S.B. Shaw
This 19th century book is a book about answered prayers, how God has answered prayer in ordinary people’s lives. The stories can comfort, inspire, and warm your heart. It a book that reminds Christians that God never forgets to care for the abandoned, the old, the sick, the young, and the persecuted. Shaw’s also show that God may answer prayers in ways we do not expect, it is very touching and remarkable.
Excerpt from Touching Incidents and Remarkable Answers to Prayer: As Related by John B. Gough, Bishop Bowman, LL. D., Mrs. Mary Grant Cramer, James H. Potts, D.D., Mathew Hale Smith, John Wesley, T. De Witt Talmage, D.D., George Muller, and Many Others
True prayer is the language of an earnest soul breathing after God, and a. Knowledge of his will. The praying spirit is a search for the presence of God, and a continued craving for a conscious blessing from Him. Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not thyself from my supplication. O Lord God Of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee let my prayer come before thee incline thine ear unto my cry for my soul is full of troubles. Hear me when I call, 0 God of my righteousness thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. These are the cries of a dependent, trusting, and enriched heart. They Show the natural disposition of troubled man to fly to God for succor and relief.
Man has always prayed. He cannot help it. He is made so. His prayers may not always be prompted by the right motive, nor couched in acceptable phraseology, nor offered in the proper spirit. Ye ask and receive not be cause ye ask amiss. But man will pray. He must pray. The very nature of his earthly life demands prayer. He may rebel against his environments, scoff at the necessity for sup plication, for years neglect his duty, yet sooner or later, secretly or Openly, he will call upon a higher power for that aid which earthly help can not render.
A BLACKSMITH PREVAILED WITH GOD FOR A REVIVAL
A story related by Mr. Finney, will illustrate the power of the mighty prayer of faith, even when every human aid seems withheld, and nothing remains but the burning, throbbing heart, breathing out its longings, and pouring out its groans and tears before the Lord.
In a certain town there had been no revival for many years; the church was nearly run out, the youth were all unconverted, and desolation reigned unbroken. There lived in a retired part of the town, an aged man, a blacksmith by trade, and of so stammering a tongue that it was painful to hear him speak. On one Friday, as he was at work in his shop alone in his mind became greatly exercised about the state of the church, and of the impenitent. His agony became so great that he was induced to lay aside his work, lock the shop door, and spend the afternoon in prayer.
He prevailed and on the Lord’s day, called on the minister and desired him to appoint a conference meeting. After some hesitation — the minister consented — observing, however, that he feared but few would attend. He appointed it the same evening, at a large, private house.
The people gathered from far and near, doubtless to surprise of the unbelieving and faint-hearted. A solemn sense of the presence of God seemed to oppress the as feelings too deep for speech were welling up in many hearts. All was silent for a time, until one sinner broke out in and said, if any one could pray, he begged him to pray for him. Another followed, and still another, until it was found that persons from every quarter of the town were under deep conviction. And what was remarkable was, that they all dated their conviction at the hour when the old man was praying in his shop. A powerful revival followed. Thus this old stammering man prevailed, and as a prince had power with God. — Records of Prevailing Prayer
Milo 