Friday, August 5, 2011

POWER OF PRAYER


A farmer had two daughters. The elder one was married to a farmer. The younger daughter was married to a potter. The father used to visit his daughters frequently. During one of his visits, the elder daughter requested him to pray for more frequent rains as their growing crops were badly in need of water. He agreed. Then he visited his younger daughter. She told him that they wanted more sunshine to get their clay pots dried in the sun for hardening. She wanted him to pray for more sunshine without any rain. The poor father was in great confusion as his daughters were demanding his prayers for contradictory gifts. Finally he took a bold decision and prayed, “God, do as you wish. May your will be done!”

A child may see a sharp and shining knife and cry to get it as a toy. But no loving parent will give such a dangerous gift to a little child. This explains why many of our prayers are not answered immediately. God, as our loving father, knows our future and grants only those gifts which we deserve and would benefit us.

Richard. C. Trench remarked, “Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance but co-operating with His willingness”.

William Cowper said, “Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees”.

God speaks through Jeremiah, "I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for {Jeremiah 29: 11}.

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©By: Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India and Leo. S. John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally, Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.

For more moral stories, parables and anecdotes for students, catechists, teachers and preachers, kindly visit the web-sites:

http://www.moral-stories.com

http://christian.moral-stories.com

This is Story No. 201 in the second site. Please click ‘Older Posts’ at the bottom of a page to read previous stories and click 'Newer Posts' at the bottom of a page to read newer stories in these sites. Please click on a word in the 'Story Themes' to read stories on that theme.

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