SQLite format 3@  O{tableTopicsTopicsCREATE TABLE 'Topics' (Title NVARCHAR(100), Notes TEXT)D}01 Title{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\fnil\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\qc\lang1033\b\f0\fs35 THE KNEELING CHRISTIAN\par By AN UNKNOWN CHRISTIAN\ W&he mud ball stuck fast to the idol, then the prayer would assuredly be answered; but if the mud fell off, the prayer was rejected by the god.\par We may smile at this peculiar way of testing the acceptability of a prayer. But is it not a fact that the majority of Christian men and women who pray to a Living God know very little about real prevailing prayer? Yet prayer is the key which unlocks the door of God\rquote s treasure-house.\par It is not too much to say that all real growth in the spiritual life-all victory over temptation, all confidence and peace in the presence of difficulties and dangers, all repose of spirit in times of great disappointment or loss, all habitual communion with God-depend upon the practice of secret prayer.\par This book was written by request, and with much hesitancy. It goes forth with much prayer. May He Who said, \ldblquote Men ought always to pray, and not to faint,\rdblquote \ldblquote teach us to pray.\rdblquote\par \pard\ltrpar\f1\fs20\par \cf1\f2\fs32\par } D}01 Title{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\fnil\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\qc\lang1033\b\f0\fs35 THE KNEELING CHRISTIAN\par By AN UNKNOWN CHRISTIAN\b0\fs20\par \pard\cf1\f1\fs32\par } 13A02 Author's Preface{\rtf1\fbidis\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\fswiss\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fnil\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\ltrpar\keepn\sb100\sa100\qc\lang1033\kerning36\b\f0\fs48 AUTHOR\rquote S PREFACE\par \pard\ltrpar\sb100\sa100\kerning0\b0\fs24 A traveller in China visited a heathen temple on a great feast-day. Many were the worshippers of the hideous idol enclosed in a sacred shrine. The visitor noticed that most of the devotees brought with them small pieces of paper on which prayers had been written or printed. These they would wrap up in little balls of stiff mud and fling at the idol. He enquired the reason for this strange proceeding, and was told that if ter on the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing else is so momentous \emdash so vital \emdash to our spiritual welfare.\par God \ldblquote wondered that there was no intercessor\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Isa_1:1\cf0\ulnone ) \emdash \lquote none to interpose\rdblquote (R.V., marg.). But this was in the days of long ago, before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ \ldblquote full of grace and truth\rdblquote \emdash before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, full of grace and power, \ldblquote helping our infirmity,\rdblquote \ldblquote Himself making intercession for us\rdblquote and in us (\cf1\ul Rom_8:26\cf0\ulnone ). Yes, and before the truly amazing promises of our Savior regarding prayer; before men knew very much about prayer; in the days when sacrifices for their sins loomed larger in their eyes than supplication for other sinners.\par Oh, how great must be God\rquote s wonder today! For how few there are among us who know what prevailing prayer really is! Every one of us would confess that we believe in prayer, yet how many of us truly believe in the power of, prayer? Now, before we go a step farther, may the writer most earnestly implore you not to read hurriedly what is contained in these chapters. Much \emdash very much \emdash depends upon the way in which every reader receives what is here recorded. For everything depends upon prayer.\par Why are many Christians so often defeated? Because they pray so little. Why are many church-workers so often discouraged and disheartened? Because they pray so little.\par Why do most men see so few brought \ldblquote out of darkness to light\rdblquote by their ministry? Because they pray so little.\par Why are not our churches simply on fire for God? Because there is so little real prayer.\par The Lord Jesus is as powerful today as ever before. The Lord Jesus is as anxious for men to be saved as ever before. His arm is not shortened that it cannot save: but He cannot stretch forth His arm unless we pray more \emdash and more really.\par We may be assured o f this \emdash the secret of all failure is our failure in secret prayer.\par If God \ldblquote wondered\rdblquote in the days of Isaiah, we need not be surprised to find that in the days of His flesh our Lord \ldblquote marvelled.\rdblquote He marvelled at the unbelief of some \emdash unbelief which actually prevented Him from doing any mighty work in their cities (\cf1\ul Mar_6:6\cf0\ulnone ).\par But we must remember that those who were guilty of this unbelief saw no beauty in Him that they should desire Him, or believe on Him. What then must His \ldblquote marvel\rdblquote be today, when He sees amongst us who do truly love and adore Him, so few who really \ldblquote stir themselves up to take hold of God\rdblquote (Isa. lxiv. 7). Surely there is nothing so absolutely astonishing as a practically prayerless Christian? These are eventful and ominous days. In fact, there are many evidences that these are \ldblquote the last days\rdblquote in which God promised to pour out His Spirit \emdash th e Spirit of supplication \emdash upon all flesh (\cf1\ul Joe_2:28\cf0\ulnone ). Yet the vast majority of professing Christians scarcely know what \ldblquote supplication\rdblquote means; and very many of our churches not only have no prayer-meeting, but sometimes unblushingly condemn such meetings, and even ridicule them.\par The Church of England, recognizing the importance of worship and prayer, expects her clergy to read prayers in Church every morning and evening.\par But when this is done, is it not often in an empty church? And are not the prayers frequently raced through at a pace which precludes real worship? \ldblquote Common prayer,\rdblquote too, often must necessarily be rather vague and indefinite.\par And what of those churches where the old-fashioned weekly prayer-meeting is retained? Would not \ldblquote weakly\rdblquote be the more appropriate word? C. H. Spurgeon had the joy of being able to say that he conducted a prayer-meeting every Monday night \ldblquote which scarcely ever n umbers less than from a thousand to twelve hundred attendants.\rdblquote\par My brothers, have we ceased to believe in prayer? If you still hold your weekly gathering for prayer, is it not a fact that the very great majority of your church members never come near it? Yes, and never even think of coming near it. Why is this? Whose fault is it?\par \ldblquote Only a prayer-meeting\rdblquote \emdash how often we have heard the utterance! How many of those reading these words really enjoy a prayer-meeting? Is it a joy or just a duty? Please forgive me for asking so many questions and for pointing out what appears to be a perilous weakness and a lamentable shortcoming in our churches. We are not out to criticize \emdash far less to condemn. Anybody can do that. Our yearning desire is to stir up Christians \ldblquote to take hold of\rdblquote God, as never before. We wish to encourage, to enhearten, to uplift.\par We are never so high as when we are on our knees.\par Criticize? Who dare criticize anothe r? When we look back upon the past and remember how much prayerlessness there has been in one\rquote s own life, words of criticism of others wither away on the lips.\par But we believe the time has come when a clarion call to the individual and to the Church is needed \emdash a call to prayer.\par Now, dare we face this question of prayer? It seems a foolish query, for is not prayer a part and parcel of all religions? Yet we venture to ask our readers to look at this matter fairly and squarely. Do I really believe that prayer is a power? Is prayer the greatest power on earth, or is it not? Does prayer indeed \ldblquote move the Hand that moves the world\rdblquote ?\par Do God\rquote s prayer-commands really concern Me? Do the promises of God concerning prayer still hold good? We have all been muttering \ldblquote Yes \emdash Yes \emdash Yes\rdblquote as we read these questions. We dare not say \ldblquote No\rdblquote to any one of them. And yet \emdash !\par Has it ever occurred to you that our Lord never gave an unnecessary or an optional command? Do we really believe that our Lord never made a promise which He could not, or would not, fulfil? Our Savior\rquote s three great commands for definite action were: \emdash\par \pard\li360\ri360\sb100\sa100 Pray ye\par Do this\par Go ye!\par \pard\sb100\sa100 Are we obeying Him? How often His command, \ldblquote Do this,\rdblquote is reiterated by our preachers today! One might almost think it was His only command! How seldom we are reminded of His bidding to \ldblquote Pray\rdblquote and to \ldblquote Go.\rdblquote Yet, without obedience to the \ldblquote Pray ye,\rdblquote it is of little or no use at all either to \ldblquote Do this\rdblquote or to \ldblquote Go.\rdblquote\par In fact, it can easily be shown that all want of success, and all failure in the spiritual life and in Christian work, is due to defective or insufficient prayer. Unless we pray aright we cannot live aright or serve aright. This may appear, at first sight, to be gross exaggeration, but the more we think it over in the light Scripture throws upon it, the more convinced shall we be of the truth of this statement.\par Now, as we begin once more to see what the Bible has to say about this mysterious and wonderful subject, shall we endeavor to read some of our Lord\rquote s promises, as though we had never heard them before. What will the effect be?\par Some twenty years ago the writer was studying in a Theological College. One morning, early, a fellow-student \emdash who is today one of England\rquote s foremost missionaries \emdash burst into the room holding an open Bible in his hands. Although he was preparing for Holy Orders, he was at that time only a young convert to Christ.\par He had gone up to the University \ldblquote caring for none of these things.\rdblquote Popular, clever, athletic \emdash he had already won a place amongst the smart set of his college, when Christ claimed him. He accepted the Lord Jesus as a personal Savior, and became a very keen follower of his Master. The Bible was, comparatively, a new book to him, and as a result he was constantly making \ldblquote discoveries.\rdblquote On that memorable day on which he invaded my quietude he cried excitedly \emdash his face all aglow with mingled joy and surprise \emdash \ldblquote Do you believe this? Is it really true?\rdblquote \ldblquote Believe what?\rdblquote I asked, glancing at the open Bible with some astonishment. \ldblquote Why, this \emdash \ldblquote and he read in eager tones St. \cf1\ul Mat_22:1\cf0\ulnone : \ldblquote\lquote If ye have faith and doubt not . . . all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.\rquote Do you believe it? Is it true?\rdblquote \ldblquote Yes,\rdblquote I replied, with much surprise at his excitement, \ldblquote of course it\rquote s true \emdash of course I believe it.\rdblquote\par Yet, through my mind there flashed all manner of thoughts! \ldblquote Well, that\rquote s a very wonderful promise,\rdblquote said he. \ldblquote It seems to me to be absolutely limitless! Why don\rquote t we pray more?\rdblquote And he went away, leaving me thinking hard. I had never looked at those verses quite in that way. As the door closed upon that eager young follower of the Master, I had a vision of my Savior and His love and His power such as I never had before. I had a vision of a life of prayer \emdash yes, and \ldblquote limitless\rdblquote power, which I saw depended upon two things only \emdash faith and prayer. For the moment I was thrilled. I fell on my knees, and as I bowed before my Lord what thoughts surged through my mind \emdash what hopes and aspirations flooded my soul! God was speaking to me in an extraordinary way. This was a great call to prayer. But \emdash to my shame be it said \emdash I heeded not that call.\par Where did I fail? True, I prayed a little more than before, but nothing much seemed to happen. Why? Was it because I did not see what a high standard the Savior requires in the inner life of those who would pray successfully?\par Was it because I had failed to measure up my life to the \ldblquote perfect love\rdblquote standard so beautifully described in the thirteenth chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians?\par For, after all, prayer is not just putting into action good resolutions \ldblquote to pray.\rdblquote Like David, we need to cry, \ldblquote Create in me a clean heart, O God\rdblquote (Psa. li.) before we can pray aright. And the inspired words of the Apostle of Love need to be heeded today as much as ever before: \ldblquote Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God; and [then] whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 1Jo_3:21\cf0\ulnone ).\par \ldblquote True \emdash and I believe it.\rdblquote Yes, indeed, it is a limitless promise, and yet how little we realize it, how little we claim from Christ. And our Lord \ldblquote marvels\rdblquote at our unbelief. But if we could only read the Gospels for the first time, what an amazing book it would seem! Should not we \ldblquote marvel\rdblquote and \ldblquote wonder\rdblquote ? And today I pass on that great call to you. Will you give heed to it? Will you profit by it? Or shall it fall on deaf ears and leave you prayerless?\par Fellow-Christians, let us awake! The devil is blinding our eyes. He is endeavoring to prevent us from facing this question of prayer. These pages are written by special request. But it is many months since that request came.\par Every attempt to begin to write has been frustrated, and even now one is conscious of a strange reluctance to do so. There seems to be some mysterious power restraining the hand. Do we realize that there is nothing the devil dreads so much as prayer? His great concern is to keep us from praying. He loves to see us \ldblquote up to our eyes\rdblquote in work \emdash provided we do not pray. He does not fear because we are eager and earnest Bible students \emdash provided we are little in prayer. Someone has wisely said, \ldblquote Satan laughs at our toiling, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.\rdblquote All this is so familiar to us \emdash but do we really pray? If not, then failure must dog our footsteps, whatever signs of apparent success there may be.\par Let us never forget that the greatest thing we can do for God or for man is to pray. For we can accomplish far more by our prayers than by our work. Prayer is omnipotent; it can do anything that God can do! When we pray God works. All fruitfulness in service is the outcome of prayer \emdash of the worker\rquote s prayers, or of those who are holding up holy hands on his behalf. We all know how to pray, but perhaps many of us need to cry as the disciples did of old, \ldblquote Lord, teach us to pray.\rdblquote\par \pard\i O Lord, by Whom ye come to God, \par The Life, the Truth, the Way, \par The path of prayer Thyself hast trod; \par Lord, teach us now to pray.\i0 \par \pard\qc\b\f1\fs29\par \par \b0\fs20\par \pard\cf2\f2\fs32\par } zzKMY03 CHAPTER 1: GOD’S GREAT NEED{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\fswiss\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fnil\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\keepn\sb100\sa100\lang1033\b\f0\fs36 CHAPTER 1: GOD\rquote S GREAT NEED\par \pard\sb100\sa100\b0\fs24\ldblquote GOD Wondered.\rdblquote This is a very striking thought! The very boldness of the idea ought surely to arrest the attention of every earnest Christian man, woman and child. A wondering God! Why, how staggered we might well be if we knew the cause of God\rquote s \ldblquote wonder\rdblquote ! Yet we find it to be, apparently, a very little thing. But if we are willing to consider the matter carefully, we shall discover it to be one of the greatest possible importance to every believked back upon will be its prayerlessness.\par We shall be almost beside ourselves with astonishment that we spent so little time in real intercession. It will be our turn to \ldblquote wonder.\rdblquote\par In our Lord\rquote s last discourse to His loved ones, just before the most wonderful of all prayers, the Master again and again held out His kingly golden sceptre and said, as it were, \ldblquote What is your request? It shall be granted unto you, even unto the whole of My kingdom!\rdblquote\par Do we believe this? We must do so if we believe our Bibles. Shall we just read over very quietly and thoughtfully one of our Lord\rquote s promises, reiterated so many times? If we had never read them before, we should open our eyes in bewilderment, for these promises are almost incredible. From the lips of any mere man they would be quite unbelievable. But it is the Lord of heaven and earth Who speaks; and He is speaking at the most solemn moment of His life. It is the eve of His death and passion. It is a farewell message. Now listen!\par \ldblquote Verily, verily I say unto you, he that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do: because I go unto the Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in My name, that will I do\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_1:13-14)\cf0\ulnone . Now, could any words be plainer or clearer than these? Could any promise be greater or grander? Has anyone else, anywhere, at any time, ever offered so much?\par How staggered those disciples must have been! Surely they could scarcely believe their own ears. But that promise is made also to you and to me.\par And, lest there should be any mistake on their part, or on ours, our Lord repeats Himself a few moments afterwards. Yes, and the Holy Spirit bids St. John record those words again. \ldblquote If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bare much fruit; and so shall ye be My disciples\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_15:7-8\cf0\ulnone ).\par These words are of such grave importance, and so momentous, that the Savior of the world is not content even with a threefold utterance of them. He urges His disciples to obey His command \ldblquote to ask.\rdblquote In fact, He tells them that one sign of their being His \ldblquote friends\rdblquote will be the obedience to His commands in all things (verse 14). Then He once more repeats His wishes: \ldblquote Ye did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that ye should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide: that whatsoever ye shall ask the Father, in My name, He may give it you\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_15:16\cf0\ulnone ).\par One would think that our Lord had now made it plain enough that He wanted them to pray; that He needed their prayers, and that without prayer they could accomplish nothing. But to our intense surprise He returns again to the same subject, saying very much the same words.\par \ldblquote In that day ye shall ask Me nothing\rdblquote \emdash i.e., \ldblquote ask Me no question\rdblquote (R.V., marg.) \emdash \ldblquote Verily, verily I say unto you, if ye ask anything of the Father, He will give it you in My name. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be fulfilled\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_16:23-24\cf0\ulnone ).\par Never before had our Lord laid such stress on any promise or command \emdash never! This truly marvelous promise is given us six times over. Six times, almost in the same breath, our Savior commands us to ask whatsoever we will. This is the greatest \emdash the most wonderful \emdash promise ever made to man. Yet most men \emdash Christian men \emdash practically ignore it! Is it not so?