

Bob sent Doug a check for $500. When Doug retold this story to about twenty members of the Young President Organization (YPO -- an international association of business people who, by age forty, become CEO's or owners of companies a certain size), 13 asked if they could make a similar bet with him.

"Well,... sure!" The ground rules were: they had to pray every day, did not have to tell him what they were praying for, and at the end of 45 days it would be entirely up to them to decide if a mountain had been moved.

After 45 days, Doug received twelve checks for $500. Later he received a 13th check, with this explanation: "Doug, my mountain did not move. But the discipline of praying everyday for 45 days has CHANGED MY LIFE, so I feel that I owe you this $500."

What mountains, what things which could never change, are in your life? What is it around you that desperately needs the movement of mountains to change? Is your heart broken by something that desperately needs God to intervene in mountain-moving fashion? Why not pray daily and see if God will move it for you?


Addendum -- Mark 9:23 (NKJV)   "Jesus said to him, 'if you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes'."

[ By Doug Coe -- from Al ]