The Wonders of Prayer Part 41

JOHN KNOX AND HIS PROPHETICAL PRAYER.

"John Knox was famous for his earnest prayers. Queen Mary said that she feared his prayers more than she did all the armies of Europe. One night, in the days of his bitterest persecution, while he and his friends were praying together, Knox spoke out, and declared _that deliverance has come_. He could not tell how. _Immediately the_ news came that _Queen Mary was dead_."

MELANCTHON'S LIFE SAVED FROM DEATH IN ANSWER TO LUTHER'S PRAYER.

The most powerful tribute to the efficacy of prayer, was the answer to Luther's prayer which the Lord sent. A messenger was sent to Luther that Melancthon was dying. He found him presenting the usual premonitory symptoms of death. Melancthon roused, looked in the face of Luther, and said, "O Luther, is this you? Why don't you let me depart in peace."

"_We can't spare you yet, Philip_," was the reply, and turning around, he threw himself upon his knees, and wrestled with G.o.d for his recovery for upwards of an hour. He went from his knees to the bed, and took his friend by the hand; again he said, "Dear Luther, why don't you let me depart in peace?" "No, no, Philip; we can not spare you yet," was the reply. He then ordered some soup, and when pressed to take it, Melancthon declined, again saying, "Dear Luther, why will you not let me go home and be at rest." "We can not spare you yet, Philip," was the reply. He then added, "Philip, take this soup, or I will excommunicate you." He took the soup, regained his wonted health, and labored for years afterwards in the cause of the Reformation; and when Luther returned home he said to his wife with joy, "G.o.d gave me my brother Melancthon back in direct answer to prayer."

In this incident is given this extraordinary statement that while death has really seized a man, who too wished to die, and did not want to live longer on the earth, yet his life was given back to him again in answer to the prayer of faith of another.

THE WONDERFUL POWER OF FAITH AND TRUST IN THE LORD TO DELIVER WHOLLY FROM BAD HABITS.

A victim of licentiousness and sensuousness, who often, amid his sinful pleasures, had the memory of Christian parents before him, felt his was indeed a life of shame. But the downward steps had destroyed his will, his self-control, his manliness, his virtue. He had no power to resist, all was wickedness, irresolution, constant yielding. In vain he hung back, and tried to save himself from the cursed appet.i.te; at last he realized that in a few weeks' time he must go to the grave; strength could not stand such a waste of life. "What a miserable life. What wicked ways, what wicked thoughts; how I wish I was pure; O, that I might get free; I do not love this sin any more, I don't want it, but I can't stop it. O, I wish I could be a Christian, and wholly free."

Such were his constant thoughts. In mercy, the Lord who had been reading his thoughts, sent him a great reverse in business, and in agony of heart, he knew not where to turn but to the Lord, and pray for relief.

His prayer, too, asked to be emanc.i.p.ated from his wickedness, and his strength and health restored. "_Lord, save me and I will_ be thine forever. I am lost unless thou wilt come and save."

By gradual degrees, in the absorption of his thoughts over other distresses, his mind was diverted from his usual ways and thoughts of sinful living; gradually the habits of l.u.s.t grew less and less strong, and finally ceased altogether. But the body still remained under excessive weakness. But faith that the Lord who had saved others, could save him too, led him to pray, not only for the destruction of the habit, but entire recovery from its evil effects. His perseverance was persistent, and met with a _triumphant reward_. After a long; time, he felt himself wholly healed. New strength, new life, came back to him.

"It seems as if my life had been put back again ten years, and I was young again." "I never have any more wicked thoughts or imaginations, while I was once full of them. Since I learned to seek the Lord and love his Bible, I have never had such peace, or purity. I love the name and tender mercies of my G.o.d." If in a few months, prayer saved that man's life, and so wholly changed it from a foul blot to a thing of purity, what can it not do again. _No sin can ever be conquered until in humility either saint or sinner_ gets down upon his knees, and implores the love and power of the Lord in _never ceasing prayer_, to wholly emanc.i.p.ate him from the control of the evil habit. _The Lord will surely hear it_. He can as truly deliver the body from the most persistent and enchaining habit, as he can wholly convert the mind and heart. The result is not always instantaneous; more often gradual, but _always sure_ if the sufferer _always prays_.

It is simple enough for the sinning one to believe that the _Lord can_, and seeking the Bible _for the Lord's own promise that he, will; to cling to it and never surrender_.

The sin may be repeated when you can not resist it, and do not desire for it, but take all pains to avoid; still pray though you often fail; still try, still trust the Lord to loose your chains and remove your desire, and deliverance is sure to come at last.

RECOVERY FROM PARALYSIS.

"Between two and three years ago, the writer was struck down by paralysis, disabling entirely the limbs of the left side. In this apparently helpless state, I employed a man to take care of me, and felt that unless G.o.d should interpose, I must be a continuous burden on my friends. My kind physician gave me no hope of _entire recovery_.

"In this state I made my prayer to G.o.d continually, that he would so far restore my strength as to enable me to take care of myself.

"This prayer he was pleased to answer, for in eight weeks I dismissed my attendant, finding myself able to take care of myself. I now walk more than half a mile each day, and attend to all the a.s.sociations of home life. I record with thankfulness this restoration of my disabled frame in answer to prayer."

THE STOLEN BONDS RETURNED.

The _New York Observer_ relates a remarkable instance of the return of stolen property, which in its extraordinary way can be accounted for only by the control of a Supreme Will, and all in answer to prayer.