\par The exceeding greatness of the promise seems to over-whelm us. Yet we know that He is \ldblquote able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Eph_3:20\cf0\ulnone ).\par So our blessed Master gives the final exhortation, before He is seized, and bound, and scourged, before His gracious lips are silenced on the cross, \ldblquote Ye shall ask in My name . . . for the Father Himself loveth you\rdblquote (\cf1\ul\f1 Joh_16:27\cf0\ulnone\f0 ). We have often spent much time in reflecting upon our Lord\rquote s seven words from the cross. And it is well we should do so. Have we ever spent one hour in meditating upon this, our Savior\rquote s sevenfold invitation to pray?\par Today He sits on the throne of His Majesty on high, and He holds out to us the sceptre of His power. Shall we touch it and tell Him our desires? He bids us take of His treasures. He yearns to grant us \ldblquote according to the riches of His glory,\rdblquote that we may \ldblquote be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.\rdblquote He tells us that our strength and our fruitfulness depend upon our prayers. He reminds us that our very joy depends upon answered prayer (\cf1\ul Joh_14:24\cf0\ulnone ).\par And yet we allow the devil to persuade us to neglect prayer! He makes us believe that we can do more by our own efforts than by our prayers \emdash by our intercourse with men than by our intercession with God. It passes one\rquote s comprehension that so little heed should be given to our Lord\rquote s sevenfold invitation \emdash command \emdash promise! How dare we work for Christ without being much on our knees? Quite recently an earnest Christian \ldblquote worker\rdblquote \emdash a Sunday-school teacher and communicant \emdash wrote me, saying, \ldblquote I have never had an answer to prayer in all my life.\rdblquote But why? Is God a liar? Is not God trustworthy? Do His promises count for nought. Does He not mean what He says? And doubtless there are many reading these words who in their hearts are saying the same thing as that Christian worker. Payson is right \emdash is Scriptural \emdash when he says: \ldblquote If we would do much for God, we must ask much of God: we must be men of prayer.\rdblquote If our prayers are not answered \emdash always answered, but not necessarily granted \emdash the fault must be entirely in ourselves, and not in God. God delights to answer prayer; and He has given us His word that He will answer.\par Fellow-laborers in His vineyard, it is quite evident that our Master desires us to ask, and to ask much. He tells us we glorify God by doing so! Nothing is beyond the scope of prayer which is not beyond the will of God \emdash and we do not desire to go beyond His will.\par We dare not say that our Lord\rquote s words are not true. Yet somehow or other few Christians really seem to believe them. What holds us back? What seals our lips? What keeps us from making much of prayer? Do we doubt His love? Never! He gave His life for us and to us. Do we doubt the Father\rquote s love? Nay. \ldblquote The Father Himself loveth you,\rdblquote said Christ when urging His disciples to pray.\par Do we doubt His power? Not for a moment. Hath He not said, \ldblquote All power hath been given unto Me in heaven and on earth. Go ye . . . and lo, I am with you alway . . .\rdblquote ? (Matt. xxviii. 18-20). Do we doubt His wisdom? Do we mistrust His choice for us? Not for a moment. And yet so very few of His followers consider prayer really worth while. Of course, they would deny this \emdash but actions speak louder than words. Are we afraid to put God to the test? He has said we may do so. \ldblquote Bring Me the whole tithe into the storehouse . . . and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Mal_3:10\cf0\ulnone ). Whenever God makes us a promise, let us boldly say, as did St. Paul, I believe God (\cf1\ul Act_27:25\cf0\ulnone ), and trust Him to keep His word.\par Shall we begin today to be men of prayer, if we have never done so before? Let us not put it off till a more convenient season. God wants me to pray. The dear Savior wants me to pray. He needs my prayers. So much \emdash in fact, everything \emdash depends upon prayer. How dare we hold back? Let every one of us ask on our knees this question: \ldblquote If no one on earth prayed for the salvation of sinners more fervently or more frequently than I do, how many of them would be converted to God through prayer?\rdblquote\par Do we spend ten minutes a day in prayer? Do we consider it important enough for that?\par Ten minutes a day on our knees in prayer \emdash when the Kingdom of Heaven can be had for the asking!\par Ten minutes? It seems a very inadequate portion of our time to spend in taking hold of God (\cf1\ul Isa_64:7\cf0\ulnone )!\par And is it prayer when we do \ldblquote say\rdblquote our prayers, or are we just repeating daily a few phrases which have become practically meaningless, whilst our thoughts are wandering hither and thither?\par If God were to answer the words we repeated on our knees this morning should we know it? Should we recognize the answer? Do we even remember what we asked for? He does answer. He has given us His word for it. He always answers every real prayer of faith.\par But we shall see what the Bible has to say on this point in a later chapter. We are now thinking of the amount of time we spend in prayer.\par \ldblquote How often do you pray?\rdblquote was the question put to a Christian woman. \ldblquote Three times a day, and all the day beside,\rdblquote was the quick reply. But how many are there like that? Is prayer to me just a duty, or is it a privilege \emdash a pleasure \emdash a real joy \emdash a necessity?\par Let us get a fresh vision of Christ in all His glory, and a fresh glimpse of all the \ldblquote riches of His glory\rdblquote which He places at our disposal, and of all the mighty power given unto Him. Then let us get a fresh vision of the world and all its needs. (And the world was never so needy as it is today.)\par Why, the wonder is not that we pray so little, but that we can ever get up from our knees if we realize our own need; the needs of our home and our loved ones; the needs of our pastor and the Church; the needs of our city \emdash of our country \emdash of the heathen and Mohammedan world! All these needs, can be met by the riches of God in Christ Jesus. St. Paul had no doubt about this \emdash nor have we. Yes! \ldblquote My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory, in Christ Jesus\rdblquote (Phil. iv. 19). But to share His riches we must pray, for the same Lord is rich unto all that call upon Him (\cf1\ul Rom_10:12\cf0\ulnone ).\par So great is the importance of prayer that God has taken care to anticipate all the excuses or objections we may be likely to make.\par Men plead their weakness or infirmity \emdash or they declare they do not know how to pray.\par God foresaw this inability long ages ago. Did He not inspire St. Paul to say: \ldblquote The Spirit also helpeth our i nfirmity, for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered; and He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is in the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Rom_8:26-27\cf0\ulnone ).\par Yes. Every provision is made for us. But only the Holy Spirit can \ldblquote stir us up\rdblquote to \ldblquote take hold of God.\rdblquote And if we will but yield ourselves to the Spirit\rquote s promptings we shall most assuredly follow the example of the apostles of old, who \ldblquote gave themselves to prayer,\rdblquote and \ldblquote continued steadfastly in prayer\rdblquote (R.V., \cf1\ul Act_6:4\cf0\ulnone ).\par We may rest fully assured of this \emdash a man\rquote s influence in the world can be gauged not by his eloquence, or his zeal, or his orthodox, or his energy, but by his prayers. Yes, and we will go farther and maintain that no man can live ar!ight who does not pray aright.\par We may work for Christ from morn till night; we may spend much time in Bible study; we may be most earnest and faithful and \ldblquote acceptable\rdblquote in our preaching and in our individual dealing, but none of these things can be truly effective unless we are much in prayer. We shall only be full of good works; and not \ldblquote bearing fruit in every good work\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Col_1:10\cf0\ulnone ). To be little with God in prayer is to be little for God in service. Much secret prayer means much public power. Yet is it not a fact that whilst our organizing is well nigh perfect, our agonizing in prayer is well nigh lost?\par Men are wondering why the Revival delays its coming. There is only one thing that can delay it, and that is lack of prayer. All Revivals have been the outcome of prayer. One sometimes longs for the voice of an archangel, but what would that avail if the voice of Christ Himself does not stir us up to pray? It seems almost impertinence for" any man to take up the cry when our Savior has put forth His \ldblquote limitless\rdblquote promises. Yet we feel that something should be done, and we believe that the Holy Spirit is prompting men to remind themselves and others of Christ\rquote s words and power. No words of mine can impress men with the value of prayer, the need of prayer, and the omnipotence of prayer.\par But these utterances go forth steeped in prayer that God the Holy Spirit will Himself convict Christian men and women of the sin of prayerlessness, and drive them to their knees, to call upon God day and night in burning, believing, prevailing intercession! The Lord Jesus, now in the heavenlies, beckons to us to fall upon our knees and claim the riches of His grace.\par No man dare prescribe for another how long a time he ought to spend in prayer, nor do we suggest that men should make a vow to pray so many minutes or hours a day. Of course, the Bible command is to \ldblquote Pray without ceasing.\rdblquote This is evidently th#e \ldblquote attitude of prayer\rdblquote \emdash the attitude of one\rquote s life.\par Here we are speaking of definite acts of prayer. Have you ever timed your prayers? We believe that most of our readers would be amazed and confounded if they did time themselves!\par Some years ago the writer faced this prayer question. He felt that for himself at least one hour a day was the minimum time that he should spend in prayer. He carefully noted down every day a record of his prayer-life. As time went on he met a working-man who was being much used of God.\par When asked to what he chiefly attributed his success, this man quietly replied, \ldblquote Well, I could not get on without two hours a day of private prayer.\rdblquote\par Then there came across my path a Spirit-filled missionary from overseas, who told very humbly of the wonderful things God was doing through his ministry. (One could see all along that God was given all the praise and all the glory.) \ldblquote I find it necessary, oftentimes, $to spend four hours a day in prayer,\rdblquote said this missionary.\par And we remember how the Greatest Missionary of all used sometimes to spend whole nights in prayer. Why? Our blessed Lord did not pray simply as an example to us: He never did things merely as an example. He prayed because He needed to pray. As perfect Man, prayer to Him was a necessity. Then how much more is it necessary to you and me?\par \ldblquote Four hours a day in prayer!\rdblquote exclaimed a man who is giving his whole life to Christian work as a medical missionary. \ldblquote Four hours? Give me ten minutes and I\rquote m done!\rdblquote That was an honest and a brave confession \emdash even if a sad one. Yet, if some of us were to speak out as honestly \emdash ?\par Now, it was not by accident that these men crossed my path. God was speaking through them. It was just another \ldblquote call to prayer\rdblquote from the \ldblquote God of patience,\rdblquote who is also a \ldblquote God of comfort\rdblquote (\cf1\ul% Rom_15:5\cf0\ulnone ). and when their quiet message had sunk into my soul a book came into my hands, \ldblquote by chance,\rdblquote as people say. It told briefly and simply the story of John Hyde \emdash \ldblquote Praying Hyde,\rdblquote as he came to be called. Just as God sent St. John the Baptist to prepare the way of our Lord at His first coming, so He sent in these last days St. John the Pray-er, to make straight paths for His coming again. \ldblquote Praying Hyde\rdblquote \emdash what a name! As one read of this marvelous life of prayer, one began to ask, \ldblquote Have I ever prayed?\rdblquote\par I found others were asking the same question. One lady, who is noted for her wonderful intercession, wrote me, saying, \ldblquote When I laid down this book, I began to think I bad never in all my life really prayed!\rdblquote\par But here we must leave the matter. Shall we get on our knees before God and allow His Holy Spirit to search us through and through? Are we sincere? Do we really desire to do God\rquote s will? Do we really believe His promises? If so, will it not lead us to spend more time on our knees before God? Do not vow to pray \ldblquote so much\rdblquote a day. Resolve to pray much, but prayer, to be of value, must be spontaneous, and not from constraint.\par But we must bear in mind that mere resolutions to take more time for prayer, and to conquer reluctance to pray, will not prove lastingly effective unless there is a wholehearted and absolute surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. If we have never taken this step, we must take it now if we desire to be men of prayer.\par I am quite certain of this fact: God wants me to pray: wants you to pray. The question is, are we willing to pray ?\par Gracious Savior, pour out upon us the fullness of the Holy Spirit, that we may indeed become Kneeling Christians.\par \pard\i To God your every want\par In instant prayer display.\par Pray always; pray and never faint:\par Pray! Without ceasing, pra\i0 y.\par \cf2\f2\fs32\par } zg05 CHAPTER 3: “ASK OF ME AND I WILL GIVE”{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\fnil\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\'l] 04 CHAPTER 2: ALMOST INCREDIBLE PROMISES{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\fnil\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f2\fnil\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\keepn\sb100\sa100\lang1033\b\f0\fs36 CHAPTER 2: ALMOST INCREDIBLE PROMISES\par \pard\sb100\sa100\b0\fs24\ldblquote WHEN we stand with Christ in glory, looking o\rquote er life\rquote s finished story,\rdblquote the most amazing feature of that life as it is loo(*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\keepn\sb100\sa100\lang1033\b\f0\fs36 CHAPTER 3: \ldblquote ASK OF ME AND I WILL GIVE\rdblquote\par \pard\sb100\sa100\b0\fs24 GOD wants me to pray, to be much in prayer \emdash because all success in spiritual work is dependent on prayer.\par A preacher who prays little may see some results of his labors, but if he does it will be because someone, somewhere is praying for him. The \ldblquote fruit\rdblquote is the pray-er\rquote s \emdash not the preacher\rquote s. How surprised some of us preachers will be one day, when the Lord shall \ldblquote reward every man according to his works.\rdblquote \ldblquote Lord! Those were my converts! It was I who conducted that mission at which so many were brought into the fold.\rdblquote Ah, yes \emdash I did the preaching, the pleading, the persuading; but was it \ldblquote I\rdblquote who did the praying?\par Every convert is the result of the Holy Spirit\rquote s pleading in answer to the prayers of s)ome believer.\par O God, grant that such surprise may not be ours. O Lord, teach us to pray!\par We have had a vision of a God pleadingly calling for prayer from His children. How am I treating that call? Can I say, with St. Paul, \ldblquote I am \lquote not disobedient to the heavenly vision\rquote\rdblquote ? Again we repeat, if there are any regrets in heaven, the greatest will be that we spent so little time in real intercession whilst we were on earth.\par Think of the wide sweep of prayer! \ldblquote Ask of Me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Psa_2:8\cf0\ulnone ). Yet many people do not trouble to bring even the little details of their own lives to God in prayer, and nine out of ten Christian people never think of praying for the heathen!\par One is staggered at the unwillingness of Christians to pray. Perhaps it is because they have never experienced, or even heard of, convincing answers to praye*r.\par In this chapter we are setting out to do the \ldblquote impossible.\rdblquote What is that? We long to bring home to the heart and conscience of every reader the power of prayer. We venture to describe this as \ldblquote impossible.\rdblquote For if men will not believe, and act upon, our Lord\rquote s promises and commands, how can we expect them to be persuaded by any mere human exhortations?\par But do you remember that our Lord, when speaking to His disciples, asked them to believe that He was in the Father and the Father in Him? Then he added: \ldblquote If you cannot believe My bare word about this, believe Me for the very works\rquote sake\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_14:11\cf0\ulnone ). It was as if He said, \ldblquote If My Person, My sanctified life, and My wonderful words do not elicit belief in Me, then look at My works: surely they are sufficient to compel belief? Believe Me because of what I do.\rdblquote\par Then He went on to promise that if they would believe, they should do great+er works than these. It was after this utterance that He gave the first of those six wonderful promises in regard to prayer. The inference surely is that those \ldblquote greater works\rdblquote are to be done only as the outcome of prayer.\par May the disciple therefore follow the Master\rquote s method? Fellow-worker, if you fail to grasp, fail to trust our Lord\rquote s astounding promises regarding prayer, will you not believe them \ldblquote for the very works\rquote sake\rdblquote ? That is, because of those \ldblquote greater works\rdblquote which men and women are performing today \emdash or, rather, the works which the Lord Jesus is doing, through their prayerful co-operation?\par What are we \ldblquote out for\rdblquote ? What is our real aim in life? Surely we desire most of all to be abundantly fruitful in the Master\rquote s service. We seek not position, or prominence, or power. But we do long to be fruitful servants. Then we must be much in prayer. God can do more through our prayers ,than through our preaching. A. J. Gordon once said, \ldblquote You can do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you can never do more than pray until you have prayed.\rdblquote If only we would believe this!\par A lady in India was cast down through the failure of her life and work. She was a devoted missionary, but somehow or other conversions never resulted from her ministry.\par The Holy Spirit seemed to say to her, \ldblquote Pray more.\rdblquote But she resisted the promptings of the Spirit for some time. \ldblquote At length,\rdblquote said she, \ldblquote I set apart much of my time for prayer. I did it in fear and trembling lest my fellow-workers should complain that I was shirking my work. After a few weeks I began to see men and women accepting Christ as their Savior. Moreover, the whole district was soon awakened, and the work of all the other missionaries was blessed as never before. God did more in six months than I had succeeded in doing in six years. And,\rdblquote she added, \ld-blquote no one ever accused me of shirking my duty.\rdblquote Another lady missionary in India felt the same call to pray. She began to give much time to prayer. No opposition came from without, but it did come from within. But she persisted, and in two years the baptized converts increased sixfold!