pray

One evening six-year-old Bobby asked his father for a pet. "Sorry, son," his father said, "not now. But if you pray real hard for two months, perhaps God will send you a baby brother."

Bobby prayed faithfully for a month, but it seemed futile to pray longer so he gave up.

How surprised he was, when a month later, a little boy arrived at their home, or so Bobby thought when he saw a squirming bundle beside his mother. His proud father drew back the cover and Bobby saw another baby. Twins!

"Aren't you glad you prayed for a baby brother?" asked his father.

"I sure am," said the boy. "But aren't you glad I stopped praying when I did?"

Sometimes, like Bobby, we are tempted to give up prayer when it doesn't seem to be "working". Like the souls under the altar in Rev. 5 9-10, we cry out, "How long, O Lord [before you answer our prayers]? And we sometimes don't like the answer given by God, ".....a little while longer...." (Rev. 5:11).

But there is not a prayer uttered by one of God's children that God does not hear and that does not touch his heart. Prayer changes things -- it truly does make a difference -- and so we need to be careful not to get discouraged and give up.

"The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" James 5:16