My saintly mother's words and tears went through my heart like an arrow
and rang like a bell in my ears, and I became powerfully convicted of
sin. Just following that a series of revival meetings were held which
continued for several weeks. I became a seeker and had no rest until
I found it in penitence and a consciousness of pardoned sin. I was the
only convert during the meetings, and critics said, "He will backslide
in a few weeks. The revival is a failure." But I am here to tell the
story that I am still saved by grace.
I could never reward my father for that night of prevailing prayer, but
he lived to see me become a minister, a missionary, and to hold the
highest position on the mission field, and then the Lord called him to
his eternal reward. My mother entered into rest about two years previous
to that time.
It is my hope and prayer that the story of my father's night of
prevailing prayer may encourage other parents to pray as he did. Parents
may not always through prayer be able to break the wills of their
children and compel them to surrender to Jesus, but I do believe that
my father prayed until God sent such conviction through the Holy Spirit
that sin became such an unbearable burden that I gladly yielded my will
to the will of my God; prayed until my sins were pardoned, the burden
removed, and I was genuinely converted. I firmly believe that the same
heavenly Father will hear the cry of other parents, and for their
encouragement I leave this testimony concerning God's answer to my
father's fervent prayers.
After my conversion I rejoiced many days in the delight of that
precious experience. For months I had a real and precious joy in the
consciousness of pardoned sin, but after a time I found that I did not
have a continuous, abiding peace and rest. There was a longing for
something more than it seemed I now possessed. As a boy I tried very
hard to be good, and as I look back I believe that I lived a very
correct outward life. I lived among a very godly people, who set a high
ideal before me, one to which I felt I could not live. I observed my
daily prayers, but suffered many an inward defeat.