Mr. Hsiung’s school needed a new well. It was just as simple as that. As principal of the new school in Chungking, China, he knew that they had to have good drinking water for the students. Like most other wells in Chungking, the closest well to the school building was very shallow. Rain water would run into the wells every time it rained, carrying harmful germs into the water. Mr. Hsiung could not use this water for the students.
The new school in Chungking was a Christian school. Principal Hsiung and the teachers all loved the Lord Jesus and had accepted Him as their Saviour. This was the first Christian school in this part of China, so many of the townspeople were watching them.
Mr. Hsiung talked with some of the townspeople about the water problem. They all told him the same thing—there were no deep wells because of the solid rock under the whole area. But Mr. Hsiung did not give up. He and the rest of the teachers prayed that good water could be found.
After much prayer Mr. Hsiung felt that God would answer their prayers for good water. So a spot in the schoolyard was chosen to begin digging a well.
“Why spend your money for nothing?” asked the people. They laughed at them for trying to dig a well when they could even see part of the rock in several places in the schoolyard.
But Principal Hsiung was sure that the place they had chosen was right where God wanted them to dig. With some difficulty he hired workmen who began digging by hand. They used shovels until they hit rock, and then hammers and chisels were used to break the rock.
Four weeks of steady, hard digging passed, but still no water was found. Behind the principal’s back many people laughed. Most came to find fault, none came to encourage. But Mr. Hsiung did not lose faith. Two months passed, then three. Even the paid workmen wanted to quit. It looked hopeless.
After much prayer, Mr. Hsiung said, “No, I believe this is the place where God wants me to dig. Let’s keep digging until we strike water.”
And so they continued, week after week, hammering, chiseling and digging in the dry, rocky ground. Four months later and 50 feet down they still had not found water. Not even a drop of moisture trickled into the bottom of the well or dampened the walls. Mr. Hsiung and the teachers were very discouraged, and there was much criticism. But once again after much earnest prayer, this man of prayer felt that God would answer his prayers soon.
The hammering continued until one morning one of the workmen hit the side of the well with his chisel. The chisel broke through the rock, and water poured into the well! It came in so fast that the men had to be pulled to the surface quickly, leaving even their tools behind. Within a few minutes there was 10 feet of water in the well, and it was still rising!
The news traveled through the town: “Water! Water! Water! There is water in the well!”
Many people ran from the town to see this impossible thing that had happened. One hour after first striking water they watched the water reach a depth of 30 feet.
The “prayer well” gave them plenty of water—good, clean water —not only for the school, but enough for the whole village! No matter how much was taken out the level remained the same. Later, during a long dry spell when many wells went dry, the “prayer well” continued to produce plenty of water. Far and wide the people recognized that God had answered the prayers of the Christians.
The principal and the teachers used this experience to show the students the power of prayer in a Christian’s life. For those of us who know the Lord Jesus as our Saviour, this story should be an encouragement to pray about everything in our lives—all the little things as well as the big things. God tells us in the Bible that “His ears are open unto their prayers.” 1 Peter 3:1212For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. (1 Peter 3:12). He also says, “Let him ask in faith.” James 1:66But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (James 1:6). God wants to bless His children and “to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” Ephesians 3:2020Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, (Ephesians 3:20).
ML-06/06/1982