Learned to Pray from his Father's Example

       Dr. Sung's father was one of those who was blest in 1909.  He used to go up on the hill every morning and pray for his family, his church, and for the community.  He also prayed that God would use his son to bring revival to all China.  Dr. Sung told me that the name of the town, Hinghwa, was the same sound as the words to bring revival to China (though the second syllable is a different character.) Because the little six-year-old boy, Shan-chieh, was a problem to his mother, his father took him along up the hill.

       There he heard his father pray, and later saw the answers.  Many things his father prayed for came to pass.  So he began to pray too.  In his early days his prayers were more or less selfish.  For instance, he was getting only 97 or 98 in his studies, so he prayed that he might do perfect work.  From that time on, he began to get marks of 100.  Later, I asked one of his missionary teachers, "Did you folks give him better marks because you knew he prayed?" Francis Jones replied, "No, he did it; he did perfect work." Which of course, was very unusual, but to be expected.  Later, his prayers were for others.