by Bob Finley | Feb 14, 2023 | Writings
A Moment To Remember Excerpts from Bob Finley’s winning speech at Meriwether Lewis High School which took him to the county public speaking competition in 1937. Originally 15 minutes. “Do you remember the story of Alexander the Great and his famous...PREM is a deeply moving true story of commitment, surrender, and courage. I bought this book and immediately read it from cover to cover, and I am so GLAD I did! The pages of this incredible account filled me with deep admiration and awe, at Brother Prem's complete surrender to his Lord, in his life, and at such a great cost. My own intense personal reaction after reading these pages was a feeling of deep unworthiness, as I have never made such a complete surrender to God, as Brother Prem had. Brother Prem’s testimony is nothing short of spiritually heroic. His example calls me to be ever more committed to serving my Lord Jesus Christ with all the treasure, time, and talent He has ever given me. I highly encourage every believer to read PREM, and fully surrender to working for the Kingdom, while there is still time. Committed Christian men like Prem Pradhan appear perhaps only once in a hundred years. PREM is a spiritual testament to the selflessness, courage, and unwavering commitment of a man who, like the apostle Paul, chose the path of suffering and service to his own people of Nepal. Prem Pradhan understood, like very few Christians, that his earthly life was just a brief vapor, momentary, in comparison to the eternal joy of serving and giving his life for his Lord Jesus Christ. His radical surrender to Christ, his willingness to live with heartfelt purpose and burning passion, and his acceptance of suffering as part of his Christian journey, make Prem Pradhan a modern giant of the faith. Prem devoted his life to preaching and living the Gospel, facing relentless opposition, imprisonment, deep loneliness, and physical suffering. Prem truly comprehended and embraced the cost of discipleship. PREM has challenged me, personally, to my own spiritual inventory: am I truly willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of the Gospel? Am I really inclined to live with Prem Pradhan’s kind of single-minded devotion to the Cause of Christ? Frankly, I find myself wanting. If you long for a deeper walk of commitment to the calling of Christ, I highly recommend this book to you. —Dr. Max Rossi
Prem's life and testimony is equal to other heroes of my faith, such as: Sadhu Sundar Singh, Watchman Nee, and Perpetua. His account of prison life was especially impactful and moving, as was his opinion that God's church should not go underground to avoid persecution. I pray that we can follow his example when the time comes. —Thomas Noss
This is an incredible story, told mostly in the first person because of interviews done by the late Bob Finley over 9 years (1968-1977) with Prem himself. There is a wonderful section at the end of the book, told by Bob's widow Cynthia, of how this amazing book came about. Through the determined loving efforts of Cynthia and her likewise colleague Ellen Gray Maybank, those spoken words of Prem live today in this epistle. As others have noted, it is truly a modern-day Pauline account not unlike that found in Acts. Prem also had a bit of Jonah in him as he told of his 3-month attempt to bargain with the Lord on His call on his life. It was only when he realized that his life was falling apart that he knew God would not release him from His call/purpose of preaching to/reaching his native Nepal. God gave him immediate encouragement through His power and grace. Then began years of suffering and praise and never looking back. Read the graphic, heart-wrenching, stunning account of his (and fellow believers) incarceration in Tansen Prison--and why they were sent there--for a taste of what he went through to obey the call of the Lord, and thus win many souls for Him. It is truly a story that will make your heart sing in grateful praise. —E. Donaldson
Thank God Cynthia Finley and her team has put in writing all the things that Prem told her husband, Dr. Bob Finley. No more myth. No more hearsay. You get the words straight out of the apostle’s mouth. An indelible record.
You’ll be amazed how God used Prem’s imprisonments to disciple a whole nation. Instead of Prem going to the whole nation (impossible for a lame man in the roadless 1950s), God brought representatives of the whole nation to Prem—and gathered them in discipleship rooms (called prisons) where the apostle could win them and disciple them. When they were released, they went to their home areas, including the far corners of Nepal. God’s ways are different than man’s ways. Take off your blinders. Even the worst that can happen to you can work for God’s best. You will wrench with Prem in his sufferings, rejoice with him in his deliverances and miracles, and realize that the same God of the biblical apostles is alive today. The testimony of PREM will change your life. —John M. Lindner