The Wonders of Prayer Part 4

A MINISTER'S SUPPLIES FALL SHORT.

"When very much in need of funds to procure supplies for a coming Winter, all expedients failed; then I asked G.o.d for a.s.sistance, when, unexpectedly, a friend in California sent me a little package of gold dust, which I sold, at once, for $130. This came when it was needed, and it did us good."

A PRAYER FOR A SERVANT.

"Some time after, we failed to find anything like suitable help in the house, which we greatly needed. Before starting out one morning, in secret I prayed to G.o.d to direct me as I went on my uncertain business, and prayed as I called at different places, and soon found a colored girl sixteen years old wanting a place, who came and proved to be the best help we ever had, before or since. For seven years and a half she lived in the family, taught two of our children to read; was glad, from choice, to move with us to different places, till she left to be married, fell sick and pa.s.sed away. A dozen other times when driven in straits, _in answer to prayer_ G.o.d has enabled us to procure necessary help, which was difficult to obtain.

"In 1874, while on my way to see my mother in Pennsylvania--who had just been paralyzed, and died the next week--I was suddenly paralyzed in my left arm, by which, I have since been helpless and useless. After coming here to live, being in want of a man to lift me in and out of bed, dress me, etc., for which we inquired of people, and prayed to G.o.d to send us the needed help. We had not means to hire and pay any person to do such work, even if he could be found. Soon the right one came, in the person of a young German, who was tramping through the country in search of employment and food; was ready and glad to do any work for a living. For pay that satisfied him and us, he staid in the family over a year, working out doors and in; could be trusted to do business with money, and return every cent correctly. After being with us over a year, when we needed him no longer, he obtained a situation in a good family, where he is now living. In many instances, I have prayed to be healed of special sickness, always using what remedies I thought best, yet asking the divine blessing on their use."

HEALING.

"For over three years, I was troubled with frequent raising of blood from my right lung, which physicians failed to cure. Of this I prayed to be relieved; after which, the soreness healed, and for several years it has ceased to trouble me."

THAT $18.75.

A man who had led a very wicked life, was converted and hopefully saved.

Previous to this time, a debt of $18.75 had not given him the slightest thought. After receiving a new heart, he distinctly heard G.o.d's command, "Pay what thou owest;" so called on his creditor, and urged him to send to his house and get a bureau, table and looking-gla.s.s, which he desired him to sell and pay himself the sum due him; but, not wishing to deprive his debtor of such necessary articles, refused, saying he would wait till he could pay. The 18th of November was set, and, as the day approached, the prospect was no brighter; and when the night of the 17th came around, he spent it in prayer that G.o.d would deliver him, and rose from his knees at daybreak, with the full a.s.surance that "He knoweth how to deliver."

On pa.s.sing down a street the next morning, on his way to business, a man who kept a large store was standing in the door-way, and called to him to stop a minute. Wondering what could be the nature of the call, he retraced his steps, to hear this astonishing news: "_For three days I have been impressed with the idea that I must give you_ $18.75, _and for three days have been trying to ascertain why I must give you this amount, for I do not owe any man a penny_. I cannot get rid of the thought, and if you value my peace of mind, I beg you take the money!"

Seeing, instantly, the hand of G.o.d in it, he told the story to the astonished storekeeper, then left to pay his debt with the money so strangely given. His creditor, surprised to see him so promptly on time, questioned him as to the manner of obtaining it, thinking, perhaps, he had made a great sacrifice to do so. On being told just how it was given him, said, "_I won't take it; keep it. If G.o.d is as near to people as that, I don't want it; it seems as if it had come directly from his Almighty hand_." The result was the conversion of both the storekeeper and creditor, to whom the incident came as the undoubted evidence of G.o.d's presence among them.

G.o.d SENT THE BAG OF FLOUR.

In about the year 1830, in Central New York, there was a time of great scarcity of provisions. Grain was very high, and difficult to be obtained at any price; and, of course, families of limited means were very much straitened. In one family, the wife and mother of six children, a G.o.dly woman, worked at her trade (tailoress) to the extent of her ability, and prayed earnestly that G.o.d would deliver them from pressing want. Husband and children all knew of their need, and of the fervent prayers of the wife and mother for their supply; but no one knew by what means the supply was to come. Every day, as their scanty means were being consumed, the prospect grew darker. On the farm was a large quant.i.ty of pine timber. Four miles from there, in the next town, lived a man who needed some shingles; and, casting about him to see where he should obtain a supply, thought he would go and purchase a pine tree, and himself and man go into the woods and work it up into shingles. As he was about starting, the thought occurred to him, "Perhaps they may be in want of wheat flour--a bag cannot come amiss in this time of scarcity." So, putting two bushels in a bag, he proceeded to the next town, entered the house, and made known his errand, saying, "I have brought along two bushels of flour towards paying for the tree, thinking you might be in want of it in this time of scarcity, and I knew you live six or seven miles from the mill, and have no horse." "That is in answer to prayer," said the n.o.ble woman; and the husband believed it, though not a praying man. When, at night, the oldest son came in, the mother said to him, "G.o.d has answered our prayers, and sent a bag of flour." It is believed that, while this was not miraculous, it was as directly the interposition of G.o.d, as feeding Elijah by the ravens; and it was in direct answer to prayer for that special blessing."

