FOR THIS CHILD I PRAYED

Hudson Taylor was raised in a lovely Christian home where family worship and prayer happened every day. But when Hudson was 15 years old, a friend pulled Hudson away from his family's faith. While working at a bank, an older clerk laughed at Hudson's old-fashioned faith and tried to convince him to be skeptical of what the Bible taught-like he did. Hudson bought into these new ideas and began to have doubts that Christianity was for real. His concerned parents began to pray for him. After only 9 months at the bank, Hudson contracted an eye infection which forced him to quit. He returned home and became an apprentice in his father's drugstore.

In June of 1849, 17 year old Hudson was home alone. His father was working and his mother was out of town, visiting an old friend who lived about 80 miles away. Hudson was bored and looked around the house for something to read. While looking through his father's library, he discovered some tracts. Hudson picked one of them to read. "The stories in here are usually interesting," he thought. "I'll just read the story and skip the spiritual lesson at the end." But what Hudson didn't know was the lesson in this tract would hit right in the middle of the story! Hudson took the tract out to the barn, climbed into the hayloft and began to read.

The story was about a sick coal man who was in anguish because he thought his sins were keeping him from reaching Jesus. Some friends visited and encouraged him that Christ had already borne his sins on Calvary. Suddenly, the worried man shouted, "Then it's done! My sins are gone!" Those words hit Hudson with unexpected force. Suddenly the words of Jesus on the cross rushed back into his mind-"It is finished." Hudson realized Christ's work on the cross is for me. There's nothing for me to do to make myself better. I should simply trust the work of Jesus on my behalf. My sins are already forgiven. All I need to do is repent and believe." And right then and there, Hudson fell to his knees and accepted Jesus as his personal Saviour.

This wonderful story takes on a whole new dimension when you realize what Hudson didn't know. He didn't know for the past month, his sister had been praying every day for his conversion. Hudson also didn't know that 80 miles away his dear mother was holding an all-day prayer vigil for him, determined to keep praying until she had the assurance that Hudson had found Christ. She remained on her knees for several hours until the Holy Spirit gave her peace in her heart that all was well with Hudson. When Mrs. Taylor came back home 2 weeks later, Hudson met her at the door. "I've got some good news for you, Mother," he said, with a big smile on his face. "I know, my boy. I've been rejoicing for a fortnight in the glad tidings you have to tell me." Then she told him about her all-day prayer vigil. She had been on her knees while Hudson read the tract in the hayloft.

Miracles like this can happen in our families too when we pray for one another-when parents pray for their children who don't know Jesus, when sisters pray for their brothers who have wandered away from Christ, when wives pray for their husbands to come to church. Miracles happen as we surround our loved ones with a circle of prayer, pleading with Jesus to draw them to the cross, to draw them to Himself.

In many Adventist homes, our children are walking out the back door. We have taken them to church every Sabbath, many of them have gone to church school where they have learned more about the Bible and the blessed hope that we hold onto, we have taught them to pray and to believe in God's Word. But for some reason, they have wandered away from Jesus and they don't want to follow Him anymore. What can we do? How can we bring our children to Jesus? The Bible holds the key. Let's turn in our Bibles to Mark 10:13-16. Notice what it says-"Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them, but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it. And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them."

I want you to notice 2 things in this passage:

1. Jesus wanted the children to come to Him. In fact in The Desire of Ages, it says that Jesus was the One that drew these mothers to come into His presence. He was the One who put the thought in their head, "I want Jesus to bless my children." He wants to save our sons and our daughters.

2. What did Jesus do for these burdened mothers who longed to raise their children for the kingdom of God? The Bible says, Jesus took them up in His arms, laid His hands on their little heads and blessed them. In other words, Jesus prayed for these boys and girls, didn't He? So, even if our boys and girls are not little anymore, even if they are not living under our roofs, Jesus still wants us to bring them to Him. He still wants to save them. For He is not willing that ANY child should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And even though we can't bring them to Jesus face to face, we can bring them WITH US into the throne room of God and pray for them. When we surround our children or any other member of our family with prayer and with the promises of God, Jesus sends the angels of God to fight with the fallen angels who are pulling them away from the love of Jesus. When we pray, angels go to fight for our children and to push back the enemy of their souls. And as we plead with Jesus to save them, Jesus wipes away our tears and gives us this precious promise. It's found in Isaiah 49:25, "Thus says the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away and the prey of the terrible be delivered, for I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will save your children."

Satan is the terrible foe in this promise. He has taken our children captive, he has bound them in chains and thrown them in a prison darker than any hole. But Jesus assures us that they will be delivered. And do you know why? Because Jesus has promised, "I will contend with him." I will fight for you! I will fight with Satan, because I must save My children. Our children are the Lord's children first. And He loves them much more than we ever could. He has graven their names on the palms of His hands and He will never, ever let them go.