Yancey: Prayer

I want to conclude this series on Yancey's book, Prayer, because we're starting a new series at church on Sunday and I wanted to include those readings on the blog each day. Yancey's last section, deals with the practice of prayer. He has chapters on "Prayer and Me," "Prayer and Others," and "Prayer and God."

But I wanted to include one other story he cites. He writes:

"Jaime Cardinal Sin, the Catholic archbishop of Manila who played a key role in the People Power revolution there, liked to tell the story of a woman who attended his weekly audience to inform him she had a message from God. He brushed her off several times, but she kept coming back. Finally he said, 'We Catholics have strict rules governing visions and messages from God. I need to test your authenticity. I want you to go back and ask God about a particular sin I recently confessed in private. If you ask God and he tells you the answer, I'll know your vision is genuine.'
"The next week she returned and he quizzed her, a bit nervously, 'Well, did you ask God about my sin?'
'I did.'
' And did God answer?'
' Yes.'
' What did he say?'
' God said that he couldn't remember.'"

I wonder if she got her audience. But what a powerful view of God's love and forgiveness.