\par God promised that He would \ldblquote pour out the Spirit of grace and supplication upon all flesh\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joe_2:28\cf0\ulnone ). How much of that Spirit of \ldblquote supplication\rdblquote is ours? Surely we must get that Spirit at all costs? Yet if we are not willing to spend time in \ldblquote supplication,\rdblquote God must perforce withhold His Spirit, and we become numbered amongst those who are \ldblquote resisting the Spirit,\rdblquote and possibly \ldblquote quenching\rdblquote the Spirit. Has not our Lord promised the Holy Spirit to them that ask? (\cf1\ul Luk_11:13\cf0\ulnone ).\par Are not the very converts from heathendom putting some of us to shame?\par A few years ago, .when in India, I had the great joy of seeing something of Pandita Ramabai\rquote s work. She had a boarding-school of 1,500 Hindu girls. One day some of these girls came with their Bibles and asked a lady missionary what St. Luke xii. 49 meant \emdash \ldblquote I came to cast fire upon the earth; and what will I, if it is already kindled?\rdblquote The missionary tried to put them off with an evasive answer, not being very sure herself what those words meant. But they were not satisfied, so they determined to pray for this fire. And as they prayed \emdash and because they prayed \emdash the very fire of heaven came into their souls. A very Pentecost from above was granted them. No wonder they continued to pray!\par A party of these girls upon whom God had poured the \ldblquote Spirit of supplication\rdblquote came to a mission house where I spent some weeks. \ldblquote May we stay here in your town and pray for your work?\rdblquote they asked. The missionary did not entertain the idea with any gre/at enthusiasm. He felt that they ought to be at school, and not \ldblquote gadding about\rdblquote the country. But they only asked for a hall or barn where they could pray; and we all value prayers on our behalf. So their request was granted, and the good man sat down to his evening meal, thinking. As the evening wore on, a native pastor came round. He broke down completely. He explained, with tears running down his face, that God\rquote s Holy Spirit had convicted him of sin, and that he felt compelled to come and openly confess his wrongdoing. He was quickly followed by one Christian after another, all under deep conviction of sin.\par There was a remarkable time of blessing. Back-sliders were restored, believers were sanctified, and heathen brought into the fold \emdash all because a few mere children were praying.\par God is no respecter of persons. If anyone is willing to conform to His conditions, He for His part will assuredly fulfill His promises. Does not our heart burn within us, as we hear0 of God\rquote s wonderful power? And that power is ours for the asking. I know there are \ldblquote conditions.\rdblquote But you and I can fulfill them all through Christ. And those of us who cannot have the privilege of serving God in India or any other overseas mission, may yet take our part in bringing down a like blessing. When the Revival in Wales was at its height, a Welsh missionary wrote home begging the people to pray that India might be moved in like manner. So the coal-miners met daily at the pit-mouth half an hour before dawn to pray for their comrade overseas. In a few weeks\rquote time the welcome message was sent home: \ldblquote The blessing has come.\rdblquote\par Isn\rquote t it just splendid to know that by our prayers we can bring down showers of blessing upon India, or Africa, or China, just as readily as we can get the few drops needed for our own little plot?\par Many of us will recall the wonderful things which God did for Korea a few years ago, entirely in answer to prayer. 1A few missionaries decided to meet together to pray daily at noon. At the end of the month one brother proposed that, \ldblquote as nothing had happened,\rdblquote the prayer-meeting should be discontinued. \ldblquote Let us each pray at home as we find it convenient,\rdblquote said he. The others, however, protested that they ought rather to spend even more time in prayer each day. So they continued the daily prayer-meeting for four months. Then suddenly the blessing began to be poured out. Church services here and there were broken up by weeping and confessing of sins. At length a mighty revival broke out. At one place during a Sunday evening service the leading man in the church stood up and confessed that he had stolen one hundred dollars in administering a widow\rquote s legacy. Immediately conviction of sin swept the audience. That service did not end till 2 o\rquote clock on Monday morning. God\rquote s wondrous power was felt as never before. And when the Church was purified, many sinners found 2salvation.\par Multitudes flocked to the churches out of curiosity. Some came to mock, but fear laid hold of them, and they stayed to pray. Amongst the \ldblquote curious\rdblquote was a brigand chief, the leader of a robber band. He was convicted and converted. He went straight off to the magistrate and gave himself up. \ldblquote You have no accuser,\rdblquote said the astonished official, \ldblquote yet you accuse yourself! We have no law in Korea to meet your case.\rdblquote So he dismissed him.\par One of the missionaries declared, \ldblquote It paid well to have spent several months in prayer, for when God gave the Holy Spirit, He accomplished more in half a day than all the missionaries together could have accomplished in half a year.\rdblquote In less than two months, more than 2,000 heathen were converted. The burning zeal of those converts has become a byword. Some of them gave all they had to build a church, and wept because they could not give more. Needless to say, they realized the pow3er of prayer. Those converts were themselves baptized with the \ldblquote Spirit of supplication.\rdblquote In one church it was announced that a daily prayer-meeting would be held at 4:30 every morning. The very first day 400 people arrived long before the stated hour \emdash eager to pray! The number rapidly increased to 600 as days went on. At Seoul, 1,100 is the average attendance at the weekly prayer-meeting.\par Heathen people came \emdash to see what was happening. They exclaimed in astonishment, \ldblquote The living God is among you.\rdblquote Those poor heathen saw what many Christians fail to see. Did not Christ say, \ldblquote Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them\rdblquote ? (\cf1\ul Mat_18:20\cf0\ulnone ). What is possible in Korea is possible here. God is \ldblquote no respecter\rdblquote of nations. He is longing to bless us, longing to pour His Spirit upon us.\par Now, if we \emdash here in this so-called Christian country \emdash re4ally believed in prayer, i.e., in our Lord\rquote s own gracious promises, should we avoid prayer-meetings? If we had any genuine concern for the lost condition of thousands in our own land and tens of thousands in heathen lands, should we withhold our prayers? Surely we do not think, or we should pray more. \ldblquote Ask of Me \emdash I will give,\rdblquote says an almighty, all-loving God, and we scarcely heed His words!\par Verily, converts from heathendom put us to shame. In my journeyings I came to Rawal Pindi, in N.W. India. What do you think happened there? Some of Pandita Ramabai\rquote s girls went there to camp. But a little while before this, Pandita Ramabai had said to her girls, \ldblquote If there is any blessing in India, we may have it. Let us ask God to tell us what we must do in order to have the blessing.\rdblquote\par As she read her Bible she paused over the verse, \ldblquote Wait for the promise of the Father . . . ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon yo5u\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Act_1:4-8\cf0\ulnone ). \ldblquote\lquote Wait\rquote ! Why, we have never done this,\rdblquote she cried. \ldblquote We have prayed, but we have never expected any greater blessing today than we had yesterday!\rdblquote Oh, how they prayed! One prayer-meeting lasted six hours. And what a marvelous blessing God poured out in answer to their prayers.\par Whilst some of these girls were at Rawal Pindi, a lady missionary, looking out of her tent towards midnight, was surprised to see a light burning in one of the girls\rquote tents \emdash a thing quite contrary to rules. She went to expostulate, but found the youngest of those ten girls \emdash a child of fifteen \emdash kneeling in the farthest corner of the tent, holding a little tallow candle in one hand and a list of names for intercession in the other. She had 500 names on her list \emdash 500 out of the 1,500 girls in Pandita Ramabai\rquote s school. Hour after hour she was naming them before God. No wonder God\rquote s b6lessing fell wherever those girls went, and upon whomsoever those girls prayed for.\par Pastor Ding Li Mei, of China, has the names of 1,100 students on his prayer-list. Many hundreds have been won to Christ through his prayers. And so out-and-out are his converts that many scores of them have entered the Christian ministry.\par It would be an easy matter to add to these amazing and inspiring stories of blessing through prayer. But there is no need to do so. I know that God wants me to pray. I know that God wants you to pray.\par \ldblquote If there is any blessing in England we may have it.\rdblquote Nay, more \emdash if there is any blessing in Christ we may have it. \ldblquote Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Eph_1:3\cf0\ulnone ). God\rquote s great storehouse is full of blessings. Only prayer can unlock that storehouse. Prayer is the key, and faith both turns the key and o7pens the door, and claims the blessing. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. And to see Him is to pray aright.\par Listen! We have come \emdash you and I \emdash once more to the parting of the ways. All our past failure, all our past inefficiency and insufficiency, all our past unfruitfulness in service, can be banished now, once and for all, if we will only give prayer its proper place. Do it today. Do not wait for a more convenient time.\par Everything worth having depends upon the decision we make. Truly God is a wonderful God! And one of the most wonderful things about Him is that He puts His all at the disposal of the prayer of faith. Believing prayer from a wholly-cleansed heart never fails. God has given us His word for it. Yet vastly more wonderful is the amazing fact that Christian men and women should either not believe God\rquote s word, or should fail to put it to the test.\par When Christ is \ldblquote all in all\rdblquote \emdash when He is Savior and Lord and King 8of our whole being, then it is really He Who prays our prayers. We can then truthfully alter one word of a well-known verse and say that the Lord Jesus ever liveth to make intercession in us. Oh, that we might make the Lord Jesus \ldblquote marvel\rdblquote not at our unbelief but at our faith! When our Lord shall again \ldblquote marvel,\rdblquote and say of us, \ldblquote Verily . . . I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Mat_8:10\cf0\ulnone ), then indeed shall \ldblquote palsy\rdblquote \emdash paralysis \emdash be transformed into power.\par Has not our Lord come to \ldblquote cast fire\rdblquote upon us? Are we \ldblquote already kindled\rdblquote ? Can He not use us as much as he used those mere children of Khedgaon? God is no respecter of persons. If we can humbly and truthfully say, \ldblquote To me to live is Christ\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Phi_1:1\cf0\ulnone ), will He not manifest forth His mighty power in us?\par Some of us have been reading about Praying H9yde. Truly, his intercession changed things. Men tell us that they were thrilled when John Hyde prayed. They were stirred to their inmost being when he just pleaded the name \ldblquote Jesus! \emdash Jesus! \emdash Jesus!\rdblquote and a baptism of love and power came upon them.\par But it was not John Hyde, it was the Holy Spirit of God whom one consecrated man, filled with that Spirit, brought down upon all around him. May we not all become \ldblquote Praying Hydes\rdblquote ? Do you say \ldblquote No! He had a special gift of prayer\rdblquote ? Very well \emdash how did he get it? He was once just an ordinary Christian man \emdash just like any of us.\par Have you noticed that, humanly speaking, he owed his prayer-life to the prayers of his father\rquote s friend? Now get hold of this point. It is one of greatest importance, and one which may profoundly affect your whole life. Perhaps I may be allowed to tell the story fully, for so much depends upon it. Shall we quote John Hyde himself? He was :on board a ship sailing for India, whither he was going as a missionary. He says, \ldblquote My father had a friend who greatly desired to be a foreign missionary, but was not permitted to go. This friend wrote me a letter directed in care of the ship. I received it a few hours out of New York harbor. The words were not many, but the purport of them was this: \lquote I shall not cease praying for you, dear John, until you are filled with the Holy Spirit.\rquote When I had read the letter I crumpled it up in anger and threw it on the deck. Did this friend think I had not received the baptism of the Spirit, or that I would think of going to India without this equipment? I was angry. But by and by better judgment prevailed, and I picked up the letter, and read it again. Possibly I did need something which I had not yet received. I paced up and down the deck, a battle raging within. I felt uncomfortable: I loved the writer; I knew the holy life he lived, and down in my heart there was a conviction that he wa;s right, and that I was not fit to be a missionary. . . . This went on for two, or three days, until I felt perfectly miserable. . . . At last, in a kind of despair, I asked the Lord to fill me with the Holy Spirit; and the moment I did this . . . I began to see myself, and what a selfish ambition I had.\rdblquote\par But he did not yet receive the blessing sought. He landed in India and went with a fellow-missionary to an open-air service. \ldblquote The missionary spoke,\rdblquote said John Hyde, \ldblquote and I was told that he was speaking about Jesus Christ as the real Savior from sin. When he had finished his address, a respectable-looking man, speaking good English, asked the missionary whether he himself had been thus saved? The question went home to my heart; for if it had been asked me, I would have had to confess that Christ had not fully saved me, because I knew there was a sin in my life which had not been taken away. I realized what a dishonor it would be on the name of Christ to have to Yof children in Edinburgh. In order to get their attention he began with a question: \ldblquote What is prayer?\rdblquote \emdash looking for no reply, and expecting to give the answer himself.\par To his amazement scores of little hands shot up all over the hall. He asked one lad to reply; and the answer came at once, clear and correct, \ldblquote Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins and thankful, acknowledgment of His mercies.\rdblquote Mr. Moody\rquote s delighted comment was, \ldblquote Thank God, my boy, that you were born in Scotland.\rdblquote But that was half a century ago. What sort of answer would he get today? How many English children could give a definition of prayer? Think for a moment and decide what answer you yourself would give.\par What do we mean by prayer? I believe the vast majority of Christians would say, \ldblquote Prayer is asking things from God.\rdblquote But surely prayer isZ much more than merely \ldblquote getting God to run our errands for us,\rdblquote as someone puts it. It is a higher thing than the beggar knocking at the rich man\rquote s door.\par The word \ldblquote prayer\rdblquote really means \ldblquote a wish directed towards,\rdblquote that is, towards God. All that true prayer seeks is God Himself, for with Him we get all we need. Prayer is simply \ldblquote the turning of the soul to God.\rdblquote David describes it as the lifting up of the living soul to the living God. \ldblquote Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Psa_25:1\cf0\ulnone ). What a beautiful description of prayer that is! When we desire the Lord Jesus to behold our souls, we also desire that the beauty of holiness may be upon us.\par When we lift up our souls to God in prayer it gives God an opportunity to do what He will in us and with us. It is putting ourselves at God\rquote s disposal. God is always on our side. When man prays, it is God\rquote s opportunity. T[he poet says:\par \pard\i Prayer is the soul\rquote s sincere desire,\par Uttered or unexpressed,\par The motion of a hidden fire\par That trembles in the breast.\i0\par \pard\sb100\sa100\ldblquote Prayer,\rdblquote says an old Jewish mystic, \ldblquote is the moment when heaven and earth kiss each other.\rdblquote\par Prayer, then, is certainly not persuading God to do what we want God to do. It is not bending the will of a reluctant God to our will. It does not change His purpose, although it may release His power. \ldblquote We must not conceive of prayer as overcoming God\rquote s reluctance,\rdblquote says Archbishop Trench, \ldblquote but as laying hold of His highest willingness.\rdblquote\par For God always purposes our greatest good. Even the prayer offered in ignorance and blindness cannot swerve Him from that, although, when we persistently pray for some harmful thing, our wilfulness may bring it about, and we suffer accordingly. \ldblquote He gave them their request,\rdblquote says t\he Psalmist, \ldblquote but sent leanness into their soul\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Psa_106:15\cf0\ulnone ). They brought this \ldblquote leanness\rdblquote upon themselves. They were \ldblquote cursed with the burden of a granted prayer.\rdblquote\par Prayer, in the minds of some people, is only for emergencies! Danger threatens, sickness comes, things are lacking, difficulties arise \emdash then they pray. Like the infidel down a coal mine: when the roof began to fall he began to pray. An old Christian standing by quietly remarked, \ldblquote Aye, there\rquote s nowt like cobs of coal to make a man pray.\rdblquote\par Prayer is, however, much more than merely asking God for something, although that is a very valuable part of prayer if only because it reminds us of our utter dependence upon God. It is also communion with God \emdash intercourse with God \emdash talking with (not only to) God. We get to know people by talking with them. We get to know God in like manner. The highest result of prayer is no]t deliverance from evil, or the securing of some coveted thing, but knowledge of God. \ldblquote And this is life eternal, that they should know Thee, the only true God\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_17:3\cf0\ulnone ). Yes, prayer discovers more of God, and that is the soul\rquote s greatest discovery. Men still cry out, \ldblquote O, that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come even to His seat\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Job_23:3\cf0\ulnone ).\par The kneeling Christian always \ldblquote finds\rdblquote Him, and is found of Him. The heavenly vision of the Lord Jesus blinded the eyes of Saul of Tarsus on his downward course, but he tells us, later on, that when he was praying in the temple at Jerusalem he fell into a trance and saw Jesus. \ldblquote I . . . saw him\rdblquote (Acts xxii. 18). Then it was that Christ gave him his great commission to go to the Gentiles. Vision is always a precursor of vocation and venture. It was so with Isaiah. \ldblquote I saw the Lord high and lifted up, and his train fille^d the temple\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Isa_6:1\cf0\ulnone ). The prophet was evidently in the sanctuary praying when this happened. This vision also was a prelude to a call to service, \ldblquote Go . . . .\rdblquote Now, we cannot get a vision of God unless we pray. And where there is no vision the soul perishes.