INCIDENTS FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF A CITY MISSIONARY.--A PRAYER FOR SUPPER ANSWERED.

An educated, accomplished lady, reduced to the very lowest round of poverty's ladder, whom we shall call Mrs. X----, bears unfailing testimony to G.o.d's hearing and answering the prayer of faith. The daughter came up-stairs one day to announce the utter emptiness of the larder. There was not even a piece of dry bread, nor a drawing of tea; not a potato, nor a bean; and "Charles, poor fellow, will come home from his work at six, tired and so hungry; what _shall_ we do, mother?"

"The Lord will send us something, before he comes," said Mrs. X----. So, for three hours more the daughter waited. "Mother, it is five o'clock, and the Lord has not sent us anything." "He will, my dear, before half-past six;" and the widow went in an adjoining room, to ask that her daughter might not feel it vain to call upon G.o.d. In fifteen minutes, the door-bell rang violently, and a gentleman, valise in hand, said, "Mrs. X----, I left the room which I hired of you one year ago, in a great hurry, you will remember; and I owed you five dollars. I have not been in the city since, and am rushing out of it again--jumped off the car just to give you this money. Good-bye."

RELIEF FROM A CREDITOR'S DEMANDS.

"At another time, being sorely pressed by a heartless creditor, and almost beside herself, she concluded to walk out and get free from the insupportable burden, by change of air and scene for two or three hours.

Pa.s.sing the house of a friend, just returned from Europe, she called for a few moments, and was presented with a small and peculiar plant, brought from Wales. All the way home she was asking the Lord to release her from this relentless creditor, and all the way home a man, without her knowledge, was following her. Arrived at her own stoop, he suddenly confronted her, bowed, apologized for the liberty, but said he had not had a sight of that dear old plant since he left home; and if she would sell it to him, he would gladly give her ten dollars for it. As that was half the sum for which she was persecuted, and would probably relieve her from annoyance until she could raise the balance, she accepted the offer."

TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS NEEDED AND GIVEN AT THE LAST MOMENT.

"At the time of her husband's death, there were _two hundred dollars_ due an inst.i.tute, for board and tuition of their two little boys. His death was the flood-gate opened, which let in a successive torrent of perplexities, losses, dilemmas, delays, law-suits, etc. She had not been able to pay that bill; the princ.i.p.al was importunate, persevering, bitter, and, at last, abusive. She cried to the Lord for a week, day and night, almost without ceasing. Then, a gentleman whom she had taken to her own house and carefully nursed through a dangerous illness, three years before, called to say good-bye. He was on his way to a Bremen steamer, and all other adieus were said, all his baggage on board, except the valise in his hand. Might her boy ride down to the wharf and see him off? Of course she was glad to consent. When her son returned he brought back a letter, which opened, she found to contain _two hundred dollars_ and the words, 'Not that money can ever express my grat.i.tude, but the enclosed may be useful for gas-bills or some other little household matter.'"

HOW THE LORD REPAID A GENEROUS GIFT.

"Some gentlemen, urged to contribute to a most worthy cause, said, 'Go first to Mr. Z.--whatever he gives, we will.' Mr. Z., upon application, concluded to make his neighbors do something worth while, and, as he was expecting a thousand dollars in a very few days, subscribed the whole of that. Upon the arrival of the vessel which was to pay his subscription, he found the difference in exchange between certain countries, had swelled his thousand dollars to _twenty-two hundred_."

THE ASTONISHED GIVER.

"A gentleman, not marching in the ranks of 'cheerful givers,' was urged to bestow five dollars toward the 'Fresh Air Fund.' 'He could not; business wretched; poor enough himself,' and all the well known line of excuses. The friend a.s.sured him, if the Lord did not more than make it up to him, before the end of the week, he himself would return the money. To those terms he agreed, quite sure he should call on Sat.u.r.day and get back the $5. But, the very next morning, he ran to the office of his friend to say that an old debt, given up long ago, and for which he would have taken one hundred dollars any moment, was paid him about an hour after the friend left his store. So astonished was he, that he even doubted the check, which was for _five thousand dollars,_ and sent it to the bank to test its genuineness before he would give a receipt for it!"

