Saying” and “Praying

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 24, 1902

“Saying” and “Praying”

MR. MOODY once related this incident concerning his own little son: “My wife came down one evening, and said she had had some trouble with one of the children. He was not willing to obey, and he had gone off to bed without asking her forgiveness. I went up and sat down by the side of the little child, and said: ‘Did you pray to-night?’ ‘I said my prayers.’ ‘Did you pray?’ ‘I said my prayers.’ ‘Did you pray?’ ‘Well, papa, I told you that I said my prayers.’ ‘Yes, I heard you; but did you pray?’ “The little fellow was struck; he knew he hadn’t prayed. How was he going to pray when there was something wrong in his heart? He could not do it. ‘Well, now,’ said I, ‘are you going to go off to sleep without praying?’ After a struggle he said: ‘I wish you would call mamma.’ She came up, and was glad to forgive him, and then he wanted to get out of bed and pray. He had ‘said his prayers,’ but now he wanted to ‘pray.’ Many people say their prayers, just as a salve to their conscience, and go out and do some mean, contemptible thing after they have said their prayers. But they hadn’t prayed, and that’s the difference.”—United Presbyterian.