THE TRUE GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS
Once I went with a few brothers to a village to preach. Many people there said, "Our god is most powerful; he is called Dah-wang (i.e., the Great King). Once a year we hold a procession for him, and for years good weather always prevails that day. We have never had bad weather on that day." Prompted by God, one of us said, "Tomorrow when the procession goes on, it will certainly rain." The next day, the parade was scheduled for ten o’clock. But from nine o’clock in the morning, it rained heavily; the Great King was not able to come out, and the scheduled parade was called off. After much debate it was announced that as a result of careful calculation the day had been erroneously chosen; it should have been the fourteenth instead of the eleventh. We boldly declared that it would surely rain again on the fourteenth. The day came, and it did rain again. With no other choice, the people carried the statue of Dah-wang out for the procession. The bearers slipped on the way more than once, and Dah-wang fell and was broken to pieces. Was this a coincidence? There are innumerable incidents of this same nature. They are only a very small part of the Christian experience. If all the answers to prayers were enumerated, no one knows how big a volume it would take. These answers to prayers are a strong proof of the existence of God.
PARCEL FROM THE UNITED STATES
When I was young I had a wild and stubborn mentality. Not only did I refuse to believe in a God, but I refused to even believe in a United States of America. After seeing its map I still did not believe that there was such a place. One day when my father was going to order some items from there, I casually put in an order for a pair of shoes and a toy boat. Later when he brought back a parcel from the post office and gave me the shoes and the toy boat, I began to believe in the reality of the United States because I saw with my own eyes the parcel from America. Years afterward when I was in Chicago, I purposely visited the department store from which I obtained my toy. Pointing to the building with my finger, I told myself that this was what made me believe in America.
I cannot give you a direct proof or a direct answer to the question of the existence of God. But I am presenting all these testimonies of answers to prayers. You should not be so bold to make a sweeping denial of God and a categorical rejection of the credibility of prayers.
CONTACTING GOD THROUGH PRAYER
Once I met a student at Yenching University. He confessed to me, "When I was in high school, both the chaplain and the teachers taught me that there is a God, and I believed in Him. Later I went to college, and everybody said that there is no God. The world, they said, came into existence by natural evolution, and the universe was formed by chance. After so many people said the same thing, I became confused. For many months this problem troubled me. I had to choose one of the two possibilities. Is there a God, or is there not a God? At first I pondered the theory of chance. Is it conceivable that several things which are lumped together, shaken, and mixed with each other can result in a living human being? Is it conceivable that the whole world and even the whole universe were constituted in this fashion? I could not arrive at a conclusion with this kind of conjecture. Finally, I could not help but bow down on my knees and say, `O God, I do not know if You really exist. The more I think about it, the more I am confused. Please show me Yourself.’ Two weeks after this prayer, I rejected the theory of chance and believed that there is a Creator. I cannot tell you why I made this decision. But I believe that God answered my prayer and led me to believe in Him." This is another case of prayer being answered. I know God too well. I have had dealings with Him numerous times, and too many transactions have been settled between Him and me. I know what I am saying. If you have ever touched God, you will know what I am saying also.
CAREFUL JUDGMENT
Now what would you say? After looking at nature and the universe, after checking with your inner feeling, and after listening to the testimonies of so many witnesses, it is up to you to decide whether or not there is a God. But you should not be irresponsible; your attitude must be sober because everyone has to meet God soon. One day you will all stand before Him. Everything concerning yourself will be laid bare. On that day you will know God. But now is the time for you to be prepared. We should all be prepared to meet our God.
(The Normal Christian Faith, Chapter 1, by Watchman Nee)
