The King And The Girl

     Many sincere and earnest people, believing in an all-powerful and loving God who does answer prayer, just cannot bring themselves to accept the fact that the same God who worked miracles for Moses, David, and Paul will work again for them.  It is not just a low estimate of themselves; this feeling is actually a low estimate of God!  Like the moth in the cloth, it is destructive to any prayer.

     God not only can answer prayer, He really wants to!  Not only did He answer the prayers of godly Biblical characters, He will answer the prayers of believing post-Biblical characters.  He has not changed.  His mercy has not been diluted through the years.  His love and concern is actually more because our needs in these crucial, closing days of time are more.  He wants to carry us through this most sinful last chapter of earth’s history.  And, without taking away anything from the godly men of the Bible, God would love to help us even more and in even stronger ways now.

     When Joseph II became emperor of Austria in 1765, he undertook to right all wrong done to the people in times past.  To start, he renounced his inheritance of two million and applied it towards reducing the people’s heavy taxes.  Then he set up two hours every day when he would listen to anyone who had favors to ask or wrongs to be righted.

     He also would disguise himself as a citizen and walk among the people.  He wanted to get the pulse of the population and learn their needs and desires.  One morning, he met a girl who was crying.  She was on her way to sell her mother’s clothes, so she and her mother could have food.  He talked with her and learned that her father had been an officer in the army.  He asked her why she did not appeal to the king to get her rightful pension.

     “Because,” she said, “folks say that the king is proud and would refuse a common citizen’s petition.”

     “But,” the disguised man replied, “don’t you know that from twelve to two daily, his cabinet is open for all?”

     “That is what people say,” she answered, “but none of us here believe it.”

     “My child,” the emperor said tenderly, “you’ve been deceived.  Go home and write out your needs, and at twelve come to the palace.  Here are some gold pieces which I’ll give you as an advance against the money you’ll get from the pension that’s sure to be granted.”

     At twelve that day the girl went to the palace, and was ushered into the presence of Joseph II.  He said, “You wish to see the emperor.  Well, I am he!”

     The girl uttered a cry of dismay and fell to her knees weeping.”

     “Rise, my child,” said the monarch.  “We should only kneel to God.  In the future your mother will have a pension, which at her death will be transferred to you.”

     Will God do less for us than the human and sinful monarch?  Not as long as we are in touch with Him.  It is when we are out of touch that our prayers are not heard and answered. 

     It is the job of every person who claims belief in God and His Son, Jesus Christ, to remove the hindrances that keep back vital and powerful answers to prayer.  These hindrances have got to be treated as the worst kind of spiritual enemies, and dealt with through heroic courage and determination.

     Then shall the kinds of things listed in this book become realities in our own lives, here and now, and we shall see our prayers bloom into the most beautiful and radiant communication with the Creator.  Then shall we have power with God and influence over men.

Let prayer

Go with you everywhere

To speak for you

Your soul’s desire,

To bid faith grow,

And hope aspire,

Amid the silences to speak,

Of joy when troubled,

Strength when weak

For burdens shrink

Mists appear.

Flowers live

And skies

Are blue and clear

And glory lights up care

Through prayer.

Spicer