Once the Emperor Henry besieged a certain city for a considerable time. The inhabitants were unwilling to surrender; so he notified them that he would give orders to his soldiers to take the city by assault, and massacre all its inhabitants, even the little children. Alarmed at this proclamation, and seeing no hope left of saving themselves except in moving the wicked Emperor to compassion, the inhabitants of the city collected all of the little children from six to ten years of age, and after having arranged them in procession, they made them march before the Emperor, and throw themselves on their knees, strike their breasts, and cry aloud in pitiful accents: "Have pity on us, O Emperor! O Emperor, have pity on us!" This heart-rending scene affected the evil Emperor so much that he could not help weeping himself. He pardoned the inhabitants of the city, and raised the siege immediately.
If the prayers of children are so powerful with man, if they can turn the hearts of a wicked Emperor Henry, they are far more powerful with God who loves everyone. The prayers of children will oftentimes move God, when the prayers of others will not move Him. This is a proven fact.
We read in Holy Scripture that Hagar was wandering in the sandy deserts of Arabia with her little boy, Ismael. She had with her a bottle of water for him to drink. There was no other water in the deserts. When the water in the bottle was finished, she put the little boy under one of the trees and went a great way off from him; for, she said, I will not see the boy die of thirst. Then she sat down and lifted up her voice, and began to cry for the poor dying boy. Then an angel of God called to Hagarfrom Heaven, and said: "What art thou doing, Hagar? fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the boy. Arise, take up the boy! ... And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, and went and filled the bottle and gave the boy to drink." (Gen. 21:17-19). So God heard the voice, not of the mother, but of the child, and He gave them water to drink. So God hears the prayers of children.
There is a feeling common to all people that the prayer of children is all-powerful with God. We know this from the revelation of God Himself: "Out of the mouths of infants thou hast perfected praise." (Ps. 8:3).
There was a town called Bethulia. One day the church there was full of children. What was the matter? The soldiers were on their road to this town. They were coming to kill the people. The people knew that God hears the prayers of children; for they had read in the Holy Scriptures, "out of the mouths of infants come forth perfect praise of God." So they made all the children come into the church and bow their heads down to the ground, and pray for the people. God heard the prayers of the children. He made the cruel soldiers go away, and the people were saved by the prayers of the children.
You may ask why are the prayers of little children so powerful with God? It is because they are innocent, and God willingly hears the prayer of an innocent heart. When our dear Savior lived on earth, He embraced the little children; He laid His hands upon them, and He blessed them. He rebuked those who tried to prevent little children from being presented to Him, that He might bless them. He said: "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." (Mark 10:14). Now children go to Jesus, if they pray to Jesus; and Jesus never lets them go away without having blessed them; that is to say, without having heard their prayers.
If the prayers of children are so powerful with man, if they can turn the hearts of a wicked Emperor Henry, they are far more powerful with God who loves everyone. The prayers of children will oftentimes move God, when the prayers of others will not move Him. This is a proven fact.
We read in Holy Scripture that Hagar was wandering in the sandy deserts of Arabia with her little boy, Ismael. She had with her a bottle of water for him to drink. There was no other water in the deserts. When the water in the bottle was finished, she put the little boy under one of the trees and went a great way off from him; for, she said, I will not see the boy die of thirst. Then she sat down and lifted up her voice, and began to cry for the poor dying boy. Then an angel of God called to Hagarfrom Heaven, and said: "What art thou doing, Hagar? fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the boy. Arise, take up the boy! ... And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, and went and filled the bottle and gave the boy to drink." (Gen. 21:17-19). So God heard the voice, not of the mother, but of the child, and He gave them water to drink. So God hears the prayers of children.
There is a feeling common to all people that the prayer of children is all-powerful with God. We know this from the revelation of God Himself: "Out of the mouths of infants thou hast perfected praise." (Ps. 8:3).
There was a town called Bethulia. One day the church there was full of children. What was the matter? The soldiers were on their road to this town. They were coming to kill the people. The people knew that God hears the prayers of children; for they had read in the Holy Scriptures, "out of the mouths of infants come forth perfect praise of God." So they made all the children come into the church and bow their heads down to the ground, and pray for the people. God heard the prayers of the children. He made the cruel soldiers go away, and the people were saved by the prayers of the children.
You may ask why are the prayers of little children so powerful with God? It is because they are innocent, and God willingly hears the prayer of an innocent heart. When our dear Savior lived on earth, He embraced the little children; He laid His hands upon them, and He blessed them. He rebuked those who tried to prevent little children from being presented to Him, that He might bless them. He said: "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." (Mark 10:14). Now children go to Jesus, if they pray to Jesus; and Jesus never lets them go away without having blessed them; that is to say, without having heard their prayers.