It came to pass at the seventh time...
(1Kings 18:44)

     In 1876, Milton Hershey (1857-1945) started his first candy business in Philadelphia. Six years later he was forced to declare bankruptcy. In 1883, he went to New York and again went into business making candy. This venture also failed. He responded to his failure by making candy by day and selling it in the evenings using a pushcart. In so doing, he made enough money to pay off his debts. In 1894 he started the Lancaster Caramel Company which he sold for $1 million in 1900. With his proceeds, he began the Hershey Chocolate Corporation in 1903, which later became the largest chocolate manufacturing plant in the world.
     As Hershey discovered, success does not always come on the first try. Once the prophet Elijah had to pray seven times before getting what he ask Jehovah God for (see 1Ki 18:41-45). Let us likewise not give up with just one try, but "always... pray and not... faint" (Lk 18:1). For "the... fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (Jam 5:16).