The more I thought of what it would mean to record the sacred incidents
connected with answers to prayer the more I shrank from the publicity,
and from undertaking the task. There were dozens of answers far too
sacred for the public eye, which were known only to a few, others known
only to God. But if the record were to carry weight with those who did
not believe in the supernatural element in prayer, many personal and
scarcely less sacred incidents must of necessity be made public.

Again and again I laid the matter aside as impossible. But I know now
that the thing was of God. As months, even years, passed, the impelling
sense that the record of answers to prayer _must_ be written gave me no
rest.

It was at the close of the 1908-10 furlough--during which, as a family,
we had been blessed with many and, to our weak faith, wonderful answers
to prayer--that my oldest son urged me to put down in some definite form
the answers to prayer of my life, and extracted from me a solemn promise
that I would do so.

But months passed after returning to China, and the record had not been
touched. Then came a sudden and serious illness which threatened my
life, when the doctor told me I must not delay in getting my affairs in
order.

It was then that an overwhelming sense of regret took possession of me
that I had not set down the prayer testimonies, and solemnly I
covenanted with the Lord that if he would raise me up they should be
written.

There was no more question of what others might think; the one thought
was to obey. The Lord raised me up; and although he had to deal with me
very sternly once more before I really set myself to the task, the
testimonies that are given here were written at last--most of them in
odd moments of time during strenuous missionary journeys among the
heathen.

Thus it will be seen that these incidents of answered prayer are not
given as being more wonderful, or more worthy of record, than multitudes
the world over could testify to; but they are written and sent out
simply and only because _I had to write them or disobey God_.

ROSALIND GOFORTH.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

How these testimonies came to be written iii

I
"GETTING THINGS FROM GOD"

The simplicity of petition 1

II
EAR