The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-09-23
A PRAYER Meeting With Pima.


Emma was a little Christian. She
dearly loved TO 60 to the church prayer
meeting. Of course she did was it
not her prayer meeting as much as any
other church members, and did not
the pastor expect The children to speak
and pray if they wished 10, just as
much as the older people?
One evening it was so rainy that
papa said his little girl must not 60 TO
the meeting.
'Then I shall have to have prayer
meeting right here with you, papa"
exclaimed Emma. Won't that be
fipew
Papa did not answer, for he was not
Christian. and be did not see how he
could help his little daughter much in
her meeting.
Emma ran into the parlor for the
large Bible. On returning she placed
it in her papa's lap. saying:
"You can be the minister and read
the chapter. Choose a nice long one,
please"
But 1 must read my newspaper
now," replied papa.
"Oh, the paper can wait" said
Emma, "and it really won't seem like
Tuesday night if don't have some
kind of prayer meeting to go TO. So,
papa, do please let's have one. You
always let me have everything else
want"
"Do l." laughed papa. "Well, if
reading the Bible is having q pray yer
meeting will certainly do that"
After papa had read a chapter,
Emma said:
"How beautiful those words are, and
they are all true. How good God is to
give us the Bible. Now let us kneel
and have season of prayer. Will you
pray first papa, or shall I?"
"But-but, really, darling, think
must 60 out to the stable and see after
the horse," said papa, who dared not
confess to his child that he did not
care to pray with her.
"Just wait, please, until our prayer
meeting is over" returned Emma.
"Perhaps it will be best for me to pray
first. You will kneel, won't you, papa,
while pray?"
"Oh, yes," answered papa.
Then he and Emma kneeled, and
Emma offered this little prayer:
Dear Jesus, am going to pray to
thee because thou canst tell God Just
what pray, and he will answer this
prayer all the sooner because he is thy
Father. I want you to bless me and
make me better child. Bless papa
and make him Christian. for he will
be so much happier and safer when he
Is Christian. Amen"
Rising from her knees, Emma said:
"I think you will have to be a Chris
tian, now, papa, for 1 asked God 10
make you one, and he is always so good
about answering my prayers"
II wish that might be a child of
God" answered papa, the tears rolling
down his cheeks. II have felt that
should be Christian ever since have
seen what beautiful little Christian
you have tried to be-"
"Ob, 1 am 80 glad" exclaimed
Emma! won't you give your heart
to Jesus right ?''
"But it is such hard, wicked heart"
answered papa, with sigh.
"And that ia just why Jesus wants
It," pleaded Emma, $50 that he can
make 1t a new clean heart"
Christian some other time," replied
papa. all IOt Iuite Icduy uOW.
"But Jesus is ready" returned
Emma, "and he does ii all. He is lot
like people. He never has to be ready
for us to 10 this or that. Won't you
give yourself 10 Jesusthis very mo.
mentW
The father could hold out no longer,
80 he answered, eyes, darling. I
will try to be like my own little girl,
and like child Of God. But some
one will have to pray for me. I feel
too weak to pray for myself"
So father and child kneeled, and af.
ter Emma had prayed, the father felt
stronger and offered a prayer for par
don. When the prayers were finished
the hearts Of both were filled with the
love Of God, and it would be hard to
say which was the happier.
Whenever you boys and girls cannot
attend church. why can't you have a
prayer meeting at home, as did
Emma."-Alice May Douglass, in
Christian Work.