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Prayer: Believing

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Is it not a sad thing that we should think it wonderful for God to hear prayer? Much better faith was that of a little boy in one of the schools in Edinburgh, who had attended a prayer-meeting, and at last said to his teacher who conducted it, 'Teacher, I wish my sister could be got to read the Bible; she never reads it.'

'Why, Johnny, should your sister read the Bible?'

'Because if she should once read it, I am sure it would do her good, and she would be converted and be saved.'

'Do you think so, Johnny?'

'Yes, I do, sir, and I wish the next time there's a prayer-meeting, you would ask the people to pray for my sister that she may begin to read the Bible.'

'Well, well, it shall be done, John.'

So the teacher gave out that a little boy was very anxious that prayer should be offered that his sister might begin to read the Bible. John was observed to get up and go out. The teacher thought it very rude of the boy to disturb the people in a crowded room, and so the next day when the lad came, he said, 'John, I thought it was very rude of you to get up in the prayer-meeting and go out. You ought not to have done so.'

'Oh, sir,' said the boy, 'I did not mean to be rude; but I thought I should just like to go home and see my sister reading her Bible for the first time.'

Thus we ought to believe, and watch with expectation for answers to our prayer. Do not say, 'Lord, turn my darkness into light,' and then go out with your candle as though you expected to find it dark. After asking the Lord to appear for you, expect him to do so, for according to your faith so be it unto you.