Answers to Prayer. No. 7.
“I DON’T believe in so much of that praying business: its a poor mean way of getting out of scrapes. I believe in a fellow helping himself,” said a boy of fourteen, as they came from a children’s meeting about Peter in prison.
A little girl said gently, “I think it is nice to ask God for everything. What would you do, if you couldn’t get out of a scrape yourself?”
“I’ve never been in one, but I could get out by common sense and determination,” he said jauntily. But he could not forget the inquiry, though he tried, and whistled vigorously.
Not long after, jumping from a wall, he fell through into an old drain and sprained his ankle. He lighted several matches, tied his ankle tight, and searched about, but could not get out; then he thought of Peter, and wished for someone to pray for his deliverance, but no one knew about it. In his despair he prayed his first real prayer, “O God, help me. I can’t do anything, but Thou canst. Oh, forgive me and deliver me from this dreadful place.”
But would He hear and answer it? In a strange way He did. The very little children whom he had told that he “didn’t believe in praying,” heard his faint cry, and were the means of his getting out, when he fell fainting in his father’s arms. On recovering a little, he whispered, “I believe in prayer now. It was God who delivered me.”
ML 11/02/1902