The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-09-08
From the Marion Daily Star.
A CHILD'S PRAYER
Prompted by Love for Mother
and for God
is JUST AS EFFICIENT BEFORE
GOD
From the Marion Daily Star.
As All the Prayers of Any Denomination Pro-
Tossing to Have q HonopOiy on Healing by
Prayer-Reverend A. Skidmore Answers an
Anonymous Communication Asking for
Prayer for Mrs. Loveridge.

Editor Star:-Enclosed find an anony-
nous communication, addressed to me
and mailed today at 10 a. m. in the
postoffice at Marion, as you can see by
noticing the postmark on the envelope.
Rev. Skidmore: Dear sir: I have
been forced to believe that through
prayer to our God there is hope of
recovery for our sister, Mrs. Loveridge,
and that it is our duty to pray for her
in faith believing. I wish you and your
wife to join me in prayer for her.
Dear sir, though l do not belong to
your church, know you to be right
eous man, and 1 have also heard that
God has honored your faithful prayer
for the sick.
These things have put into my mind
the idea of writing to you, and | wish
to refer you to few verses OF scripture
that have come to me in the last few
days as the plea of defense from one
sentenced to be hanged: James fifth
chapter, thirteen to eighteenth verses;
Duet. thirty-second chapter, thirty
sixth to thirty-ninth verses; one hun
dred and third psalm; Mark sixteenth
chapter, sixteenth to eighteenth verses.
Very Respectfully,
An humble servant in God s vineyard.
P. S.-f you join me, may the hours
for prayer be 5 a. M, p. m. and p. m.
AS it is an anonymous letter, as
matter of course I betray no trust nor
violate no rules of courtesy in publish
ing it and taking this occasion to
answer its contents, which, presume,
are of interest to many persons in
Marion just now, especially from the
recent advent and organization of two
new denominations whose chief features
consist in the advocacy of healing dis
ease without medicine-one the Chris
tian Science, the other the Catholic
Christian church. 1 believe in some of
the principles of both to some extent,
as 1 do believe there are some diseases
that will get well of themselves if a
cheerful, hopeful state of mind can be
maintained-but 1 am not peculiar in
this, for the doctors believe that,
whether they be infidel or christian.
Then I think God has wrought mira
cles, and can do it again, and among
them miracles of healing, and I do not
know how many are thus healed in
answer to prayer, but I do not believe
that all prayers are answered as they
are prayed, even by righteous men.
I know of no man in all history that
more christians prayed for, and prayed
that he might recover, than for Presi-
dent Garfield, and many similar in
stances might be mentioned. In fact, a
little reflection would soon convince an
intelligent and thinking person that
confusion in this world would soon
reign supreme if all our prayers were
answered as we ask them. But did you
never know that even Jesus Himself
did not feel sure His prayers would be
answered just as He prayed them, but
prayed with this modifying clause
| Nevertheless not my will but Thine
be DONE" Can you remember that he
ever prayed with that air of confidence
and dogmatism, as if He could command
the Almighty Himself to accomplish
His desires? Or was it not always one
of humble submission and modest
request, such as (may) 'Thy will be
done on earth as it is in heaven"
However, I want to say to this ''hum-
BILE servant in Gods vineyard" who.
ever he or she is, that appreciate his
or her interest in sister Loveridge's
welfare and believe you mean it all for
good, but would have valued it even
more had you signed your name.
But I must answer the implications
in it which I think need answering.
First, you ask me to join you in
prayer as if you thought 1 might be
neglecting my duty. Why, I and my
brethren have been praying for her al
along, as we do for all our sick. We
pray for her in private, in prayer meet
ings, in our Lords day public prayers
and with her at her own house, and we
have few members whose suffering:
would draw forth more ardent prayers
from our whole church. She is good
sister, patient in suffering and beloved
by all, and 1 am not sure we need
chiding there as much as we do thai
more of us do not go and help care fol
her-and some of us do even that. We
try to cheer her up and make her fee
that as long as there is life there i:
hope of recovery, and that when this
life is ended there is even better one
beyond, and we do not know, nor does
she, nor do you, that it would not bt
''Better to depart and be with Christ,
as Paul said of himself. think all o
her immediate friends, while yer.
solicitous for her, have come to th'
point of modifying their prayers as die
Jesus, Nevertheless not My will bu
Thine be done.' So we add to ou
prayers that He would strengthen ant
enable her to bear her suffering
patiently, and even go with her through
the dark valley and the shadow of dealt
when it comes, and she is heroic an,
patient urder these circumstances an
is ready when the summons shall com
I-'I am now ready" said saint of old