God will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Such is certainly beyond human com prehension. Such a possession is far greater than all the money in the world. This is not to say we will receive everything we ask for. Too frequently our prayers are in error and we ask for things which really are not good for us. Remem ber, all things work together for good to them who love God. What we are promised is supernatural peace as we present our real needs to Him. There is a wonderful little coup let on the subject of prayer which blesses my heart, "Yesterday He helped me, Today He did the same, How long will this continue? Forever, praise His name!" In addition to Scripture life itself can teach us a great deal about prayer. In one of Victor Hugo's books, "The Man Who Laughs" he tells of the criminals who seek to escape England for the continent of Europe. The ship is overtaken by a mighty storm and the vessel is in danger of sinking. The fugi tives, amid the gathering gloom of night, decide to throw overboard everything they can find. Every possession and commodity is dis pensable. This helped little and the angry conditions worsened. The chief of the renegades cries out, "Is not there anything more we can toss over?" A doctor whom they had taken shouted back, "Yes, all our crimes can be cast into the sea!" Whereupon they all cried, "Amen, let us all cast our crimes into the sea. They weigh upon us heavily. This is what's sinking the boat." The physician presented a 20 line confession he had written. Page 54
Light was called for and each one was given the opportunity to sign a confession. The ink was dried with the flame of the torch. Then the parchment was put into a hole in a board and put a stopper in it like a cork in a bottle. As the water began sweeping over the deck he ordered, "Get on your knees. Repentance, this is the bark that is never submerged. You have no longer a compass. You have prayer!" He began reciting the Lord's prayer in Latin while others repeated the phrases in their own tongues. The relentless water, however, continued to rise. Men were drowning all around. As the
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