Travelling on My Knees

Last night I took a journey
To a land across the seas;
I didn't go by boat or plane,
I traveled on my knees.

I saw so many people there
In deepest depths of sin,
And Jesus told me I should go,
That there were souls to win.

But I said, "Jesus, I cannot go
And work with such as these."
He answered quickly, Yes you can
By traveling on your knees."

He said, "You pray; I'll meet the need,
You call and I will hear;
Be anxious over all lost souls,
Of those both far and near."

And so I tried it, knelt in prayer,
Gave up some hours of ease;
I felt the Lord right by my side
While traveling on my knees.

As I prayed on and saw souls saved
And twisted bodies healed,
And saw God's workers strength renewed
While laboring on the field.

I said, "Yes, Lord, I have a job,
Tis Thee I’d ever please,
I’ll gladly go and heed Thy call
By traveling on my knees."

Poem by Sandra Goodwin Clopine, missionary to Africa and serving with the Assemblies of God
National Prayer Center and Women’s Ministries in Springfield, MO

I'm not sure how old I was when I read this poem for the first time as a young Christian - probably 16 or 17 years old. It was an insert in the church bulletin.

In fact, I had a huge National Geographic world map next to my bed and each night I would cover my eyes, stab a spot on the map and then pray for that area - for people to come to know Jesus and for the missionaries who worked there. Then I would highlight the closest town with a highlighter pen and go to sleep. Just because of how the map was situated in relationship to my bed and the length of my arms, or because God was leading it, or both, I prayed for Eastern Europe and Russia much of the time. I'm sure I did this for several years.

In the middle of those years, I came across this poem and it so touched my heart that I wanted to memorize it. Simply enough, in order to memorize scriptures in those days, I made them into songs... and so this poem became a song... and the song became my prayer - and then I became the answer to my prayers.

This month I celebrate 27 years of missionary service and have ministered in over 35 countries...I'm sure that God is smiling.