\par A vision of God! Brother Lawrence once said, \ldblquote Prayer is nothing else than a sense of God\rquote s presence\rdblquote \emdash and that is just the practice of the presence of God.\par A friend of Horace Bushnell was present when that man of God prayed. There came over him a wonderful sense of God\rquote s nearness. He says: \ldblquote When Horace Bushnell buried his face in his hands and prayed, I was afraid to stretch out my hand in the darkness, lest I should touch God.\rdblquote Was the Psalmist of old conscious of such a thought when he cried, \ldblquote My soul, wait thou only upon God\rdblquote ? (\cf1\ul Psa_62:5\cf0\ulnone .) I believe that much of our failure in prayer is d_ue to the fact that we have not looked into this question, \ldblquote What is prayer?\rdblquote It is good to be conscious that we are always in the presence of God. It is better to gaze upon Him in adoration. But it is best of all to commune with Him as a Friend \emdash and that is prayer.\par Real prayer at its highest and best reveals a soul athirst for God \emdash just for God alone. Real prayer comes from the lips of those whose affection is set on things above. What a man of prayer Zinzendorf was. Why? He sought the Giver rather than His gifts. He said: \ldblquote I have one passion: it is He, He alone.\rdblquote Even the Mohammedan seems to have got hold of this thought. He says that there are three degrees in prayer. The lowest is that spoken only by the lips. The next is when, by a resolute effort, we succeed in fixing our thoughts on Divine things. The third is when the soul finds it hard to turn away from God. Of course, we know that God bids us \ldblquote ask\rdblquote of Him. We all obe`y Him so far; and we may rest well assured that prayer both pleases God and supplies all our need. But he would be a strange child who only sought his father\rquote s presence when he desired some gift from him! And do we not all yearn to rise to a higher level of prayer than mere petition? How is it to be done?\par It seems to me that only two steps are necessary \emdash or shall we say two thoughts? There must be, first of all, a realization of God\rquote s glory, and then of God\rquote s grace. We sometimes sing:\par \pard\i Grace and glory flow from Thee;\par Shower, O shower them, Lord, on me.\i0\par \pard\sb100\sa100 Nor is such a desire fanciful, although some may ask what God\rquote s glory has to do with prayer.\par But ought we not to remind ourselves Who He is to Whom we pray? There is logic in the couplet:\par \pard\i Thou art coming to a King;\par Large petitions with thee bring.\i0\par \pard\sb100\sa100 Do you think that any one of us spends enough time in pondering over, yes, and maarveling over, God\rquote s exceeding great glory? And do you suppose that any one of us has grasped the full meaning of the word \ldblquote grace\rdblquote ? Are not our prayers so often ineffective and powerless \emdash and sometimes even prayerless \emdash because we rush unthinkingly and unpreparedly into God\rquote s presence, without realizing the majesty and glory of the God Whom we are approaching, and without reflecting upon the exceeding great riches of His glory in Christ Jesus, which we hope to draw upon? We must \ldblquote think magnificently of God.\rdblquote\par May we then suggest that before we lay our petitions before God we first dwell in meditation upon His glory and then upon His grace \emdash for He offers us both. We must lift up the soul to God. Let us place ourselves, as it were, in the presence of God and direct our prayer to the King of kings, and Lord of lords, Who only hath immortality, dwelling in light unapproachable . . . to Whom be honor and power eternal (\cf1\ul 1Ti_b6:16\cf0\ulnone ). Let us then give Him adoration and praise because of His exceeding great glory. Consecration is not enough. There must be adoration.\par \ldblquote Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts,\rdblquote cry the seraphim; \ldblquote the whole earth is full of his glory\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Isa_6:3\cf0\ulnone ). \ldblquote Glory to God in the highest,\rdblquote cries the \ldblquote whole multitude of the heavenly host\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Luk_2:14\cf0\ulnone ). Yet some of us try to commune with God without stopping to \ldblquote put off our shoes from off our feet\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Exo_3:5\cf0\ulnone ).\par \pard\i Lips cry \ldblquote God be merciful\rdblquote\par That ne\rquote er cry \ldblquote God be praised.\rdblquote\par O come let us adore Him!\i0\par \pard\sb100\sa100 And we may approach His glory with boldness. Did not our Lord pray that His disciples might behold His glory? (\cf1\ul Joh_17:24\cf0\ulnone ). Why? And why is \ldblquote the whole earth full of His glory\rdblquote c? The telescope reveals His infinite glory. The microscope reveals His uttermost glory. Even the unaided eye sees surpassing glory in landscape, sunshine, sea and sky. What does it all mean? These things are but a partial revelation of God\rquote s glory. It was not a desire for self-display that led our Lord to pray, \ldblquote Father, glorify Thy Son\rdblquote . . . \ldblquote O Father, glorify Thou Me\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_17:1\cf0\ulnone , \cf1\ul Joh_17:3\cf0\ulnone ). Our dear Lord wants us to realize His infinite trustworthiness and unlimited power, so that we can approach Him in simple faith and trust.\par In heralding the coming of Christ the prophet declared that \ldblquote glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Isa_40:5\cf0\ulnone ). Now we must get a glimpse of that glory before we can pray aright. So our Lord said, \ldblquote When ye pray, say Our Father, Who art in heaven [the realm of glory], hallowed be Thy name.\rdblquote There isd nothing like a glimpse of glory to banish fear and doubt. Before we offer up our petitions may it not help us to offer up our adoration in the words of praise used by some of the saints of old? Some devout souls may not need such help. We are told that Francis of Assisi would frequently spend an hour or two in prayer on the top of Mount Averno, whilst the only word which escaped his lips would be \ldblquote God\rdblquote repeated at intervals. He began with adoration \emdash and often stopped there!\par But most of us need some help to realize the glory of the invisible God before we can adequately praise and adore Him. Old William Law said, \ldblquote When you begin to pray, use such expressions of the attributes of God as will make you sensible of His greatness and power.\rdblquote\par This point is of such tremendous importance that we venture to remind our readers of helpful words. Some of us begin every day with a glance heavenwards whilst saying, \ldblquote Glory be to the Father, and to the Soen, and to the Holy Ghost.\rdblquote The prayer, \ldblquote O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and merciful Savior!\rdblquote is often enough to bring a solemn awe and a spirit of holy adoration upon the soul. The Gloria in Excelsis of the Communion Service is most uplifting: \ldblquote Glory be to God on high and in earth peace. . . . We praise Thee; we bless Thee; we worship Thee; we glorify Thee; we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.\rdblquote Which of us can from the heart utter praise like that and remain unmoved, unconscious of the very presence and wondrous majesty of the Lord God Almighty? A verse of a hymn may serve the same purpose.\par \pard\i My God. how wonderful Thou art!\par Thy majesty how bright.\par How beautiful Thy mercy-seat\par In depths of burning light!\par How wonderful, how beautiful\par The sight of Thee must be;\par Thine endless wisdom, boundless power\par And awful purity.\par This carries us ifnto the very heavenlies, as also do the words:\par Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,\par All Thy works shall praise Thy name\par In earth, and sky, and sea.\i0\par \pard\sb100\sa100 We need to cry out, and to cry often, \ldblquote My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Luk_1:46-47\cf0\ulnone ). Can we catch the spirit of the Psalmist and sing, \ldblquote Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name\rdblquote ? (\cf1\ul Psa_103:1\cf0\ulnone .) \ldblquote Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, Thou art very great; Thou are clothed with honor and majesty\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Psa_104:1\cf0\ulnone ). When shall we learn that \ldblquote in His temple everything saith Glory!\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Psa_29:9\cf0\ulnone , R.V.) Let us, too, cry, Glory!\par Such worship of God, such adoration and praise and thanksgiving, not only put us into the spirit of prayer, but in some mysterious way they help God to work on our behalfg. Do you remember those wonderful words, \ldblquote Whoso, offereth the sacrifice of thanksgiving, glorifyeth Me and prepareth a way that I may show him the salvation of God\rdblquote ?, (\cf1\ul Psa_50:23\cf0\ulnone , R.V., marg.) Praise and thanksgiving not only open the gates of heaven for me to approach God, but also \ldblquote prepare a way\rdblquote for God to bless me. St. Paul cries, \ldblquote Rejoice evermore!\rdblquote before he says, \ldblquote Pray without ceasing.\rdblquote So then our praise, as well as our prayers, is to be without ceasing.\par At the raising of Lazarus our Lord\rquote s prayer had as its first utterance a note of thanksgiving. \ldblquote Father, I thank Thee that Thou heardest Me\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_11:41\cf0\ulnone ). He said it for those around to hear. Yes, and for us to hear.\par You may perhaps be wondering why it is that we should specially give thanks to God for His great glory when we kneel in prayer; and why we should spend any time in thinking of and gahzing upon that glory. But is He not the King of Glory? All He is and all He does is glory. His holiness is \ldblquote glorious\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Exo_15:11\cf0\ulnone ). His name is glorious (\cf1\ul Deu_28:58\cf0\ulnone ). His work is \ldblquote glorious\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Psa_111:3\cf0\ulnone ). His power is glorious (\cf1\ul Col_1:1\cf0\ulnone ). His voice is glorious (\cf1\ul Isa_30:30\cf0\ulnone ).\par \pard\i All things bright and beautiful\par All creatures great and small.\par All things wise and wonderful,\par The Lord God made them all.\par for His glory.\i0\par \pard\sb100\sa100\ldblquote For of him and through him and unto him are all things; to whom be glory for ever\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Rom_11:36\cf0\ulnone ). And this is the God who bids us come to Him in prayer. This God is our God, and He has \ldblquote gifts for men\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Psa_68:18\cf0\ulnone ). God says that everyone that is called by His name has been created for His glory (\cf1\ul Isa_43:7\cf0\ulnone ). His Churchi is to be a \ldblquote glorious\rdblquote Church \emdash holy and without blemish (\cf1\ul Eph_5:27\cf0\ulnone ). Have you ever fully realized that the Lord Jesus desires to share with us the glory we see in Him? This is His great gift to you and me, His redeemed ones. Believe me, the more we have of God\rquote s glory, the less shall we seek His gifts. Not only in that day \ldblquote when he shall come to be glorified in his saints\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 2Th_1:10\cf0\ulnone ) is there glory for us, but here and now \emdash today. He wishes us to be partakers of His glory. Did not our Lord Himself say so? \ldblquote The glory which thou has given me, I have given unto them,\rdblquote He declares (\cf1\ul Joh_17:22\cf0\ulnone ). What is God\rquote s command? \ldblquote Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.\rdblquote Nay, more than this: \ldblquote His glory shall be seen upon thee,\rdblquote says the inspired prophet (\cf1\ul Isa_40:1-2\cf0\ulnone ).\par Godj would have people say of us as St. Peter said of the disciples of old: \ldblquote The Spirit of Glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 1Pe_4:14\cf0\ulnone ). Would not that be an answer to most of our prayers? Could we ask for anything better? How can we get this glory? How are we to reflect it? Only as the result of prayer. It is when we pray, that the Holy Spirit takes of the things of Christ and reveals them unto us (\cf1\ul Joh_16:15\cf0\ulnone ).\par It was when Moses prayed, \ldblquote Show me, I pray thee, thy glory,\rdblquote that he not only saw somewhat of it, but shared something of that glory, and his own face shone with the light of it (\cf1\ul Exo_33:18\cf0\ulnone , \cf1\ul Exo_34:29\cf0\ulnone ). And when we, too, gaze upon the \ldblquote glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 2Co_4:6\cf0\ulnone ), we shall see not only a glimpse of that glory, but we shall gain something of it ourselves.\par Now, that is prayer, and the highest result of kprayer. Nor is there any other way of securing that glory, that God may be glorified in us (\cf1\ul Isa_40:21\cf0\ulnone ).\par Let us often meditate upon Christ\rquote s glory \emdash gaze upon it and so reflect it and receive it. This is what happened to our Lord\rquote s first disciples. They said in awed tones, \ldblquote We beheld his glory!\rdblquote Yes, but what followed? A few plain, unlettered, obscure fishermen companied with Christ a little while, seeing His glory; and lo! they themselves caught something of that glory. And then others marveled and \ldblquote took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Act_4:13\cf0\ulnone ). And when we can declare, with St. John, \ldblquote Yea, and our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 1Jo_1:3\cf0\ulnone ), people will say the same of us: \ldblquote They have been with Jesus!\rdblquote\par As we lift up our soul in prayer to the living God, we gain the beauty of holiness as surelyl as a flower becomes beautiful by living in the sunlight. Was not our Lord Himself transfigured when He prayed? And the \ldblquote very fashion\rdblquote of our countenance will change, and we shall have our Mount of Transfiguration when prayer has its rightful place in our lives. And men will see in our faces \ldblquote the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.\rdblquote Our value to God and to man is in exact proportion to the extent in which we reveal the glory of God to others.\par We have dwelt so much upon the glory of Him to Whom we pray, that we must not now speak of His grace.\par What is prayer? It is a sign of spiritual life. I should as soon expect life in a dead man as spiritual life in a prayerless soul! Our spirituality and our fruitfulness are always in proportion to the reality of our prayers. If, then, we have at all wandered away from home in the matter of prayer, let us today resolve, \ldblquote I will arise and go unto my Father, and say unto Him, Father \emdamsh .\rdblquote\par At this point I laid down my pen, and on the page of the first paper I picked up were these words: \ldblquote The secret of failure is that we see men rather than God. Romanism trembled when Martin Luther saw God. The \lquote great awakening\rquote sprang into being when Jonathan Edwards saw God. The world became the parish of one man when John Wesley saw God. Multitudes were saved when Whitfield saw God. Thousands of orphans were fed when George Muller saw God. And He is \lquote the same yesterday, today, and forever.\rquote \ldblquote\par Is it not time that we got a new vision of God \emdash of God in all His glory? Who can say what will happen when the Church sees God? But let us not wait for others. Let us, each one for himself, with unveiled face and unsullied heart, get this vision of the glory of the Lord.\par \ldblquote Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Mat_5:8\cf0\ulnone ). No missioner whom it has been my joy to meet ever impressend me quite as much as Dr. Wilbur Chapman. He wrote to a friend: \ldblquote I have learned some great lessons concerning prayer. At one of our missions in England the audiences were exceedingly small. But I received a note saying that an American missionary . . . was going to pray God\rquote s blessing down upon our work. He was known as \lquote Praying Hyde.\rquote Almost instantly the tide turned. The hall became packed, and at my first invitation fifty men accepted Christ as their Savior. As we were leaving I said, \lquote Mr. Hyde, I want you to pray for me.\rquote He came to my room, turned the key in the door, and dropped on his knees, and waited five minutes without a single syllable coming from his lips. I could hear my own heart thumping and his beating. I felt the hot tears running down my face. I knew I was with God. Then, with upturned face, down which the tears were streaming, he said \lquote O God!\rquote Then for five minutes at least he was still again; and then, when he knew that he was talking with God . . . there came up from the depth of his heart such petitions for men as I had never heard before. I rose from my knees to know what real prayer was. We believe that prayer is mighty, and we believe it as we never did before.\rdblquote\par Dr. Chapman used to say, \ldblquote It was a season of prayer with John Hyde that made me realize what real prayer was. I owe to him more than I owe to any man for showing me what a prayer-life is, and what a real consecrated life is. . . . Jesus Christ became a new Ideal to me, and I had a glimpse of His prayer-life; and I had a longing which has remained to this day to be a real praying man.\rdblquote And God the Holy Spirit can so teach us.\par \pard\i Oh, ye who sigh and languish\par And mourn your lack of power,\par Hear ye this gentle whisper:\par Could ye not watch one hour?\rdblquote\par For fruitfulness and blessing\par There is no royal road;\par The power for holy service\par Is intercourse with God.\i0\par \cf2\f1\fs32\par } p} {\colortbl ;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\keepn\sb100\sa100\lang1033\b\f0\fs36 CHAPTER 6: HOW SHALL I PRAY?\par \pard\sb100\sa100\b0\fs24 How shall I pray? Could there be a more important question for a Christian man to ask? How shall I approach the King of Glory?\par When we read Christ\rquote s promises regarding prayer we are apt to think that He puts far too great a power into our hands \emdash unless, indeed, we hastily conclude that it is impossible for Him to act as He promises. He says, ask \ldblquote anything,\rdblquote \ldblquote whatsoever,\rdblquote \ldblquote what ye will,\rdblquote and it shall be done.\par But then He puts in a qualifying phrase. He says that we are to ask in His name. That is the condition, and the only one, although, as we shall remind ourselves later on, it is sometimes couched in different words.\par If, therefore, we ask and do not receive, it can only be that we are not fulfilling this coqndition. If then, we are true disciples of His \emdash if we are sincere \emdash we shall take pains (infinite pains, if need be) to discover just what it means to ask in His name; and we shall not rest content until we have fulfilled that condition. Let us read the promise again to be quite sure about it. \ldblquote Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_14:13-14\cf0\ulnone ).\par This was something quite new, for our Lord said so. \ldblquote Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name,\rdblquote but now, \ldblquote ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_16:24\cf0\ulnone ).