THERE lived in the far west a family of, father, mother and a little girl; none of which knew or cared about the Lord Jesus. But God, as He often does, brought the knowledge of the Saviour into the family through the dear little girl at the age of seven years. She was invited by someone to attend a Sunday-school, and there she learned for the first time that there is a Saviour for sinners—even for little children like herself —and in simple faith she accepted Him in her heart.
The father later became very anxious about his soul. His distress increased daily, and one night, at the midnight hour, he arose from his bed in agony. He begged his wife to pray for him, as he did not know how to pray for himself. She told him she could not pray any better than he could.
“What shall I do, then?”
“Perhaps,” said she, “our little Mary can pray.”
So the father went up to her room, where she was fast asleep, and took her up from her bed in his arms and bore her down stairs, and putting her down gently, he said with great earnestness,
“Mary, can you pray?”
“O, yes, father, I can pray.”
“Will you kneel down and pray for your poor father?”
“Yes, I will pray for you.”
So she kneeled, put up her little hands, and in her own language, asked God to have mercy on her father, and to pardon all his sins for Jesus’ Christ’s sake.
When she had finished her prayer, her father said to her,
“Mary, can you read your Bible?” “O, yes, father, I can read; shall I read to you in my Bible?”
“Yes, read to me.”
So she began at the third chapter of the Gospel of John. She read along until she came to that verse:
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
“O, Mary,” said he, “is that there?” “Yes, father, it is here. Jesus Christ said so.”
“Well, that is just what I need; what your poor father needs.”
“Yes, father, and hear the rest of it:
‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life’.”
“O, that is for me; for just such as me! Whosoever believeth in Him; I can believe in Him, I do believe in Him.”
And from that hour the father went on his way rejoicing in the Saviour with great joy.
ML 02/10/1924