"On February 16, 1877, United States and railroad bonds and mortgages to the amount of $160,000, belonging to Edgar H. Richards, were stolen from the banking house of James G. King's Sons, of this city. No clue whatever to the robbers could be obtained. Several parties were arrested on suspicion, but nothing could be proved, and the mystery remained unsolved.

"Mr. Richards, being a member of one of our most prominent churches, made it a subject of constant prayer, that the Lord would wholly prevent the thieves from any use of the property and cause it to be returned to him. When asked if he was ever incredulous, he said, 'No, I have never lost my faith in recovering this property. I believe in prayer, and I have made it from the first a subject of prayer, and it will be answered.'

"Meanwhile some curious influences must have been at work among the thieves, for they acted in an extraordinary manner as follows:

"One day last week a stranger, well dressed, modest looking, gentlemanly, walked into the office of Elliott F. Shepard, Esq., one of Messrs. King's counsel, and tendered his services for the recovery of the property, a.s.serting he knew nothing about the robbery, nor the thieves, but that he could get the treasure. He was told that a reward would be paid for the capture of the thieves, but he earnestly protested that it was entirely out of his power to obtain any clue to the person or whereabouts of the thief; and no inquiries ever disclosed that this was not a perfectly true statement. Indeed, it proved that he had been selected as an agent to do this work, and that there were at least five or six connecting intermediaries between him and the robbers, each exercising that virtue which is called honor among thieves, and which on this occasion proved a wall of adamant to every attempt to pierce it or break it down.

"True to his word the stranger caused the delivery at Mr. Shepard's office, at the appointed hour to a second, of an ordinary pasteboard bandbox, wrapped in newspaper, by the hands of a little boy. He had come in a pelting rain-storm, and part of the newspaper had become torn, and disclosed the blue, unsuspected hat box. The boy knew nothing about it, except that a gentleman had given him a dime in the street to bring the box.

"Mr. Richards being present, opened the bandbox, examined and checked off the contents with one of Messrs. King's head clerks, and found every single item of his missing securities, stocks, bonds, mortgages, accounts, bank books, wills, everything. A most remarkable thing! The parties could hardly believe their eyes."

MR. MOODY'S ANSWERS TO PRAYERS.

Mr. D.L. Moody, the Evangelist, when a boy, was possessed of an unusual amount of muscular strength and animal spirits, and a strong will that knew little of impossibility or submission. When only six years old, being wistful to do something to help his mother, he was set to drive the cows of a neighboring farmer to and from their mountain pasture. On one occasion, a heavy fence fell upon him from which he could not extricate himself. After trying his utmost and crying as loud as he could for help, but in vain, the thought struck him that G.o.d would help him if he asked him. In his own simple language he prayed to his mother's G.o.d for help, and made another effort, and succeeded in getting free. This, his first answer to prayer, made a vivid impression on his heart, which gave a decided turn to his opening life.

NO FLOUR IN THE HOUSE--IN THE DAYS OF FAMINE, HIS SOUL SHALL BE SATISFIED.

Mr. Moody's domestic life has always been a happy one, but in the early days of his marriage, he was very poor, and his faith was often put to the severest tests.

One day, on leaving home in his missionary work and labors of love, he remarked to his wife, "I have no money, and the house is without supplies. It looks dark; is it possible that the Lord has had enough of me in this mission work, and is going to send me back again to sell boots and shoes." But he prayed. In a day or two, a Stranger sent him two checks of $50 each--one for himself, and one for his school.

On another occasion his wife informed him that they had no flour for the day's use, and asked him to order some on his way. Having no money in his possession, he was perplexed how to proceed to raise the required amount; but meeting a person in whose spiritual welfare he was concerned, he forgot all about such sublunary considerations as money and flour, and went heart and soul into the Lord's work before him.

On his return home at night, he felt somewhat nervous about his reception on account of his not having sent the flour, but to his joyful surprise, he found that on his arrival the table was spread with a bountiful repast.

It seems that a friend of his was powerfully impressed that morning, and without seeing the family or knowing anything about their need, had packed up a barrel of flour and sent it.

Others of his friends, who were interested in his work, and felt confidence in his work, _unknown to him_, selected a new house, and furnished it throughout with every facility for convenience and comfort, and when all was completed invited him and his family to it, and made him a present of the loan of his house, and all its contents.

Thus the _Great Helper_ remembered him and answered his daily prayer, "Give us this day our daily bread."

PERSEVERING PRAYER.

At one of the prayer-meetings at the Brooklyn tabernacle, Mr. Moody closed by narrating an instance of persevering prayer by a Christian wife for an infidel husband. She resolved to pray for him at noon for eighteen months, and at the expiration of that time, her knocking not having been responded to, she exclaimed, "_Lord, I will pray for him, every day, and at all hours, as long as life lasts_."

That day the Lord heard her knock, and gave her the desire of her heart, in the conversion of her husband. When the Lord saw her faith would not give up, he sent the answer immediately.

NOAH'S PRAYER.--HE DID NOT GET DISCOURAGED.

The life of faith and the necessity of uncompromising hold on the promise's, expecting their fulfillment, is admirably explained in the ill.u.s.tration of Noah's prayer. One day Mr. Moody was much discouraged, and it was as dark a Sabbath as ever he had, and a friend suggested to him to study the life of Noah.

"I got out my Bible, and the thought came over me, 'Here is a man who labored and talked a hundred years, and didn't succeed; didn't get a convert notwithstanding all his efforts, all his prayers, but he didn't get discouraged.'