ALL SAVED.

In a dismal bas.e.m.e.nt, A. found a very interesting American family. The father, in the last stage of consumption; a little girl of ten years, an invalid from infancy. The mother and two daughters, both under fifteen, were out all day at work, trying to keep even such a wretched shelter, and a little coa.r.s.e food, as daily supplies. The three together could not make over four dollars a week. The only person to wait on the two sick ones during the day, was a little boy four years of age, who, when the missionary entered, was reclining upon the bed. But he started up, put more coal on the fire, and brought a drink of water, first to his sister, then his father; without any bidding, and with the consideration of a grown person.

On A.'s next visit, a few days after, he found the mother at home, grief-stricken. Her eldest daughter had been taken ill the day previous.

He gave her all the money he had, prayed with them, and sent at once a kind, a.s.siduous physician. In a few weeks the daughter died, but not without a good hope in Christ; and was buried at the expense of the few kind friends whom A. had sent to see the family. The dying daughter exhorted her dying father to seek his soul's eternal welfare, and not boast, as heretofore, of his life-long morality. Her conversations led him to see his danger out of Christ, and, in a little while after his daughter's departure, he followed. The mother had not before had a sure Christian hope; but, amidst such influences, her heart was soon opened to admit the truth. Not long after her bereavement she began having a "cottage prayer-meeting" in her room, and united with an evangelical church. She immediately became anxious for the conversion of her two boys, who were away, and urged the missionary to write them. He did so, frequently, and his heaven-directed appeals led one of the boys very soon to Christ. Soon after, he died; the brother returned home with consumption. He took great pleasure in the little prayer-meetings, and in three months cheerfully and exultantly exchanged this world of suffering for the one where father, brother and sister awaited him. Worn out with anxiety, care, hard work and poor health, the mother followed; leaving the invalid girl and youngest boy; who are watched over, not only by their Friend in heaven, but friends on earth. The eldest surviving daughter is an esteemed and consistent member of a church of Christ.

"THE LORD WOKE ME UP IN TIME TO SAVE MY CLOTHES."

In the very top of a four-story building, used only for various manufacturing purposes, lived an old man and daughter. They lived literally _by faith in Christ_, from _day_ to _day_; one hour at a time.

At his voice, followed Him, whether into darkness or light. Neither took a step but as they held his hand. A lady calling one day, said, "Oh!

Jennie, I thought of your large wash hanging on the roof, last night, when the drenching rain came; and I was so sorry to think you would have your hard work all over again!" "_Oh! no ma'am. The Lord woke me up out of a sound sleep, just as the first few drops fell_! I hastened up and brought them all down nice and dry, and had only got to the foot of the stairs with the last armful, when it poured down. Now that was the Lord, ma'am, for there was not a single noise of any kind to waken me, and I was sound asleep!"

THE LORD TAKES AWAY THE CUSTOM OF A LIQUOR SALOON.

At one time, the landlord rented the ground floor to a liquor seller.

The loafers going in and out, especially on Sunday, were a great grief to Jennie and her saintly old father. They concluded to take it to the Lord together, and, said the old man, "He will be sure to attend to it; I have been young, and now am old, and I have never known Him fail me--He _never_ does." _In three weeks after, the dram-seller closed his place for want of patronage_.

HELP IN TIME OF NEED.

A poor, humble Christian woman had a claim on some property in a neighboring State. It was in law, and she was summoned to attend court at a certain time. Having scarcely money enough for her daily bread, she was obliged to borrow the means to take her there, and pay some cheap board while awaiting the conclusion of the trial. She was positively a.s.sured by the lawyers, that she would receive several hundred dollars.

She was detained five weeks, instead of one, as she expected, and then the suit was postponed till Fall. She was in agony of mind; in a strange place--owing for board and washing, and no money to take her to her home. Having spent a whole night pacing the floor and calling on the Lord to redeem his promises, she felt the fresh air would do her good, and sadly took her way down a side street. She had gone but three blocks when she found a diamond ring. Being accustomed to the ownership of diamonds in her younger days, she knew very nearly its value; took it home, watched the princ.i.p.al papers, and the same evening saw a reward of seventy-five dollars offered for it. We can imagine that joy lent wings to her feet, and thanksgiving filled her whole heart. The sum was sufficient to pay her bills, bring her back and return a portion of the borrowed money.