\par Five times over our Lord repeats this simple condition, \ldblquote In my name\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_14:13-14\cf0\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Joh_15:16\cf0\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Joh_16:23-26\cf0\ulnone ). Evidently something very important is here implied. It is more than a corndition \emdash it is also a promise, an encouragement, for our Lord\rquote s biddings are always His enablings. What, then, does it mean to ask in His name? We must know this at all costs, for it is the secret of all power in prayer. And it is possible to make a wrong use of those words. Our Lord said, \ldblquote Many shall come in my name, saying, \lquote I am Christ,\rquote and shall deceive many\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Mat_14:5\cf0\ulnone ). He might well have said, \ldblquote And many shall think they are praying to the Father in my name, whilst deceiving themselves.\rdblquote\par Does it mean just adding the words, \ldblquote and all this we ask in the name of Jesus Christ,\rdblquote at the end of our prayers?\par Many people apparently think that it does. But have you never heard \emdash or offered \emdash prayers full of self-will and selfishness which ended up in that way, \ldblquote for Christ\rquote s sake. Amen\rdblquote ?\par God could not answer the prayers St. James refers to in his episstle just because those who offered them added, \ldblquote we ask these things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.\rdblquote Those Christians were asking \ldblquote amiss\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Jam_4:3\cf0\ulnone ). A wrong prayer cannot be made right by the addition of some mystic phrase!\par And a right prayer does not fail if some such words are omitted. No! It is more than a question of words. Our Lord is thinking about faith and facts more than about some formula. The chief object of prayer is to glorify the Lord Jesus. We are to ask in Christ\rquote s name \ldblquote that the Father may be glorified in the Son\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_14:13\cf0\ulnone ). Listen! We are not to seek wealth or health, prosperity or success, ease or comfort, spirituality or fruitfulness in service simply for our own enjoyment or advancement or popularity, but only for Christ\rquote s sake \emdash for His glory. Let us take three steps to a right understanding of those important words, \ldblquote in my name.\rdblquote\ptar (1) There is a sense in which some things are done only \ldblquote for Christ\rquote s sake\rdblquote \emdash because of His atoning death. Those who do not believe in the atoning death of Christ cannot pray \ldblquote in His name.\rdblquote They may use the words, but without effect. For we are \ldblquote justified by His blood\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Rom_5:9\cf0\ulnone ), and \ldblquote we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Eph_1:7\cf0\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Col_1:14\cf0\ulnone ). In these days when Unitarianism under its guileful name of Modernism has invaded all sects, it is most important to remember the place and work of the shed blood of Christ, or \ldblquote prayer\rdblquote \emdash so-called \emdash becomes a delusion and a snare.\par Let us illustrate this point by an experience which happened quite early in Mr. Moody\rquote s ministry. The wife of an infidel judge \emdash a man of great intellectual gifts \emdash begged Mr. Moody to speak to huer husband. Moody, however, hesitated at arguing with such a man, and told him so quite frankly. \ldblquote But,\rdblquote he added, \ldblquote if ever you are converted will you promise to let me know?\rdblquote The judge laughed cynically, and replied, \ldblquote Oh, yes, I\rquote ll let you know quick enough if I am ever converted!\rdblquote Moody went his way, relying upon prayer. That judge was converted, and within a year. He kept his promise and told Moody just how it came about. \ldblquote I began to grow very uneasy and .miserable one night when my wife was at a prayer-meeting. I went to bed before she came home. I could not sleep all that night. Getting up early the next morning, I told my wife I should not need any breakfast, and went off to my office. Telling the clerks they could take a holiday, I shut myself up in my private room. But I became more and more wretched. Finally, I fell on my knees and asked God to forgive me my sins, but I would not say \lquote for Jesus\rquote sake,\rquotev for I was Unitarian, and I did not believe in the atonement. In an agony of mind I kept praying, \lquote O God, forgive me my sins,\rquote but no answer came. At last, in desperation, I cried, \lquote O God, for Christ\rquote s sake forgive my sins.\rquote Then I found peace at once.\rdblquote\par That judge had no access to the presence of God until he sought it in the name of Jesus Christ. When he came in Christ\rquote s name he was at once heard and forgiven. Yes, to pray \ldblquote in the name\rdblquote of the Lord Jesus is to ask for things which the blood of Christ has secured \emdash \ldblquote purchased\rdblquote \emdash for us. We have \ldblquote boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Heb_10:19\cf0\ulnone ). There is entrance by no other way.\par But this is not all that those words \ldblquote In my Name\rdblquote mean.\par (2) The most familiar illustration of coming \ldblquote in the name\rdblquote of Christ is that of drawing money from a bankw by means of a check. I can draw from my bank account only up to the amount of my deposit there. In my own name, I can go no farther. In the Bank of England I have no money whatsoever, and can therefore draw nothing therefrom. But suppose a very wealthy man who has a big account there gives me a blank check bearing his signature, and bids me fill it in to any amount I choose. He is my friend. What shall I do? Shall I just satisfy my present need, or shall I draw as much as I dare? I shall certainly do nothing to offend my friend, or to lower myself in his esteem.\par Well, we are told by some that heaven is our bank. God is the Great Banker, for \ldblquote every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Jam_1:17\cf0\ulnone ). We need a \ldblquote check\rdblquote wherewith to \ldblquote draw\rdblquote upon this boundless store. The Lord Jesus gives us a blank check in prayer. \ldblquote Fill it in,\rdblquote says He, \ldblquote to any amount; asxk \lquote anything,\rquote \lquote what ye will,\rquote and you shall have it. Present your check in My name, and your request will be honored.\rdblquote Let me put this in the words of a well-known evangelist of today. \ldblquote That is what happens when I go to the bank of heaven-when I go to God in prayer. I have nothing deposited there; I have no credit there; and if I go in my own name I will get absolutely nothing. But Jesus Christ has unlimited credit in heaven, and He has granted me the privilege of going with His name on my checks; and when I thus go my prayers will be honored to any extent. To pray, then, in the name of Christ is to pray, not on the ground of my credit, but His.\rdblquote\par This is all very delightful, and, in a sense, very true.\par If the check were drawn on a Government account, or upon some wealthy corporation, one might be tempted to get all one could. But remember we are coming to a loving Father to Whom we owe all, and Whom we love with all our heart, and to Whom ywe may come repeatedly. In cashing our checks at the bank of heaven we desire chiefly His honor and His glory. We wish to do only that which is pleasing in His sight. To cash some of our \ldblquote checks\rdblquote \emdash to answer some of our prayers \emdash would only bring dishonor to His name, and discredit and discomfort to us. True, His resources are unlimited; but His honor is assailable.\par But experience makes argument unnecessary! Dear reader, have we not \emdash all of us \emdash often tried this method only to fail?\par How many of us dare say we have never come away from the bank of heaven without getting what we asked for, although we have apparently asked \ldblquote in Christ\rquote s name\rdblquote ? Wherein do we fail? Is it because we do not seek to learn God\rquote s will for us? We must not try to exceed His will.\par May I give a personal experience of my own which has never been told in public, and which is probably quite unique? It happened over thirty years ago, and now Iz see why. It makes such a splendid illustration of what we are now trying to learn about prayer.\par A well-to-do friend, and an exceedingly busy one, wished to give me one pound towards a certain object. He invited me to his office, and hastily wrote out a check for the amount. He folded the check and handed it to me, saying, \ldblquote I will not cross it. Will you kindly cash it at the bank?\rdblquote On arriving at the bank I glanced at my name on the check without troubling to verify the amount, endorsed it, and handed it to a clerk. \ldblquote This is rather a big sum to cash over the counter,\rdblquote he said, eyeing me narrowly. \ldblquote Yes, I replied laughingly, \ldblquote one pound!\rdblquote \ldblquote No,\rdblquote said the clerk: \ldblquote this is made out for \lquote one thousand pounds!\rquote \ldblquote\par And so it was! My friend was, no doubt, accustomed to writing big checks; and he had actually written \ldblquote one thousand\rdblquote instead of \ldblquote one\rdblquote { pound. Now, what was my position legally? The check was truly in his name. The signature was all right. My endorsement was all right. Could I not demand the 1,000 pounds, provided there was sufficient in the account? The check was written deliberately, if hurriedly, and freely to me \emdash why should I not take the gift? Why not?\par But I was dealing with a friend \emdash a generous friend to whom I owed many deeds of lovingkindness. He had revealed his mind to me. I knew his wishes and desires.\par He meant to give me one pound, and no more. I knew his intention, his \ldblquote mind,\rdblquote and at once took back the all-too-generous check, and in due time I received just one pound, according to his will. Had that donor given me a blank check the result would have been exactly the same. He would have expected me to write in one pound, and my honor would have been at stake in my doing so. Need we draw the lesson? God has His will for each one of us, and unless we seek to know that will we are li|kely to ask for \ldblquote a thousand,\rdblquote when He knows that \ldblquote one\rdblquote will be best for us. In our prayers we are coming to a Friend \emdash a loving Father. We owe everything to Him. He bids us come to Him whenever we like for all we need. His resources are infinite.\par But He bids us to remember that we should ask only for those things that are according to His will \emdash only for that which will bring glory to His name. John says, \ldblquote If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 1Jo_5:14\cf0\ulnone ). So then our Friend gives us a blank check, and leaves us to fill in \ldblquote anything\rdblquote ; but He knows that if we truly love Him we shall never put down \emdash never ask for \emdash things He is not willing to give us, because they would be harmful to us.\par Perhaps with most of us the fault lies in the other direction. God gives us a blank check and says, Ask for a pound \emdash and we ask for a shilling! Would not my fri}end have been insulted had I treated him thus? Do we ask enough? Do we dare to ask \ldblquote according to His riches in glory\rdblquote ?\par The point we are dwelling upon, however, is this \emdash we cannot be sure that we are praying \ldblquote in His name\rdblquote unless we learn His will for us.\par (3) But even now we have not exhausted the meaning of those words, \ldblquote In my Name.\rdblquote We all know what it is to ask for a thing \ldblquote in the name\rdblquote of another. But we are very careful not to allow anyone to use our name who is not to be trusted, or he might abuse our trust and discredit our name. Gehazi, the trusted servant, dishonestly used Elisha\rquote s name when he ran after Naaman. In Elisha\rquote s name he secured riches, but also inherited a curse for his wickedness.\par A trusted clerk often uses his employer\rquote s name and handles great sums of money as if they were his own. But this he does only so long as he is thought to be worthy of such confidence in ~him. And he uses the money for his master, and not for himself. All our money belongs to our Master, Christ Jesus. We can go to God for supplies in His name if we use all we get for His glory.\par When I go to cash a check payable to me, the banker is quite satisfied if the signature of his client is genuine and that I am the person authorized to receive the money. He does not ask for references to my character. He has no right whatever to enquire whether I am worthy to receive the money or to be trusted to use it aright. It is not so with the Bank of Heaven. Now, this is a point of greatest importance. Do not hurry over what is now to be said.\par When I go to heaven\rquote s bank in the name of the Lord Jesus, with a check drawn upon the unsearchable riches of Christ, God demands that I shall be a worthy recipient. Not \ldblquote worthy\rdblquote in the sense that I can merit or deserve anything from a holy God \emdash but worthy in the sense that I am seeking the gift not for m own glory or self-interest, but only for the glory of God.\par Otherwise I may pray and not get. \ldblquote Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss that ye may spend it in your pleasures\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Jam_4:3\cf0\ulnone , R.V.).\par The great Heavenly Banker will not cash checks for us if our motives are not right. Is not this why so many fail in prayer? Christ\rquote s name is the revelation of His character.\par To pray \ldblquote in His name\rdblquote is to pray in His character, as His representative sent by Him: it is to pray by His Spirit and according to His will; to have His approval in our asking, to seek what He seeks, to ask help to do what He Himself would wish to be done, and to desire to do it not for our own glorification, but for His glory alone. To pray \ldblquote in His name\rdblquote we must have identity of interests and purpose. Self and its aims and desires must be entirely controlled by God\rquote s Holy Spirit, so that our wills are in complete harmony with Christ\rquote s will.\par We must reach the attitude of St. Augustine when he, cried, \ldblquote O Lord, grant that I may do Thy will as if it were my will, so that Thou mayest do my will as if it were Thy will.\rdblquote\par Child of God, does this seem to make prayer \ldblquote in His name\rdblquote quite beyond us? That was not our Lord\rquote s intention. He is not mocking us! Speaking of the Holy Spirit our Lord used these words: \ldblquote The Comforter . . . Whom the Father will send in my name\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_14:26\cf0\ulnone ). Now, our Savior wants us to be so controlled by the Holy Spirit that we may act in Christ\rquote s name. \ldblquote As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Rom_8:14\cf0\ulnone ). And only sons can say, \ldblquote Our Father.\rdblquote\par Our Lord said of Saul of Tarsus: \ldblquote He is a chosen vessel unto Me to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Act_9:15\cf0\ulnone ). Not to them, but before them. So St. Paul says: \ldblquote It pleased God to reveal his Son in me.\rdblquote We cannot pray in Christ\rquote s name unless we bear that name before people. And this is only possible so long as we \ldblquote abide in\rdblquote Him and His words abide in us. So we come to this \emdash unless the heart is right the prayer must be wrong.\par Christ said, \ldblquote If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_15:7\cf0\ulnone ).\par Those three promises are really identical \emdash they express the same thought in different words. Look at them \emdash\par Ask anything in my name, I will do it (\cf1\ul Joh_14:13-14\cf0\ulnone ).\par Ask what ye will (if ye abide in me and my words abide in you), and it shall be done (\cf1\ul Joh_15:7\cf0\ulnone ).\par Ask anything, according to his will, we have the petitions (\cf1\ul 1Jo_5:14\cf0\ulnone ).\par And we could sum them all up in the words of St. John, \ldblquote\lquote Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things which are pleasing in his sight\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 1Jo_3:22\cf0\ulnone ). When we do what He bids, He does what we ask! Listen to God and God will listen to you. Thus our Lord gives us \ldblquote power of attorney\rdblquote over His kingdom, the kingdom of heaven, if only we fulfil the condition of abiding in Him.\par Oh, what a wonder is this! How eagerly and earnestly we should seek to know His \ldblquote mind,\rdblquote His wish, His will! \emdash How amazing it is that any one of us should by our own self-seeking miss such unsearchable riches! We know that God\rquote s will is the best for us. We know that He longs to bless us and make us a blessing. We know that to follow our own inclination is absolutely certain to harm us and to hurt us and those whom we love. We know that to turn away from His will for us is to court disaster. O child of God, why do we not trust Him fully and wholly? Here we are, then, once again brought face to face with a life of holiness. We see with the utmost clearness that our Savior\rquote s call to prayer is simply a clarion call to holiness. \ldblquote Be ye holy!\rdblquote for without holiness no man can see God, and prayer cannot be efficacious.\par When we confess that we \ldblquote never get answers to our prayers,\rdblquote we are condemning not God, or His promises, or the power of prayer, but ourselves. There is no greater test of spirituality than prayer. The man who tries to pray quickly discovers just where he stands in God\rquote s sight.\par Unless we are living the Victorious Life we cannot truly pray \ldblquote in the name\rdblquote of Christ, and our prayer-life must of necessity be feeble, fitful and oft-times unfruitful.\par And \ldblquote in His name\rdblquote must be \ldblquote according to His will.\rdblquote But can we know His will? Assuredly we can. St. Paul not only says, \ldblquote Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus . . .\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Phi_2:5\cf0\ulnone ); he also boldly declares, \ldblquote We have the mind of Christ\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 1Co_2:16\cf0\ulnone ). How, then, can we get to know God\rquote s will?\par We shall remember that \ldblquote the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Psa_25:14\cf0\ulnone ).\par In the first place, we must not expect God to reveal His will to us unless we desire to know that will and intend to do that will. Knowledge of God\rquote s will and the performance of that will go together. We are apt to desire to know God\rquote s will so that we may decide whether we will obey or not. Such an attitude is disastrous. \ldblquote If any man willeth to do His will, he shall know of the teaching\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_7:17\cf0\ulnone ).\par God\rquote s will is revealed in His Word in Holy Scriptures. What He promises in His Word I may know to be according to His will.\par For example, I may confidently ask for wisdom, because His Word says, \ldblquote If any . . . lack wisdom, let him ask of God . . . and it shall be given him\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Jam_1:5\cf0\ulnone ). We cannot be men of prevailing prayer unless we study God\rquote s Word to find out His will for us.\par But it is the Holy Spirit of God Who is prayer\rquote s great Helper. Read again those wonderful words of St. Paul: \ldblquote In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness; for we do not know what prayers to offer nor in what way to offer them, but the Spirit Himself pleads for us in yearnings that can find no words, and the Searcher of hearts knows what the Spirit\rquote s meaning is, because His intercessions for God\rquote s people are in harmony with God\rquote s will\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Rom_8:26-27\cf0\ulnone ; Weymouth).