Article September 21, 1998 Issue

Pray—no matter what

By Larry A. Graves

Have you ever prayed for a solution to a problem but slacked off when things started going your way? Or not even bothered to pray at all when you've felt confident of your position? Years ago I learned the importance of praying right through to the resolution of a difficulty, no matter how straightforward the situation appeared to be.

I learned that a friend with whom I was in business was planning to renege on a large debt he owed me. In order to help resolve our dispute, we scheduled a meeting with a business associate. For several days before the meeting, I reviewed all the facts, planned my presentation, and was looking forward to arguing the case.

While driving to the meeting, I rehearsed my case and was confident I would prevail. The idea of a compromise never entered my thought. About halfway there, I considered praying about the situation but concluded that my position was so strong that I didn't even need to pray. Besides, I was looking forward to proving that I was right and he was wrong.

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