Zerah Pulsipher's Father Miraculously Recovered from Critical Illness

In Zerah Pulsipher's autobiography, he recorded a childhood experience of divine healing. When Zerah was a small boy, his father became gravely ill. As Zerah recounted: 'When I was a small boy my father was taken sick for some time I was not much concerned, 'till I heard some of the neighbors say that Mr. Pulsipher must die. This put me to thinking that if my father should die that a large family of small children would be left without a head to the open winter subject to many disasters that were incident to human life.' Moved by filial concern and faith, young Zerah determined to pray: 'I could not bear the thought. An impression immediately came to me that I must go to the barn and there pray for his recovery. I turned and ran as fast as I could and when I got there I was about to bow down when something informed me that if I did I should die there and never return, which scared me so that I turned and ran back as fast as my legs would carry me.' Despite Zerah's fear and inability to complete his prayer, the loving God accepted his willingness to intercede: 'But my Father in Heaven took the will for the deed and restored my father to health.' This childhood experience of answered prayer became foundational to Zerah's faith and shaped his understanding of God's merciful response to sincere petitions from the young and humble.