\par What comforting words! Ignorance and helplessness in prayer are indeed blessed things if they cast us upon the Holy Spirit. Blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus! We are left without excuse. Pray we must: pray we can.\par Remember our Heavenly Father is pledged to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him (\cf1\ul Luk_11:13\cf0\ulnone ) \emdash and any other \ldblquote good thing\rdblquote too (\cf1\ul Mat_7:11\cf0\ulnone ).\par Child of God, you have often prayed. You have, no doubt, often bewailed your feebleness and slackness in prayer. But have you really prayed in His name?\par It is when we have failed and know not \ldblquote what prayers to offer\rdblquote or \ldblquote in what way,\rdblquote that the Holy Spirit is promised as our Helper.\par Is it not worth while to be wholly and whole-heartedly yielded to Christ? The half-and-half Christian is of very little use either to God or man. God cannot use him, and man has no use for him, but considers him a hypocrite. One sin allowed in the life wrecks at once our usefulness and our joy, and robs prayer of its power.\par Beloved, we have caught a fresh glimpse of the grace and the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is willing and waiting to share with us both His glory and His grace. He is willing to make us channels of blessing. Shall we not worship God in sincerity and truth, and cry eagerly and earnestly, \ldblquote Lord, what shall I do?\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Act_22:10\cf0\ulnone , R.V.) and then, in the power of His might, do it?\par St. Paul once shot up that prayer to heaven; \ldblquote What shall I do?\rdblquote What answer did he get? Listen! He tells us in his counsel to believers everywhere just what it meant to him, and should mean to us: \ldblquote Beloved, put on . . . a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, longsuffering; . . .above all things put on love and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. . . . Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. . . . And whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Col_3:12-17\cf0\ulnone ).\par It is only when whatsoever we do is done in His name that He will do whatsoever we ask in His name.\par \pard\cf2\f1\fs32\par } ll of us follow their examples?\rdblquote We must remember that those men of prayer did not pray by time. They continued so long in prayer because they could not stop praying.\par Some have ventured to think that in what has been said in earlier chapters I have hinted that we must all follow in their train. Child of God, do not let any such thought \emdash such fear? \emdash distress you. Just be willing to do what He will have you do \emdash what He leads you to do. Think about it; pray about it. We are bidden by the Lord Jesus to pray to our loving Heavenly Father. We sometimes sing, \ldblquote Oh, how He loves!\rdblquote And nothing can fathom that love.\par Prayer is not given us as a burden to be borne, or an irksome duty to fulfil, but to be a joy and power to which there is no limit. It is given us that we \ldblquote may find grace to help us in time of need\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Heb_4:16\cf0\ulnone , R.V.). And every time is a \ldblquote time of need.\rdblquote \ldblquote Pray ye\rdblquote is an invitation to be accepted rather than a command to be obeyed. Is it a burden for a child to come to his father to ask for some boon? How a father loves his child, and seeks its highest good! How he shields that little one from any sorrow or pain or suffering! Our heavenly Father loves us infinitely more than any earthly father. The Lord Jesus loves us infinitely more than any earthly friend. God forgive me if any words of mine, on such a precious theme as prayer, have wounded the hearts or consciences of those who are yearning to know more about prayer. \ldblquote Your heavenly Father knoweth,\rdblquote said our Lord: and if He knows, we can but trust and not be afraid.\par A schoolmaster may blame a boy for neglected homework, or unpunctual attendance, or frequent absence; but the loving father in the home knows all about it. He knows all about the devoted service of the little laddie in the home circle, where sickness or poverty throws so many loving tasks in his way. Our dear, loving Father knows all about us. He sees. He knows how little leisure some of us have for prolonged periods of prayer.\par For some of us God makes leisure. He makes us lie down (\cf1\ul Psa_23:2\cf0\ulnone ) that He may make us look up. Even then, weakness of body often prevents prolonged prayer. Yet I question if any of us, however great and reasonable our excuses, spend enough thought over our prayers. Some of us are bound to be much in prayer. Our very work demands it. We may be looked upon as spiritual leaders; we may have the spiritual welfare or training of others. God forbid that we should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray enough for them (\cf1\ul 1Sa_12:23\cf0\ulnone ). Yes, with some it is our very business \emdash almost our life\rquote s work-to pray, Others \emdash\par \pard\i Have friends who give them pain,\par Yet have not sought a friend in Him.\i0\par \pard\sb100\sa100 For them they cannot help praying. If we have the burden of souls upon us we shall never ask, \ldblquote How long need I pray?\rdblquote\par But how well we know the difficulties which surround the prayer-life of many! A little pile of letters lies before me as I write. They are full of excuses, and kindly protests, and reasonings it is true. But is that why they are written? No! No! Far from it. In every one of them there is an undercurrent of deep yearning to know God\rquote s will, and how to obey the call to prayer amid all the countless claims of life.\par Those letters tell of many who cannot get away from others for times of secret prayer; of those who share even bedrooms; of busy mothers, and maids, and mistresses who scarcely know how to get through the endless washing and cooking, mending and cleaning, shopping and visiting; of tired workers who are too weary to pray when the day\rquote s work is done.\par Child of God, our heavenly Father knows all about it. He is not a taskmaster. He is our Father. if you have no time for prayer, or no chance of secret prayer, why, just tell Him all about it \emdash and you will discover that you are praying!\par To those who seem unable to get any solitude at all, or even the opportunity of stealing into a quiet church for a few moments, may we point to the wonderful prayer-life of St. Paul ? Did it ever occur to you that lie was in prison when he wrote most of those marvelous prayers of his which we possess? Picture him. He was chained to a Roman soldier day and night, and was never alone for a moment. Epaphias was there part of the time, and caught something of his master\rquote s passion for prayer. St. Luke may have been there. What prayer-meetings! No opportunity for secret prayer. No! but how much we owe to the uplifting of those chained hands! You and I may be never, or rarely ever, alone, but at least our hands are not fettered with chains, and our hearts are not fettered, nor our lips.\par Can we make time for prayer? I may be wrong, but my own belief is that it is not God\rquote s will for most of us \emdash and perhaps not for any of us \emdash to spend so much time in prayer as to injure our physical health through getting insufficient food or sleep. With very many it is a physical impossibility, because of bodily weakness, to remain long in the spirit of intense prayer.\par The posture in which we pray is immaterial. God will listen whether we kneel, or stand, or sit, or walk, or work.\par I am quite aware that many have testified to the fact that God sometimes gives special strength to those who curtail their hours of rest in order to pray more. At one time the writer tried getting up very early in the morning \emdash and every morning \emdash for prayer and communion with God. After a time he found that his daily work was suffering in intensity and effectiveness, and that it was difficult to keep awake during the early evening hours! But do we pray as much as we might do? It is a lasting regret to me that I allowed the days of youth and vigor to pass by without laying more stress upon those early hours of prayer.\par Now, the inspired command is clear enough: \ldblquote Pray without ceasing\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 1Th_5:17\cf0\ulnone ). Our dear Lord said, \ldblquote Men ought always to pray, and not to faint\rdblquote \emdash \ldblquote and never lose heart\rdblquote (Weymouth) (\cf1\ul Luk_18:1\cf0\ulnone ).\par This, of course, cannot mean that we are to be always on our knees. I am convinced that God does not wish us to neglect rightful work in order to pray. But it is equally certain that we might work better and do more work if we gave less time to work and more to prayer.\par Let us work well. We are to be \ldblquote not slothful in business\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Rom_12:11\cf0\ulnone ). St. Paul says, \ldblquote We exhort you, brethren, that ye abound more and more; and that ye. . . do your own business, and to work with your hands. . . that ye may walk honestly . . . and have need of nothing\rdblquote (1 Thess. 4:11-12). \ldblquote If any will not work, neither let him eat\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 1Th_3:10\cf0\ulnone ).\par But are there not endless opportunities during every day of \ldblquote lifting, up holy hands\rdblquote \emdash or at least holy hearts \emdash in prayer to our Father? Do we seize the opportunity, as we open our eyes upon each new day, of praising and blessing our Redeemer? Every day is an Easter day to the Christian. We can pray as we dress. Without a reminder we shall often forget. Stick a piece of stamp-paper in the corner of your looking-glass, bearing the words, \emdash \ldblquote Pray without ceasing.\rdblquote Try it. We can pray as we go from one duty to another. We can often pray at our work. The washing and the writing, the mending and the minding, the cooking and the cleaning will be done all the better for it.\par Do not children, both young and old, work better and play better when some loved one is watching? Will it not help us ever to remember that the Lord Jesus is always with us, watching? Aye, and helping. The very consciousness of His eye upon us will be the consciousness of His power within us.\par Do you not think that St. Paul had in his mind this habitual praying rather than fixed seasons of prayer when he said, \ldblquote The Lord is at hand\rdblquote \emdash i.e., is near (Weymouth). \ldblquote In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Phi_4:5-6\cf0\ulnone )? Does not \ldblquote in everything\rdblquote suggest that, as thing after thing befalls us, moment by moment, we should then and there make it a \ldblquote thing\rdblquote of prayer and praise to the Lord Who is near? (Why should we limit this \ldblquote nearness\rdblquote to the Second Advent?)\par What a blessed thought: prayer is to a near-God. When our Lord sent His disciples forth to work, He said, \ldblquote Lo, I am with you alway.\rdblquote\par Sir Thomas Browne, the celebrated physician, had caught this spirit. He made a vow \ldblquote to pray in all places where quietness inviteth; in any house, highway or street; and to know no street in this city that may not witness that I have not forgotten God and my Savior in it; and that no town or parish where I have been may not say the like. To take occasion of praying upon the sight of any church which I see as I ride about. To pray daily and particularly for my sick patients, and for all sick people, under whose care soever. And at the entrance into the house of the sick to say, \lquote The peace and the mercy of God be upon this house.\rquote After a sermon to make a prayer and desire a blessing, and to pray for the minister.\rdblquote\par But we question if this habitual communion with our blessed Lord is possible unless we have times \emdash whether long or brief \emdash of definite prayer. And what of these prayer seasons? We have said earlier that prayer is as simple as a little child asking something of its father. Nor would such a remark need any further comment were it not for the existence of the evil one.\par There is no doubt whatever that the devil opposes our approach to God in prayer, and does all he can to prevent the prayer of faith. His chief way of hindering us is to try to fill our minds with the thought of our needs, so that they shall not be occupied with thoughts of God, our loving Father, to Whom we pray. He wants us to think more of the gift than of the Giver. The Holy Spirit leads us to pray for a brother. We get as far as \ldblquote O God, bless my brother\rdblquote \emdash and away go our thoughts to the brother, and his affairs, and his difficulties, his hopes and his fears, and away goes prayer!\par How hard the devil makes it for us to concentrate our thoughts upon God! This is why we urge people to get a realization of the glory of God, and the power of God, and the presence of God, before offering up any petition. If there were no devil there would be no difficulty in prayer, but it is the evil one\rquote s chief aim to make prayer impossible. That is why most of us find it hard to sympathize with those who profess to condemn what they call \ldblquote vain repetitions\rdblquote and \ldblquote much speaking\rdblquote in prayer \emdash quoting our Lord\rquote s words in His sermon on the mount.\par A prominent London vicar said quite recently, \ldblquote God does not wish us to waste either His time or ours with long prayers. We must be business-like in our dealings with God, and just tell Him plainly and briefly what we want, and leave the matter there.\rdblquote But does our friend think that prayer is merely making God acquainted with our needs? If that is all there is in it, why, there is no need of prayer! \ldblquote For your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him,\rdblquote said our Lord when urging the disciples to pray.\par We are aware that Christ Himself condemned some \ldblquote long prayers\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Mat_23:14\cf0\ulnone ). But they were long prayers made \ldblquote for a pretense,\rdblquote \ldblquote for a show\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Luk_20:47\cf0\ulnone ). Dear praying people, believe me, the Lord would equally condemn many of the \ldblquote long prayers\rdblquote made every week in some of our prayer-meetings \emdash prayers which kill the prayer-meeting, and which finish up with a plea that God would hear these \ldblquote feeble breathings,\rdblquote or \ldblquote unworthy utterings.\rdblquote\par But he never condemns long prayers that are sincere. Let us not forget that our Lord sometimes spent long nights in prayer. We are told of one of these \emdash we do not know how frequently they were (\cf1\ul Luk_6:12\cf0\ulnone ). He would sometimes rise a \ldblquote great while before day\rdblquote and depart to a solitary place for prayer (\cf1\ul Mar_1:35\cf0\ulnone ). The perfect Man spent more time in prayer than we do. It would seem an undoubted fact that with God\rquote s saints in all ages nights of prayer with God have been followed by days of power with men.\par Nor did our Lord excuse Himself from prayer \emdash as we, in our ignorance, might think He could have done \emdash because of the pressing calls to service and boundless opportunities of usefulness. After one of His busiest days, at a time when His popularity was at its highest, just when everyone sought His company and His counsel, He turned His back upon them all and retired to a mountain to pray (\cf1\ul Mat_14:23\cf0\ulnone ).\par We are told that once \ldblquote great multitudes came together to hear Him, and to be healed of their infirmities.\rdblquote Then comes the remark, \ldblquote But Jesus himself constantly withdrew into the desert, and there prayed\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Luk_5:15-16\cf0\ulnone , Weymouth). Why? Because He knew that prayer was then far more potent than \ldblquote service.\rdblquote\par We say we are too busy to pray. But the busier our Lord was, the more He prayed. Sometimes He had no leisure so much as to eat (\cf1\ul Mar_3:20\cf0\ulnone ); and sometimes He had no leisure for needed rest and sleep (\cf1\ul Mar_6:31\cf0\ulnone ). Yet He always took time to pray. If frequent prayer, and, at times, long hours of prayer, were necessary for our Savior, are they less necessary for us?\par I do not write to persuade people to agree with me: that is a very small matter. We only want to know the truth. Spurgeon once said: \ldblquote There is no need for us to go beating about the bush, and not telling the Lord distinctly what it is that we crave at His hands. Nor will it be seemly for us to make any attempt to use fine language; but let us ask God in the simplest and most direct manner for just the things we want. . . . I believe in business prayers. I mean prayers in which you take to God one of the many promises which He has given us in His Word, and expect it to be fulfilled as certainly as we look for the money to be given us when we go to the bank to cash a check. We should not think of going there, lolling over the counter chattering with the clerks on every conceivable subject except the one thing for which we had gone to the bank, and then coming away without the coin we needed; but we should lay before the clerk the promise to pay the bearer a certain sum, tell him in what form we wished to take the amount, count the cash after him, and then go on our way to attend to other business. That is just an illustration of the method in which we should draw supplies from the Bank of Heaven.\rdblquote Splendid!\par But \emdash ? By all means let us be definite in prayer; by all means let us put eloquence aside \emdash if we have any! By all means let us avoid needless \ldblquote chatter,\rdblquote and come in faith, expecting to receive.\par But would the bank clerk pass me the money over the counter so readily if there stood by my side a powerful, evil-countenanced, well-armed ruffian whom he recognized to be a desperate criminal waiting to snatch the money before my weak hands could grasp it? Would he not wait till the ruffian had gone? This is no fanciful picture. The Bible teaches us that, in some way or other, Satan can hinder our prayers and delay the answer. Does not St. Peter urge certain things upon Christians, that their \ldblquote prayers be not hindered\rdblquote ? (\cf1\ul 1Pe_3:7\cf0\ulnone .) Our prayers can be hindered. \ldblquote Then cometh the evil one and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in the heart\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Mat_13:19\cf0\ulnone , R.V.).\par Scripture gives us one instance \emdash probably only one out of many \emdash where the evil one actually kept back \emdash delayed \emdash for three weeks an answer to prayer. We only mention this to show the need of repeated prayer, persistence in prayer, and also to call attention to the extraordinary power which Satan possesses. We refer to \cf1\ul Dan_10:12-13\cf0\ulnone : \ldblquote Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to humble thyself before God, thy words were heard: and I am come for thy word\rquote s sake. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days. But lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me.\rdblquote\par We must not overlook this Satanic opposition and hindrance to our prayers. If we were to be content to ask God only once for some promised thing or one we deemed necessary, these chapters would never have been written. Are we never to ask again? For instance, I know that God willeth not the death of a sinner. So I come boldly in prayer: \ldblquote O God, save my friend.