My little boy had some trouble with his sister one Saturday and he did not want to forgive her. That night, when he had knelt down by his mother and said his prayers, I went up to him and said, "Willie, did you pray?"
"I said my prayers."
"Yes, but did you pray?"
"I said my prayers."
"I know you said them, but did you pray?" He hung his head. "You are angry with your sister?"
"Well she had no business to do this and that"
"That has nothing to do with it; you have the wrong idea, my boy, if you think that you have prayed tonight"
You see, he was trying to get over it by saying, "I said my prayers tonight" I find that people say their prayers every night, just to ease their conscience.
I said: "Willie, if you don't forgive your sister, you will not sleep tonight. Ask her to forgive you."
He didn't want to do that. He loves the country, and he has been talking a great deal about the time when he can go into the country and play outdoors. So he said: "Oh, yes, I will sleep well enough; I am going to think about being out there in the country!"
That is the way that we are; we try to think of something else to get rid of the thought of these sins, but we cannot.
I said nothing more to him. I went on studying, and his mother came downstairs. But soon he called his mother and said, "Mother, please go up and ask Emma if she will forgive me." Then I afterward heard him murmuring in bed, and he was saying his prayers. And he said to me, "Papa, you were right, I could not sleep, and I cannot tell you how happy I am now"
Don't think there is any peace until your sins are put away. My dear friends, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the gospel of peace.