"It pictured the prodigal son," said Evelyn, "going home, after he had treated his poor old father so badly, and beginning: 'Please, father, I want a new coat,' or, 'Please, father, give me some new shoes,' or, 'Please, father, I want some food very much.' It pictured him asking his father to supply his wants before ever he had asked him to forgive him for his bad behaviour to him. That wouldn't have been the right way, would it, May?"
"No," I said, "it would not have done for that to come before the 'Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.'"
"Yes," said Evelyn, "and your little book said it was just the same now, and yet so many people wanted to go to God, and to ask Him for all sorts of things when they got into trouble, and yet they had never thought of asking Him to forgive them."
"I see what you mean," I said; "we must speak to God about our sins, before we can speak to Him about our troubles."
"Oh, May," said Evelyn, "I wish I could do that. I wish I could talk to God about my sins. I never know till now how bad I had been to Him; but last night I seemed to see myself in quite a different way. I used to think, May, that I was not so very bad. I didn't think that I was at all good like you, still I thought that there was not so very much wrong with me. But now I see that I'm bad altogether; I don't think I have ever done anything good at all."
"Why don't you go and tell God that, Evelyn darling, just as you have been telling me? That would be a prayer, just like the prayer of the prodigal son, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee.'"
"Yes, May," she said; "but suppose I tell Him that with all my heart, is that enough?"
"Yes, quite enough, if you ask God to forgive you because Jesus has died, and if you trust in Jesus as your own Saviour," I said.
"Oh, May," said Evelyn, with a sigh, "come and sit beside me, and make it very plain and simple for me—as you would for a little child. I am so much afraid of making a mistake."
Oh, how earnestly I prayed that I might also make no mistake, but might be helped to lead her to Jesus!