\rdblquote Am I never to ask for his conversion again? George Muller prayed daily \emdash and oftener \emdash for sixty years for the conversion of a friend. But what light does the Bible throw upon \ldblquote business-like\rdblquote prayers? Our Lord gave two parables to teach persistence and continuance in prayer. The man who asked three loaves from his friend at midnight received as many as he needed \ldblquote because of his importunity\rdblquote \emdash or persistency (Weymouth), i.e., his \ldblquote shamelessness,\rdblquote as the word literally means (\cf1\ul Luk_11:8\cf0\ulnone ). The widow who \ldblquote troubled\rdblquote the unjust judge with her \ldblquote continual coming\rdblquote at last secured redress. Our Lord adds \ldblquote And shall not God avenge his elect which cry unto him day and night, and he is longsuffering over them?\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Luk_18:7\cf0\ulnone , R.V.)\par How delighted our Lord was with the poor Syro-Phoenician woman who would not take refusals or rebuffs for an answer! Because of her continual request He said: \ldblquote O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Mat_15:28\cf0\ulnone ). Our dear Lord, in His agony in Gethsemane, found it necessary to repeat even His prayer. \ldblquote And he left them and went away and prayed a third time, saying again the same words\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Mat_26:44\cf0\ulnone ). And we find St. Paul, the apostle of prayer, asking God time after time to remove his thorn in the flesh. \ldblquote Concerning this thing,\rdblquote says he, \ldblquote I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 2Co_12:8\cf0\ulnone ).\par God cannot always grant our petitions immediately. Sometimes we are not fitted to receive the gift. Sometimes He says \ldblquote No\rdblquote in order to give us something far better. Think, too, of the days when St. Peter was in prison. If your boy was unjustly imprisoned, expecting death at any moment, would you \emdash could you \emdash be content to pray just once, a \ldblquote business-like\rdblquote prayer: \ldblquote O God, deliver my boy from the hands of these men\rdblquote ? Would you not be very much in prayer and very much in earnest?\par This is how the Church prayed for St. Peter. \ldblquote Long and fervent prayer was offered to God by the Church on his behalf\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Act_12:5\cf0\ulnone , Weymouth). Bible students will have noticed that the A.V. rendering, \ldblquote without ceasing,\rdblquote reads \ldblquote earnestly\rdblquote in the R.V. Dr. Torrey points out that neither translation gives the full force of the Greek. The word means literally \ldblquote stretched-out-ed-ly.\rdblquote It represents the soul on the stretch of earnest and intense desire. Intense prayer was made for St. Peter. The very same word is used of our Lord in Gethsemane: \ldblquote And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became as it were great drops of blood falling down upon the ground\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Luk_22:44\cf0\ulnone ).\par Ah! there was earnestness, even agony in prayer. Now, what about our prayers? Are we called upon to agonize in prayer? Many of God\rquote s dear saints say \ldblquote No!\rdblquote They think such agonizing in us would reveal great want of faith. Yet most of the experiences which befell our Lord are to be ours. We have been crucified with Christ, and we are risen with Him. Shall there be, with us, no travailing for souls?\par Come back to human experience. Can we refrain from agonizing in prayer over dearly beloved children who are living in sin? I question if any believer can have the burden of souls upon him \emdash a passion for souls \emdash and not agonize in prayer.\par Can we help crying out, like John Knox, \ldblquote O God, give me Scotland or I die\rdblquote ? Here again the Bible helps us. Was there no travail of soul and agonizing in prayer when Moses cried out to God, \ldblquote O, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin \emdash ; and if not, blot, me, I pray thee, out of thy book\rdblquote ? (\cf1\ul Exo_32:32\cf0\ulnone .)\par Was there no agonizing in prayer when St. Paul said, \ldblquote I could wish\rdblquote \emdash (\ldblquote pray,\rdblquote R.V. marg.) \emdash \ldblquote that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren\rquote s sake\rdblquote ? (\cf1\ul Rom_9:3\cf0\ulnone .)\par We may, at all events, be quite sure that our Lord, Who wept over Jerusalem, and Who \ldblquote offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Heb_5:7\cf0\ulnone ), will not be grieved if He sees us weeping over erring ones. Nay, will it not rather gladden His heart to see us agonizing over the sin which grieves Him? In fact, may not the paucity of conversions in so many a ministry be due to lack of agonizing in prayer?\par We are told that \ldblquote As soon as Zion travailed she brought forth her children\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Isa_66:8\cf0\ulnone ). Was St. Paul thinking of this passage when he wrote to the Galatians, \ldblquote My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you\rdblquote ? (\cf1\ul Gal_4:19\cf0\ulnone .) And will not this be true of spiritual children? Oh, how cold our hearts often are! How little we grieve over the lost! And shall we dare to criticise those who agonize over the perishing? God forbid! No; there is such a thing as wrestling in prayer. Not because God is unwilling to answer, but because of the opposition of the \ldblquote world-rulers of this darkness\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Eph_6:12\cf0\ulnone , R.V.).\par The very word used for \ldblquote striving\rdblquote in prayer means \ldblquote a contest.\rdblquote The contest is not between God and ourselves. He is at one with us in our desires. The contest is with the evil one, although he is a conquered foe (\cf1\ul 1Jo_3:8\cf0\ulnone ). He desires to thwart our prayers.\par \ldblquote We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places\rdblquote (Eph. 6:12). We, too, are in these \ldblquote heavenly places in Christ\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Eph_1:3\cf0\ulnone ); and it is only in Christ that we can be victorious. Our wrestling may be a wrestling of our thoughts from thinking Satan\rquote s suggestions, and keeping them fixed on Christ our Savior \emdash that is, watching as well as praying (\cf1\ul Eph_6:18\cf0\ulnone ); \ldblquote watching unto prayer.\rdblquote\par We are comforted by the fact that \ldblquote the Spirit helpeth our infirmities: for we know not how to pray as we ought\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Rom_8:26\cf0\ulnone ) How does the Spirit \ldblquote help\rdblquote us, teach us, if not by example as well as by precept? How does the Spirit \ldblquote pray\rdblquote ? \ldblquote The Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (\cf1\ul Rom_8:26\cf0\ulnone ). Does the Spirit \ldblquote agonize\rdblquote in prayer as the Son did in Gethsemane?\par If the Spirit prays in us, shall we not share His \ldblquote groanings\rdblquote in prayer? And if our agonizing in prayer weakens our body at the time, will angels come to strengthen us, as they did our Lord? (\cf1\ul Luk_22:43\cf0\ulnone .) We may, perhaps, like Nehemiah, weep, and mourn, and fast when we pray before God (\cf1\ul Neh_1:4\cf0\ulnone ). \ldblquote But,\rdblquote one asks, \ldblquote may not a godly sorrow for sin and a yearning desire for the salvation of others induce in us an agonizing which is unnecessary, and dishonoring to God?\rdblquote\par May it not reveal a lack of faith in God\rquote s promises? Perhaps it may do so. But there is little doubt that St. Paul regarded prayer \emdash at least sometimes \emdash as a conflict (see \cf1\ul Rom_15:30\cf0\ulnone ). In writing to the Colossian Christians he says: \ldblquote I would have you know how greatly I strive for you . . . and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; that their hearts may be comforted\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Col_2:1-2\cf0\ulnone ). Undoubtedly he refers to his prayers for them.\par Again, he speaks of Epaphras as one who is \ldblquote always striving for you in his prayers, that ye may stand perfect, and fully assured in all the will of God\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Col_4:12\cf0\ulnone ).\par The word for \ldblquote strive\rdblquote is our word \ldblquote agonize,\rdblquote the very word used of our Lord being \ldblquote in an agony\rdblquote when praying Himself (\cf1\ul Luk_22:44\cf0\ulnone ).\par The apostle says again, Epaphras \ldblquote hath much labor for you,\rdblquote that is, in his prayers. St. Paul saw him praying there in prison, and witnessed his intense striving as he engaged in a long, indefatigable effort on behalf of the Colossians. How the Praetorian guard to whom St. Paul was chained must have wondered \emdash yes, and have been deeply touched \emdash to see these men at their prayers. Their agitation, their tears, their earnest supplications as they lifted up chained hands in prayer must have been a revelation to him! What would they think of our prayers?\par No doubt St. Paul was speaking of his own custom when he urged the Ephesian Christians and others \ldblquote to stand,\rdblquote \ldblquote with all prayer and supplication, praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all saints, and on my behalf . . . an ambassador in chains.\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Eph_6:18-20\cf0\ulnone ). That is a picture of his own prayer-life, we may be sure.\par So then prayer meets with obstacles, which must be prayed away. That is what men mean when they talk about praying through. We must wrestle with the machinations of Satan. It may be bodily weariness or pain, or the insistent claims of other thoughts, or doubt, or the direct assaults of spiritual hosts of wickedness. With us, as with St. Paul, prayer is something of a \ldblquote conflict,\rdblquote a \ldblquote wrestle,\rdblquote at least sometimes, which compels us to \ldblquote stir\rdblquote ourselves up \ldblquote to lay hold on God\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Isa_64:7\cf0\ulnone ). Should we be wrong if we ventured to suggest that very few people ever wrestle in prayer? Do we? But let us never doubt our Lord\rquote s power and the riches of His grace.\par The author of The Christian\rquote s Secret of a Happy Life told a little circle of friends, just before her death, of an incident in her own life. Perhaps I may be allowed to tell it abroad. A lady friend who occasionally paid her a visit for two or three days was always a great trial, a veritable tax upon her temper and her patience. Every such visit demanded much prayer-preparation. The time came when this \ldblquote critical Christian\rdblquote planned a visit for a whole week! She felt that nothing but a whole night of prayer could fortify her for this great testing. So, providing herself with a little plate of biscuits, she retired in good time to her bedroom, to spend the night on her knees before God, to beseech Him to give her grace to keep sweet and loving during the impending visit. No sooner had she knelt beside her bed than there flashed into her mind the words of \cf1\ul Phi_4:19\cf0\ulnone : \ldblquote God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.\rdblquote Her fears vanished. She said, \ldblquote When I realized that, I gave Him thanks and praised Him for His goodness. Then I jumped into bed and slept the night through. My guest arrived the next day, and I quite enjoyed her visit.\par No one can lay down hard and fast rules of prayer, even for himself. God\rquote s gracious Holy Spirit alone can direct us moment by moment. There, however, we must leave the matter. God is our judge and our Guide. But let us remember that prayer is a many-sided thing. As Bishop Moule says, \ldblquote True prayer can be uttered under innumerable circumstances.\rdblquote Very often\par \pard\i Prayer is the burden of a sigh\par The falling of a tear,\par The upward glancing of an eye\par When none but God is near.\par \pard\sb100\sa100\i0 It may be just letting your request be made known unto God (\cf1\ul Phi_4:6\cf0\ulnone ). We cannot think that prayer need always be a conflict and a wrestle. For if it were, many of us would soon become physical wrecks, suffering from nervous breakdown, and coming to an early grave.\par And with many it is a physical impossibility to stay any length of time in a posture of prayer. Dr. Moule says: \ldblquote Prayer, genuine and victorious, is continually offered without the least physical effort or disturbance. It is often in the deepest stillness of soul and body that it wins its longest way. But there is another side of the matter. Prayer is never meant to be indolently easy, however simple and reliant it may be. It is meant to be an infinitely important transaction between man and God. And therefore, very often . . . it has to be viewed as a work involving labor, persistence, conflict, if it would be prayer indeed.\rdblquote\par No one can prescribe for another. Let each be persuaded in his own mind how to pray, and the Holy Spirit will inspire us and guide us how long to pray. And let us all be so full of the love of God our Savior that prayer, at all times and in all places, may be a joy as well as a means of grace.\par \pard\i Shepherd Divine, our wants relieve\par In this and every day;\par To all Thy tempted followers give\par The power, to watch and pray.\par The spirit of interceding grace\par Give us the faith to claim;\par To wrestle till we see Thy face\par And know Thy hidden Name.\cf2\i0\f1\fs32\par } x G909 CHAPTER 7: MUST I AGONIZE?{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\fnil\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\keepn\sb100\sa100\lang1033\b\f0\fs36 CHAPTER 7: MUST I AGONIZE?\par \pard\sb100\sa100\b0\fs24 PRAYER is measured, not by time, but by intensity. Earnest souls who read of men like Praying Hyde are today anxiously asking, \ldblquote Am I expected to pray like that?\rdblquote\par They hear of others who sometimes remain on their knees before God all day or all night, refusing food and scorning sleep, whilst they pray and pray and pray. They naturally wonder, \ldblquote Are we to do the same? Must aes. But does He always answer true prayer. Some so-called prayers He does not answer, because He does not hear them. When His people were rebellious, He said, \ldblquote When ye make many prayers, I will not hear\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Isa_1:15\cf0\ulnone ).\par But a child of God ought to expect answers to prayer. God means every prayer to have an answer; and not a single real prayer can fail of its effect in heaven.\par And yet that wonderful declaration of St. Paul: \ldblquote All things are yours, for ye are Christ\rquote s\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 1Co_3:21\cf0\ulnone ), seems so plainly and so tragically untrue for most Christians. Yet it is not so. They are ours, but so many of us do not possess our possessions. The owners of Mount Morgan, in Queensland, toiled arduously for years on its barren slopes, eking out a miserable existence, never knowing that under their feet was one of the richest sources of gold the world has ever known. There was wealth, vast, undreamt of, yet unimagined and unrealized. It was \ldblquote theirs,\rdblquote yet not theirs.\par The Christian, however, knows of the riches of God in glory in Christ Jesus, but he does not seem to know how to get them.\par Now, our Lord tells us that they are to be had for the asking. May He indeed give us all a right judgment in \ldblquote prayer-things.\rdblquote When we say that no true prayer goes unanswered we are not claiming that God always gives just what we ask for. Have you ever met a parent so foolish as to treat his child like that? We do not give our child a red-hot poker because he clamors for it! Wealthy people are the most careful not to allow their children much pocket-money.\par Why, if God gave us all we prayed for, we should rule the world, and not He! And surely we would all confess that we are not capable of doing that. Moreover, more than one ruler of the world is an absolute impossibility!\par God\rquote s answer to prayer may be \ldblquote Yes,\rdblquote or it may be \ldblquote No.\rdblquote It may be \ldblquote Wait,\rdblquote for it may be that He plans a much larger blessing than we imagined, and one which involves other lives as well as our own.\par God\rquote s answer is sometimes \ldblquote No.\rdblquote But this is not necessarily a proof of known and wilful sin in the life of the suppliant, although there may be sins of ignorance. He said \ldblquote No\rdblquote to St. Paul sometimes (\cf1\ul 2Co_12:8-9\cf0\ulnone ). More often than not the refusal is due to our ignorance or selfishness in asking. \ldblquote For we know not how to pray as we ought\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Rom_8:26\cf0\ulnone ). That was what was wrong with the mother of Zebedee\rquote s children. She came and worshipped our Lord and prayed to Him. He quickly replied, \ldblquote Ye know not what ye ask\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Mat_20:22\cf0\ulnone ). Elijah, a great man of prayer, sometimes had \ldblquote No\rdblquote for an answer. But when he was swept up to glory in a chariot of fire, did he regret that God said \ldblquote No\rdblquote when he cried out \ldblquote O Lord, take away my life\rdblquote ?\par God\rquote s answer is sometimes \ldblquote Wait.\rdblquote He may delay the answer because we are not yet fit to receive the gift we crave \emdash as with wrestling Jacob. Do you remember the famous prayer of Augustine \emdash \ldblquote O God, make me pure, but not now\rdblquote ? Are not our prayers sometimes like that? Are we always really willing to \ldblquote drink the cup\rdblquote \emdash to pay the price of answered prayer? Sometimes He delays so that greater glory may be brought to Himself.\par God\rquote s delays are not denials. We do not know why He sometimes delays the answer and at other times answers \ldblquote before we call\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Isa_65:24\cf0\ulnone ). George Muller, one of the greatest men of prayer of all time, had to pray over a period of more than sixty-three years for the conversion of a friend! Who can tell why? \ldblquote The great point is never to give up until the answer comes,\rdblquote said Muller. \ldblquote I have been praying for sixty-three years and eight months for one man\rquote s conversion. He is not converted yet, but he will be! How can it be otherwise? There is the unchanging promise of Jehovah, and on that I rest.\rdblquote Was this delay due to some persistent hindrance from the devil? (\cf1\ul Dan_10:13\cf0\ulnone ). Was it a mighty and prolonged effort on the part of Satan to shake or break Muller\rquote s faith? For no sooner was Muller dead than his friend was converted \emdash even before the funeral.\par Yes, his prayer was granted, though the answer tarried long in coming. So many of George Muller\rquote s petitions were granted him that it is no wonder that he once exclaimed, \ldblquote Oh, how good, kind, gracious and condescending is the One with Whom we have to do! I am only a poor, frail, sinful man, but He has heard my prayers ten thousands of times.\rdblquote\par Perhaps some are asking, How can I discover whether God\rquote s answer is \ldblquote No\rdblquote or \ldblquote Wait\rdblquote ? We may rest assured that He will not let us pray sixty-three years to get a \ldblquote No\rdblquote ! Muller\rquote s prayer, so long repeated, was based upon the knowledge that God \ldblquote willeth not the death of a sinner\rdblquote ; \ldblquote He would have all men to be saved\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 1Ti_2:4\cf0\ulnone ).