When the doctors told me I had a malignant tumor, I prayed about the matter, but it was only after I had prayed two or three times that I noticed something different in my prayers, that may be so insignificant and trivial that it is not worth mentioning. However, it may be more significant than appears on the surface.
Up until this time, as I have prayed about others and their diseases, I would say something like this, "Bless Mrs. Smith that she may be recovered from her sickness. Thy will be done in all things." Often when others would pray, I notice that they would say something like, "Bless the doctors and nurses that wait on her, and bless all the means that are being used for her welfare. Thy will be done in all things." Of course, it is always appropriate for us to pray that God's will be done, whether we are praying for the patient or just for the "means that are being used."
However, I noticed something about my prayers that, after I had thought about it, pleased me. I did not say, "Lord cure me of whatever ails me, if it be thy will," which would have been a good prayer, I think. I said something like this, "Lord, thank you for your gracious promise that all things work together for good to those that love you. Thank you for allowing me to live the past sixty-five or seventy years as a co-worker with you, for your glory and for the good of humanity. Whatever my condition may be, do what is best for your glory and the good of others. Cure whatever ails me, or allow me to suffer, or even to die, or whatever else you choose, for I know you will do what is right and best."
I think it is possible that the prayer indicated some degree of spiritual growth. Of course, there should be some degree of spiritual growth in a person who has been preaching and writing for fifty-five or more years, but whether this is an indication of it, I do not know. However, my thought is this: It seems a little better to start with God and His Glory and eventually to get to my personal wants than it does to start with my personal wants and eventually get to a willingness to let God's will be done. I think I discovered that I actually cared very little about my personal wants, for I came to a deeper awareness that if I put God first in my life, He would take care of my personal wants far better than I could, for I don't even know what is best for me or for God's cause. Of course, most of us like to think we can do more good for God's cause by living a healthy life than we can by not living a healthy life, or not living at all. But the truth is, we do not know. So the more quickly we can come to a deep awareness that God's promises are real, and He will always do what is right, and work things for good to those that love Him, the more personal happiness, joy, security and tranquility we will have.
At least, when I had prayed, I had a "peace that passeth understanding" (Philippians 4:7), and could rejoice with "joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:8), regardless of what the future holds, for I know who holds the future. If God's promises are true, that is all that really makes any difference. If God's promises are not true, nothing really makes any difference.-1068 Mitchell Avenue, Cookeville, TN 38501

knew what He was doing when He gave strict regulations for the preservation of the original family. In view of this, Christian parents will make every effort possible to keep their marriages intact. Moreover, they will instruct their children in the concept of the permanency of marriage as designed by God.-P.O. Box 55265, Stockton, CA 95205