Purpose in PrayerBounds, Edward M. (Edward McKendree)
Religion
Purpose in Prayer
Bounds, Edward M. (Edward McKendree)
Prayer -- Christianity
To the man or woman who is acquainted with God and who knows how to
pray, there is nothing remarkable in the answers that come. They are
sure of being heard, since they ask in accordance with what they know to
be the mind and the will of God. Dr. William Burt, Bishop of Europe in
the Methodist Episcopal Church, tells that a few years ago, when he
visited their Boys’ School in Vienna, he found that although the year
was not up, all available funds had been spent. He hesitated to make a
special appeal to his friends in America. He counselled with the
teachers. They took the matter to God in earnest and continued prayer,
believing that He would grant their request. Ten days later Bishop Burt
was in Rome, and there came to him a letter from a friend in New York,
which read substantially thus: “As I went to my office on Broadway one
morning [and the date was the very one on which the teachers were
praying], a voice seemed to tell me that you were in need of funds for
the Boys’ School in Vienna. I very gladly enclose a cheque for the
work.” The cheque was for the amount needed. There had been no human
communication between Vienna and New York. But while they were yet
speaking God answered them.
Some time ago there appeared in an English religious weekly the report
of an incident narrated by a well-known preacher in the course of an
address to children. For the truth of the story he was able to vouch. A
child lay sick in a country cottage, and her younger sister heard the
doctor say, as he left the house, “Nothing but a miracle can save her.”
The little girl went to her money-box, took out the few coins it
contained, and in perfect simplicity of heart went to shop after shop in
the village street, asking, “Please, I want to buy a miracle.” From each
she came away disappointed. Even the local chemist had to say, “My dear,
we don’t sell miracles here.” But outside his door two men were talking,
and had overheard the child’s request. One was a great doctor from a
London hospital, and he asked her to explain what she wanted. When he
understood the need, he hurried with her to the cottage, examined the
sick girl, and said to the mother: “It is true—only a miracle can save
her, and it must be performed at once.” He got his instruments,
performed the operation, and the patient’s life was saved.
D. L. Moody gives this illustration of the power of prayer: “While in
Edinburgh, a man was pointed out to me by a friend, who said: ‘That man
is chairman of the Edinburgh Infidel Club.’ I went and sat beside him
and said, ‘My friend, I am glad to see you in our meeting. Are you
concerned about your welfare?’
“‘I do not believe in any hereafter.’
“‘Well, just get down on your knees and let me pray for you.’
“‘No, I do not believe in prayer.’
“I knelt beside him as he sat, and prayed. He made a great deal of sport
of it. A year after I met him again. I took him by the hand and said:
‘Hasn’t God answered my prayer yet?’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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