PRAYER, dear young friends, is just telling God what your heart longs for. Ask Him for what you want in your own words; go to God in faith, and He will attend to your cry, be it forever so small a matter, as you will see by little Percy’s prayer.
Little Percy’s mother was often visited by a lady, who usually took an umbrella with her, and whenever she did so, Percy wanted to play with it, and though often told not to do so—for the lady did not wish her umbrella to be spoilt—still the little fellow seemed not to be able to resist the temptation. But one day, instead of pulling the forbidden umbrella about, little Percy seated himself at the farther end of the room, as far from the umbrella as he could get. The lady was very much surprised at this, and then his mother told her that a few nights before, when praying at her knee, little Percy added, “And please, Lord, keep me from touching the lady’s umbrella.”
Was not that a simple little prayer? Now you can understand how it was that Percy kept away from the umbrella, and I hope you will try and remember the lesson my little story teaches, and pray in simple words from the heart to God, believing that however trifling a prayer may seem, God will hear.
“Little children, come to Jesus,
He has kindly said you may,
When you try to pray and praise Him,
He will teach you what to say;
He will take your hand and lead you
In the way you ought to go;
He will make you wise and happy,
No one else can bless you so.”
ML 11/17/1918