Have you ever felt the urge to pray for someone and thought, “I’ll pray for him or her later”?
This story will show you how real these urges can be.
A missionary on furlough in Michigan told this true story to the congregation at his home church. While in Africa, he served in a small field hospital. Every two weeks he travelled to a certain city for medicines and supplies, and since it was a two-day journey through the jungle on his bicycle, he camped overnight at the halfway point.
On one of these trips, as he entered the city, he noticed two men fighting. As he approached, he realized one of them was seriously injured. He treated the injured fellow and then tried to do good to his soul by talking to him about Our Lord.
The missionary then went on to withdraw funds from the bank and purchased the necessary medicines and supplies for his hospital. After loading everything on his bicycle, he started on the return journey.
Two weeks later the missionary returned for more supplies. As he walked to his errands, he spotted the young man whom he had treated on the previous visit, and engaged him in conversation.
The good priest inquired about his wounds, and touched by the goodness shown to him, the young man confessed, “Last time when you left here, some friends and I followed you into the jungle. We knew you had money and supplies. We also knew you would camp overnight and we planned to kill you and take the money and drugs. But just as we were about to move into your camp, we saw armed guards around you. As we stood there, peering through the foliage and weighing our odds, we counted twenty-six men. We then just gave it all up and walked away.”
The priest laughed and said that he certainly did not have twenty-six guards with him. But the young man pressed the point, “No, sir, I was not the only one to see the guards. My friends also saw them and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we left you alone.”
Just then, a man in the congregation jumped up, interrupted the missionary and asked him as to the day this had happened. The missionary replied, and it was the man’s turn to tell a story.
“Father, on the night of your incident in Africa, I was playing golf. I was about to putt when I felt a great urge to pray for you. It was so strong that I called several men to come into church and pray with me.” Then, turning to the congregation, he said, “Will all those who joined me in prayer that day stand up?”
As several men in church rose to their feet, the missionary counted. There were twenty-six men.
By: M. Taylor
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