A prayer and some words of encouragement

My dear cousin sent me an e-mail today which contained this story. I decided that I'd like to post it for my wider network of blogging friends to read. I send it also with a prayer, that you too will rely on the faithfulness of our Heavenly Father.

*An* *Amazing* *Story *- Subject: Isaiah 65:24
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This beautiful story was written by a doctor who worked in South Africa ..

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One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in
spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby
and a crying two-year-old daughter.

We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no
incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator). We also had no
special  feeding facilities.

Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with
treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such
babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.

Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She
came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had
burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates)

'And it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed.
As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa
it might beconsidered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not
grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.

'All right,' I said, 'put the baby as near the fire as you safely
can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts.
Your job is to keep the baby warm.'

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of
the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters
various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny
baby.

I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the
hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills.
I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother
haddied.
During prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the
usual blunt conciseness of our African children. 'Please, God,' she prayed,
'Send us a hot water bottle today. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the
baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.'

While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, 'And while

You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so
she'll know You really love her?'

As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly
say
'Amen'?  I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that
He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there?

The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me
a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at
that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home.

Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water
bottle? I lived on the equator!

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training
school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the
time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the verandah was a large

22-pound parcel.

I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent
for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully
undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly.
Excitement was mounting.

Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box.

From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled
as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy
patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed
raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend.

Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be? Igrasped
it
and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried.

I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.
Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out,
'If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!'
Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small,
beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone!  She had never doubted!
Looking up at me, she asked: 'Can I go over with you and give this dolly to
that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?'
'Of course,' I replied!
That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my
former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's
prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator.

And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months
before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it
'that afternoon.'

'Before they call, I will answer.' (Isaiah 65:24)

When you receive this, say the prayer. That's all you have to do. No strings

attached. Just send it on to whomever you want - but do send it on.

Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost,
but a lot of rewards. Let's continue praying for one another.

This awesome prayer takes less than a minute.

Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless my friends reading this. I ask
You to minister to their spirit. Where there is pain, give them Your peace
and mercy. Where there is self-doubting, release a renewed confidence to
work through them. Where there is tiredness or exhaustion,  I ask You to
give them understanding, guidance, and strength.

Where there is fear, reveal Your love and release to them Your
courage. Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and raise up
leaders and friends to support and encourage them.

Give each of them discernment to recognize the evil forces around them and
to reveal to them the power they have in You to defeat it. I ask You to do
these things in Jesus' name. Amen


P.S. Passing this on to anyone you consider a friend will bless you both.

Passing this on to one not considered a friend is something Christ would do!


Have a Blessed Day