Overcoming prayer

A young man enlisted and was sent to his regiment. The first night he was in the barracks with about fifteen other young men who passed the time playing cards and gambling. Before retiring, he fell on his knees and prayed. 

They cursed at him, taunted him, and threw their boots at him. 

So it went on the next night and the next. 

Finally, the young man went and told the chaplain what took place and asked what he should do.

“Well,” said the chaplain, “you aren’t at home now, and the other men have just as much right in the barracks as you have. It makes them mad to hear you pray. The Lord will hear you just as well if you say your prayers in bed and don’t provoke them.” 

For weeks, the chaplain didn’t see the young man. 

Finally, he saw him and asked, “By the way, did you take my advice?” 

“I did, for two or three nights.” 

“How did it work?” 

“Well,” said the young man, “I felt like a whipped hound. So the third night I got out of bed, knelt down, and prayed.” 

“Well,” asked the chaplain, “how did that work?” 

The young soldier answered, “We now have a prayer meeting every night. Three have been converted, and we are praying for the rest.”

Source: The Overcoming Life by Dwight Lyman Moody