Click For Audio Version
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. Luke 18:13 KJV
THE NEXT PRAYER
A young country girl found herself in New York City’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Since she hailed from a simple, Protestant, country church, one can appreciate her surprise at seeing the vast golden opulence of St. Patrick’s interior. The thousand flickering candles, the statuary, and the throngs of people were like nothing she had ever known.
In the midst of the countless faithful gathered that day, was a distraught young man surrounded by family. While they clutched at him, and wailed and consoled by turn, he sobbed aloud, over and over and over:
“I’m so sorry, God !!!!!
Oh, God, I’m so sorry !!!!!.”
The young girl tried not to stare, but, of course, she did. Never had she seen a man, though young, crying as he was.
What could have caused this anguish? A death in his family?
Her mind raced with wild possibilities.
Had he been caught for some crime? Was he in a gang in these New York streets? Had he killed someone?
She would never know.
The crowd pushed her on.
She walked past him and back into her life.
She wondered about him in the days that followed.
Funny, but all she really remembered of her trip to St. Patrick’s, had nothing to do with the finery, and all to do with the repentant young man.
Nearly 60 years have passed since that day.
I know, for I was that young country girl.
In the time since I’ve learned that the Bible tells us that God looks at our hearts and not at the outward appearance of things.
It wasn’t the finery of the Cathedral, but that young man’s heartfelt prayer that God cared most about that long ago day.
Today, He still cares most about our heart’s prayer.
He still looks past the glitter and clutter to our own wrenching needs.
Perhaps, the next heart-opening, soul-rending, God-searching, prayer He hears—–
will be ….yours.