"I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So
now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the
Lord." And he worshiped the Lord there." - 1 Samuel 1:27-28
John Pounds was born in Portsmouth on June 17, 1766. His father was a carpenter
at the royal dockyard and when was twelve years old, his father arranged for him
to be apprenticed as a shipwright. Three years later John fell into a dry dock.
As he lay in the hospital for the next two years, he began to read the Bible and
he soon came to Christ. When he finally left the hospital, he remained crippled
for life.
Unable to work as a shipwright, John became a shoemaker and by 1803 he had his
own shop in St. Mary Street, Portsmouth. While working in the shop, John began
teaching local children how to read. His reputation as a teacher grew and he
soon had over 40 pupils attending his lessons. Unlike other schools, John did
not charge a fee for teaching the poor of Portsmouth. As well as reading and
arithmetic, John gave lessons in cooking, carpentry and shoemaking. During his
lifetime, John Pounds taught more than five hundred children and most of them
came to know the Lord. He is credited with "Ragged School Movement," a movement
that culminated with all children being able to receive an education in Great
Britain.
One of the greatest ministries you can have is praying for and ministering to
children. Today in prayer, pray for the children you know asking that they would
come to know and love Jesus Christ.
"Father, hear us, we are praying. Hear the words our hearts are saying. We are
praying for our children. Keep them from the powers of evil, From the secret,
hidden peril.
Father, hear us for our children. From the worldling's hollow gladness, From the
sting of faithless sadness, Father, Father, keep our children.
Through life's troubled waters steer them. Through life's bitter battles cheer
them. Father, Father, be thou near them. And wherever they may bide, Lead them
home at eventide." - Amy Carmichael
God's Word: "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will
not turn from it." - Proverbs 22:6
By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2002, Devotional E-Mail DEVOTIONS IN 1&2 SAMUEL, 1&2
KINGS, AND 1&2 CHRONICLES
pkennedy@devotional.com
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.