IN ORDER to show my young readers that God hears and answers prayer, I am going to tell you a story of a little boy whose prayer was answered in a wonderful manner, although, as you will see, he made a great mistake in the way in which he asked. It is a true story, and happened in Germany.
This little boy when quite young had lost his father, and was by this sad event deprived of the means of continuing his education. Now this was a great grief to Frank; for he was not like some children, who are quite pleased to be idle, and very glad when their teacher is away and cannot teach them. Frank knew that he was ignorant, and had much to learn before he could become a good or useful man; and his great desire was, that he might be admitted into a school founded by those Christians called Moravians, where children were taught to know and love Jesus Christ, and other things besides, which it is necessary for them to learn, in order to gain their living.
His poor mother wished it as much as he did; but without money, without friends, poor and unknown, he had but little to expect in this world. Happily for our young orphan, he had heard of Him “who is rich in mercy to all who call upon Him”; and of Jesus, who has said, “Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of heaven”.
This poor little boy was a Christian, and trusted simply and entirely in the Saviour; he believed that He would help him, and was most anxious to make his distresses known to Him. “But how can I go to Jesus” said he; “I will write to Him, and will tell Him everything.” This he immediately set about doing, and wrote nearly the following words:
“My Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, I have lost my father: we are very poor; but I know Thou tellest us in Thy Word, that whatever we shall ask God in Thy name, He will give it to us. I believe what Thou sayest, Lord Jesus; I pray, then, unto God, in the name of Jesus, that He will give my mother the means of placing me in the Moravian School. I should like so much to continue to be taught. I have prayed unto Thee, but I now love Thee more. Give me also wisdom, and everything that is good.”
He then folded up the letter, directed it, and looking very grave all the time, but yet very happy (for he felt sure his Saviour would answer it), he carried it to the Post office.
Now you may, perhaps, think that Frank was very foolish, and may wonder that a boy who knew Jesus Christ, and was, no doubt, in the habit of praying every day, should be ignorant that the way to ask anything of God is to pray to Him; and that He can hear the softest whisper, or see our thoughts and wishes, even when we do not put them into words. However, you must not be in too great haste to blame the little boy. Recollect how young he was, and this was probably the first earthly trouble he ever had on his mind. He now wanted money to pay for his schooling, and this, perhaps, seemed to him quite a different thing from praying for spiritual blessings, and, therefore, in his simplicity, he thought he must set about it in quite another way. Very likely he had heard that by the Post was the quickest way of sending messages to our friends at a distance, and of getting answers from them; and as he had read in the Bible that Jesus had gone up into heaven, and heaven seemed to him very far off, he probably thought this the best way of sending to the Lord Jesus Christ, to tell Him his troubles. It was, therefore, quite an act of faith in little Frank; and you will hear how God, who looks at the heart rather than at the manner to which things are done, kindly condescended to answer him.
The Postmaster, seeing the direction, thought that the letter was from some foolish or mad person, and, therefore, threw it aside for a time; but when he had sent off the other letters, he took it up again, looked at the writing, and saw it was that of a child. He opened it, and was very much affected by reading this infant prayer. He showed it to a friend of his who was a Moravian, and who took the letter and read it at a meeting of the Moravian Society. There was a rich and kind lady present, the Baroness de la Lippe, and when she heard it read, it seemed to her like a message from her Saviour to tell her to take care of one of His “little ones.” Accordingly, she took the young orphan under her protection, and placed him at the school where he so much desired to be. Thus you see, though the letter itself never reached heaven, yet the prayer contained in it did; and so will all prayers, which, like this child’s, are offered up in faith, and in the name of Jesus; for has He not said, “Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do?”
ML 12/08/1912