Six Thousand Dollars

From, "Our Faithful God: Answers to Prayer," published in 1911

During the World's Fair campaign in Chicago, Mr. Moody brought to that city preachers from all parts of America and from different parts of Europe to preach the Gospel in different languages to the vast crowds.

The expenses connected witht this work were very great.

Every noon the inner circle of advisers met together for counsel while they ate dinner.

One noon before we sat down to the table Mr. Moody said to us: "I need $7,000 for the work today. I have already received $1,000. I propose that before we eat we kneel down and ask God to send us the other $6,000."

We all knelt in prayer, and Mr. Moody, in that childlike way so characteristic of him, approached the Father, told Him of his need of $6,000, and asked that it might be sent to him at once.

We were long at the table.

Before rising from the table there was a knock at the door, and one of our students entered with a telegram, which he handed to Mr. Moody.

Mr. Moody opened it, and then asked me to read it to those gathered around the table.

It read substantially as follows: "Dear Mr. Moody, your friends at Northfield at the close of the morning session had a feeling that you needed money for your work in Chicago. We have just taken up a collection. There are $6,000 in the baskets, and more to follow." The telegram was signed by H. M. Moore, of Boston.

I afterwards met Mr. Moore and told him the Chicago end of the story. He said, "Let me tell you the Northfield end of the story.

"As the morning session drew to a close, Dr. Gordon, who was presiding, called me to the platform and whispered to me that he had a feeling that Mr. Moody needed some moeny for the work in Chicago, and suggested taking up a collection for the work.

"To this I consented, and the collection was taken, with the result that there were $6,000 in the baskets."

Northfield is about 1,000 miles from Chicago. As nearly as we could judge, the thought of taking up the collection intered Dr. Gordon's heart about the time that we were praying for the money in Chicago, and God put it into the hearts of 3,000 people in Northfield to contribute the exact amount of money that we had asked for a thousand miles away in Chicago.

It would have been hard to have persuaded any of us at that time that God did not answer prayer.

-as recorded by Dr. R. A. Torrey