How the Lord Turned My Captivity
By David Paulson, M. D.
ON my return home from a distance, I was stricken down with a frightful infection, a veritable blood-poisoning. In a few days, the fierce fever was subdued, but my entire system showed plainly that it had been overwhelmed by some virulent toxin. For several weeks I was confined to my bed. I was just beginning in a most painful way to drag myself about for an hour or so at a time, when my wife came into my room and said: "There is a patient about to have a serious operation. Her heart is in such a desperate condition that the surgeon fears she may die on the operating-table. She is certain to die if she does not have an operation, and she and her friends have decided to run the risk, but she insists that you should come down and pray for her." I said: "I am too ill. I simply can not do it. Gather in some of the other folks, and pray for her yourself. The Lord is just as willing to hear your prayer as He is to hear mine." And with that Mrs. Paulson left the room. A moment later, there flashed into my mind the thought that "the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends." Job 42:10. I immediately got out of bed and began to dress. When I was nearly through, Mrs. Paulson returned to my room and wanted to know what I was doing. I said I was going down to pray for that patient. She said, "Why, we have just been to her room and had a special season of prayer." To which I replied, "Nevertheless, I also am going down and pray for her." I felt a sweet peace come into my soul as I knelt by her bedside, and appreciated, perhaps as I never had before, the wonderful privilege of prayer. Suffice it to say that the woman had a successful operation, experienced scarcely an ache or pain afterward, and made a most marvelous recovery. She firmly believed that God in a very special manner heard and answered prayer in her behalf. I happened to glance out of the window as I left her room, and saw one of our young men sitting out on the veranda. Word had reached me that he was passing through a great trial and was rapidly backsliding. It came to me forcibly that he needed prayer as much as the sick woman did, so I went to him and had a good heart-to-heart talk with him. We knelt down together in my office. He confessed his sins and shortcomings, and most earnestly reconsecrated himself to God; and as he rose from his knees, he took me by the hand, and thanked me for the interest I had taken in his spiritual welfare. From that time he has had a progressive experience, and bids fair to become a most successful worker in God's vineyard. To make a long story short, from that very hour the Lord turned my captivity. I did not go back to bed again except to sleep. I began at once to wrestle with the many problems that had accumulated during my illness, and was speedily at work with my old-time vigor and strength. The reason for relating this experience is the thought that perhaps the Lord might see fit to use it to bless some poor disheartened, discouraged mortal whose future outlook seems blighted and blasted. I would suggest that such a one begin to pray for his friends, and remember that Job did not think "his friends" had been very good to him. They had not appreciated his troubles as he thought they should, yet he did not get rid of his own troubles until he prayed for these very friends. Do you know some people who have not been very good to you? Include them in your prayers, and then wait patiently for the Lord to turn your captivity.