John Hyde
1865-1912
John Hyde, better known as “The Praying Hyde,” was born in
Carrollton, Illinois. His father was a Presbyterian minister
who faithfully proclaimed the Gospel message and called for
the Lord to thrust out laborers into His harvest. He prayed
this prayer not only in the pulpit but also in the home,
around the family altar. This made an indelible impression on
the life of young John, as he grew up in that atmosphere.
John was graduated from Cathage College with such high honors
that he was elected to a position on the faculty. However, he
had heard the divine call to the regions beyond, and was not
disobedient to the heavenly vision. So he resigned his posi-
tion and entered the Presbyterian seminary. In Chicago, he
was graduated in the spring of 1892 and sailed for India the
following October.
        His ministry of prayer in India during the next 20
years was such that the natives referred to him as “the man
who never sleeps.” Some termed him “the apostle of prayer.”
But more familiarly he was known as “the praying Hyde.” He
was all these and more, for deep in India’s Punjab, he envi-
sioned his Master, and face to face with the eternal, he
learned lessons of prayer which were amazing.
        Often he spent 30 days and nights in prayer, and many
times was on his knees in deep intercession for 36 hours at a
time.
        His work among the villages was very successful, in
that for many years he won four to ten people a day to the
Lord Jesus Christ. Hyde was instrumental in establishing the
annual Sialkote Conferences, from which thousands of mission-
aries and native workers returned to the stations, empowered
anew and afresh for the work of reaching India with the
Gospel.
        Hyde’s life of sacrifice, humility, love for souls
and deep spirituality, as well as his example in the ministry
of intercession, inspired many others to effect these graces
in their own lives and ministries. He died February 17, 1912.
His last words were, “Shout the victory of Jesus Christ!”

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