\par Even as I write, the postman brings me an illustration of this. A letter comes from one who very rarely writes me, and did not even know my address \emdash one whose name is known to every Christian worker in England. A loved one was stricken down with illness. Is he to continue to pray for her recovery? Is God\rquote s answer \ldblquote No,\rdblquote or is it, \ldblquote Go on praying \emdash wait\rdblquote ? My friend writes: \ldblquote I had distinct guidance from God regarding my beloved . . . that it was the will of God she should be taken . . . I retired into the rest of surrender and submission to His will. I have much to praise God for.\rdblquote A few hours later God took that loved one to be with Him in glory.\par Again may we urge our readers to hold on to this truth: true prayer never goes unanswered.\par If we only gave more thought to our prayers we should pray more intelligently. That sounds like a truism. But we say it because some dear Christian people seem to lay their common sense and reason aside before they pray. A little reflection would show that God cannot grant some prayers. During the war every nation prayed for victory. Yet it is perfectly obvious that all countries could not be victorious. Two men living together might pray, the one for rain and the other for fine weather. God cannot give both these things at the same time in the same place!\par But the truthfulness of God is at stake in this matter of prayer. We have all been reading again those marvelous prayer-promises of our Lord, and have almost staggered at those promises \emdash the wideness of their scope, the fullness of their intent, the largeness of the one word \ldblquote Whatsoever.\rdblquote Very well! \ldblquote Let God be found true\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Rom_3:4\cf0\ulnone ). He certainly will always be \ldblquote found true.\rdblquote\par Do not stop to ask the writer if God has granted all his prayers. He has not. To have said \ldblquote Yes\rdblquote to some of them would have spelt curse instead of blessing. To have answered others was, alas! a spiritual impossibility \emdash he was not worthy of the gifts he sought. The granting, of some of them would but have fostered spiritual pride and self-satisfaction. How plain all these things seem now, in the fuller light of God\rquote s Holy Spirit!\par As one looks back and compares one\rquote s eager, earnest prayers with one\rquote s poor, unworthy service and lack of true spirituality, one sees how impossible it was for God to grant the very things He longed to impart! It was often like asking God to put the ocean of His love into a thimble-heart! And yet, how God just yearns to bless us with every spiritual blessing! How the dear Savior cries again and again, \ldblquote How often would I . . . but ye would not\rdblquote ! (\cf1\ul Mat_23:37\cf0\ulnone .) The sadness of it all is that we often ask and do not receive because of our unworthiness \emdash and then we complain because God does not answer our prayers! The Lord Jesus declares that God gives the Holy Spirit \emdash who teaches us how to pray \emdash just as readily as a father gives good gifts to his children. But no gift is a \ldblquote good gift\rdblquote if the child is not fit to use that gift. God never gives us something that we cannot, or will not, use for His glory (I am not referring to talents, for we may abuse or \ldblquote bury\rdblquote those, but to spiritual gifts).\par Did you ever see a father give his baby boy a razor when he asked for it, because he hoped the boy would grow into a man and then find the razor useful? Does a father never say to his child, \ldblquote Wait till you are older, or bigger, or wiser, or better, or stronger\rdblquote ? May not our loving heavenly Father also say to us, \ldblquote Wait\rdblquote ? In our ignorance and blindness we must surely sometimes say,\par \pard\i In very love refuse\par Whate\rquote er Thou seest\par Our weakness would abuse.\i0\par \pard\sb100\sa100 Rest assured that God never bestows tomorrow\rquote s gift today. It is not unwillingness on His part to give. It is not that God is ever straitened in Himself. His resources are infinite, and His ways are past finding out. It was after bidding His disciples to ask that our Lord goes on to hint not only at His providence, but at His resources. \ldblquote Look at the wild birds\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Mat_6:26\cf0\ulnone , Moffatt); \ldblquote your heavenly Father feedeth them.\rdblquote How simple it sounds. Yet have you ever reflected that not a single millionaire, the wide world over, is wealthy enough to feed all \ldblquote the birds of the air,\rdblquote even for one day? Your heavenly Father feedeth them every day, and is none the poorer for it. Shall He not much more feed you, clothe you, take care of you?\par Oh, let us rely more upon prayer! Do we not know that \ldblquote He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him\rdblquote ? (\cf1\ul Heb_11:6.\cf0\ulnone ) The \ldblquote oil\rdblquote of the Holy Spirit will never cease to flow so long as there are empty vessels to receive it (\cf1\ul 1Ki_4:6\cf0\ulnone ). It is always we who are to blame when the Spirit\rquote s work ceases. God cannot trust some Christians with the fullness of the Holy Spirit. God cannot trust some workers with definite spiritual results in their labors. They would suffer from pride and vainglory. No! we do not claim that God grants every Christian everything he prays for.\par As we saw in an earlier chapter, there must be purity of heart, purity of motive, purity of desire, if our prayers are to be in His name. God is greater than His promises, and often gives more than either we desire or deserve \emdash but He does not always do so. So, then, if any specific petition is not granted, we may feel sure that God is calling us to examine our hearts. For He has undertaken to grant every prayer that is truly offered in His name. Let us repeat His blessed words once more \emdash we cannot repeat them too often \emdash \ldblquote Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in My name, that will I do\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_14:13-14\cf0\ulnone ).\par Remember that it was impossible for Christ to offer up any prayer which was not granted. He was God \emdash He knew the mind of God \emdash He had the mind of the Holy Spirit.\par Does He once say, \ldblquote Father, if it be possible, let. . .\rdblquote as He kneels in agony in Gethsemane\rquote s garden, pouring out strong crying and tears? Yes, and \ldblquote He was heard for His reverential awe\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Heb_5:7\cf0\ulnone , Dr. Moule). Surely not the \ldblquote agony,\rdblquote but the son-like fear, gained the answer? Our prayers are heard not so much because they are importunate but because they are filial.\par Brother Christian, we cannot fully understand that hallowed scene of dreadful awe and wonder. But this we know \emdash that our Lord never yet made a promise which He cannot keep, or does not mean to fulfil. The Holy Spirit maketh intercession for us (\cf1\ul Rom_8:26\cf0\ulnone ), and God cannot say Him \ldblquote Nay.\rdblquote The Lord Jesus makes intercession for us (\cf1\ul Heb_7:25\cf0\ulnone ), and God cannot say Him \ldblquote Nay.\rdblquote His prayers are worth a thousand of ours, but it is He who bids us pray!\par \ldblquote But was not St. Paul filled with the Holy Spirit?\rdblquote you ask, \ldblquote and did he not say, \lquote We have the mind of Christ?\rquote Yet he asked thrice over that God would remove the \lquote thorn\rquote in his flesh \emdash and yet God distinctly tells him He would not do so.\rdblquote\par It is a very singular thing, too, that the only petition recorded of St. Paul seeking something for his own individual need was refused! The difficulty, however, is this: Why did St. Paul, who had the \ldblquote mind\rdblquote of Christ, ask for something which he soon discovered was contrary to God\rquote s wishes? There are doubtless many fully-consecrated Christians reading these words who have been perplexed because God has not given some things they prayed for.\par We must remember that we may be filled with the Spirit and yet err in judgment or desire. We must remember, too, that we are never filled with God\rquote s Holy Spirit once for all. The evil one is always on the watch to put his mind into us, so as to strike at God through us. At any moment we may become disobedient or unbelieving, or may be betrayed into some thought or act contrary to the Spirit of love.\par We have an astonishing example of this in the life of St. Peter. At one moment, under the compelling influence of God\rquote s Holy Spirit, he cries, \ldblquote Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!\rdblquote Our Lord turns, and with words of high commendation says, \ldblquote Blessed art thou, Simon, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father, which is in heaven.\rdblquote Yet, a very little while after, the devil gets his mind into St. Peter, and our Lord turns and says unto him, \ldblquote Get thee behind me, Satan!\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Mat_16:17\cf0\ulnone , \cf1\ul Mat_16:23\cf0\ulnone .) St. Peter was now speaking in the name of Satan! Satan still \ldblquote desires to have\rdblquote us.\par St. Paul was tempted to think that he could do far better work for his beloved Master if only that \ldblquote thorn\rdblquote could be removed. But God knew that Paul would be a better man with the \ldblquote thorn\rdblquote than without it.\par Is it not a comfort to us to know that we may bring more glory to God under something which we are apt to regard as a hindrance or handicap, than if that undesired thing was removed? \ldblquote My grace is sufficient for thee: for My power is made perfect in weakness\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 2Co_12:9\cf0\ulnone ). Remember that\par \pard\i God nothing does, nor suffers to be done,\par But what thou would\rquote st thyself\par Did\rquote st thou but see\par The end of all He does as well as He. \i0\par \pard\sb100\sa100 St. Paul was not infallible \emdash nor was St. Peter, or St. John; nor is the Pope or any other man. We may \emdash and do \emdash offer up mistaken prayers. The highest form of prayer is not, \ldblquote Thy way, O God, not mine,\rdblquote but \ldblquote My way, O God, is Thine!\rdblquote We are taught to pray, not \ldblquote Thy will be changed,\rdblquote but \ldblquote Thy will be done.\rdblquote\par May we, in conclusion, give the testimony of two who have proved that God can be trusted?\par Sir H. M. Stanley, the great explorer, wrote: \ldblquote I for one must not dare to say that prayers are inefficacious. Where I have been in earnest, I have been answered. When I prayed for light to guide my followers wisely through the perils that beset them, a ray of light has come upon the perplexed mind, and a clear road to deliverance has been pointed out. You may know when prayer is answered, by the glow of content which fills one who has flung his cause before God, as he rises to his feet. I have evidence, satisfactory to myself, that prayers are granted.\rdblquote\par Mary Slessor, the story of whose life in West Africa has surely thrilled us all, was once asked what prayer meant to her. She replied, \ldblquote My life is one long, daily, hourly record of answered prayer for physical health, for mental overstrain, for guidance given marvelously, for errors and dangers averted, for enmity to the Gospel subdued, for food provided at the exact hour needed, for everything that goes to make up life and my poor service. I can testify with a full and often wonder-stricken awe that I believe God answers prayer. I know God answers prayer!\rdblquote\par \pard\cf2\f1\fs32\par } Kt K-11 CHAPTER 9: ANSWERS TO PRAYER{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fcharset0 Times Ni e}10 CHAPTER 8: DOES GOD ALWAYS ANSWER PRAYER?{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\fnil\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\keepn\sb100\sa100\lang1033\b\f0\fs36 CHAPTER 8: DOES GOD ALWAYS ANSWER PRAYER?\par \pard\sb100\sa100\b0\fs24 WE now come to one of the most important questions that any man can ask. Very much depends upon the answer we are led to give. Let us not shrink from facing the question fairly and honestly. Does God always answer prayer? Of course, we all grant that He does answer prayer \emdash some prayers, and sometimew Roman;}{\f1\fnil\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\keepn\sb100\sa100\lang1033\b\f0\fs36 CHAPTER 9: ANSWERS TO PRAYER\par \pard\sb100\sa100\b0\fs24 MERE human nature would choose a more startling title to this chapter. Remarkable answers \emdash wonderful answers \emdash amazing answers. But we must allow God to teach us that it is as natural to Him to answer prayer as it is for us to ask. How He delights to hear our petitions, and how He loves to answer them! When we hear of some wealthy person giving a treat to poverty-stricken people, or wiping out some crushing deficit in a missionary society, we exclaim, \ldblquote How nice to be able to do a thing like that!\rdblquote Well, if it is true that God loves us \emdash and we know it is true \emdash do you not think it gives Him great joy to give us what we ask? We should like, therefore, to recount one or two answers to prayer out of very many which have come to our notice, so that we may have greater boldness in coming to the Throne of Grace. God saves men for whom we pray. Try it.\par In talking over this question with a man of prayer a few days ago, he suddenly asked me, \ldblquote Do you know St. M\emdash\rquote s Church, L\emdash ?\rdblquote\par \ldblquote Quite well \emdash have been there several times.\rdblquote\par \ldblquote Let me tell you what happened when I lived there. We had a prayer-meeting each Sunday before the 8 o\rquote clock communion service. As we rose from our knees one Sunday a sidesman said, \lquote Vicar, I wish you would pray for my boy. He is twenty-two years old now, and has not been to church for years.\rquote \lquote We can spare five minutes now,\rquote replied the vicar. They knelt down again and offered up earnest supplication on behalf of that man. Although nothing was said to him about this, that youth came to church that same evening. Something in the sermon convicted him of sin. He came into the vestry broken-hearted, and accepted Jesus Christ as, his Savior.\rdblquote\par On Monday morning my friend, who was working as a Church Army captain in the parish, was present at the weekly meeting of the staff. He said to the vicar, \ldblquote That conversion last night is a challenge to prayer \emdash a challenge from God. Shall we accept it?\rdblquote \ldblquote What do you mean?\rdblquote asked the vicar. \ldblquote Well,\rdblquote said he, \ldblquote shall we single out the worst man in the parish and pray for him?\rdblquote By unanimous consent they fixed upon K\emdash as the worst man they knew. So they \ldblquote agreed\rdblquote in prayer for his conversion. At the end of that week, as they were conducting a Saturday night prayer-meeting in the mission hall, and whilst his very name was on their lips, the door swung open and in staggered K\emdash , much the worse for liquor. He had never been in that mission hall before. Without thinking of removing his cap he sank on a chair near the door and buried his face in his hands. The prayer-meeting suddenly became an enquiry-room. Even as he was \emdash in drink \emdash he sought the Lord Who was seeking him. Nor did he ever go back. Today he is one of the finest dockyard missioners in the land.\par Oh, why do we not pray for our unconverted friends? They may not listen to us when we plead with them, but they cannot hold out if we pray for them. Let two or three agree in prayer over the salvation of the worst, and then see what God will do! Tell God and then trust God. God works in a wonderful way, as well as in a \ldblquote mysterious\rdblquote way, His wonders to perform.\par Dan Crawford told us recently that when returning to his mission field after a furlough, it was necessary to make all possible haste. But a deep stream, which had to be crossed, was in flood, and no boats were available, or usable, for that matter. So he and his party camped and prayed. An infidel might well have laughed aloud. How could God get them across that river! But, as they prayed, a tall tree which had battled with that river for scores of years began to totter and fall. It fell clear across the stream! As Mr. Crawford says, \ldblquote The Royal Engineers of heaven had laid a pontoon bridge for God\rquote s servants.\rdblquote\par Many young people will be reading these prayer-stories. May we remind them that God still hears the voice of the lad \emdash yes, and the lass? (\cf1\ul Gen_21:17\cf0\ulnone .) For them may we be allowed to add the following story, with the earnest desire that prayer may be their heritage, their very life; and that answered prayer may be their daily experience.\par Some little time ago, a Chinese boy of twelve years old, named Ma-Na-Si, a boarder in the mission school at Chefoo, went home for the holidays. He is the son of a native pastor.\par Whilst standing on the doorstep of his father\rquote s house he espied a horseman galloping towards him. The man \emdash a heathen \emdash was in a great state of perturbation. He eagerly enquired for the \ldblquote Jesus-man\rdblquote \emdash the pastor. The boy told him that his father was away from home. The poor man was much distressed, and hurriedly explained the cause of his visit. He had been sent from a heathen village some miles away to fetch the \ldblquote holy man\rdblquote to cast a devil out of the daughter-in-law of a heathen friend. He poured out his sad story of this young woman, torn by devils, raving and reviling, pulling out her hair, clawing her face, tearing her clothes, smashing up furniture, and dashing away dishes of food. He told of her spirit of sacrilege, and outrageous impiety, and brazen blasphemy and how these outbursts were followed by foaming at the mouth, and great exhaustion, both physical and mental \ldblquote But my father is not at home,\rdblquote the boy kept reiterating. At length the frenzied man seemed to understand. Suddenly he fell on his knees, and, stretching out his hands in desperation, cried, \ldblquote You, too, are a Jesus-man; will you come ?\rdblquote\par Think of it \emdash a boy of twelve! Yes, but even a lad, when fully yielded to his Savior, is not fearful of being used by that Savior. There was but one moment of surprise, and a moment of hesitation, and then the laddie put himself wholly at his Master\rquote s disposal. Like little Samuel of old he was willing to obey God in all things. He accepted the earnest entreaty as a call from God. The heathen stranger sprang into the saddle, and, swinging the Christian boy up behind him, he galloped away.\par Ma-Na-Si began to think over things. He had accepted an invitation to cast out a devil in the name of Christ Jesus. But was he worthy to be used of God in this way? Was his heart pure and his faith strong? As they galloped along he carefully searched his own heart for sin to be confessed and repented of. Then he prayed for guidance what to say and how to act, and tried to recall Bible instances of demoniacal possession and how they were dealt with. Then he simply and humbly cast himself upon the God of power and of mercy, asking His help for the glory of the Lord Jesus. On arrival at the house they found that some of the members of the family were by main force holding down the tortured woman upon the bed. Although she had not been told that a messenger had gone for the native pastor, yet as soon as she heard footsteps in the court outside she cried, \ldblquote All of you get out of my way quickly, so that I can escape. I must flee! A \lquote Jesus-man\rquote is coming. I cannot endure him. His name is Ma-Na-Si.\rdblquote\par Ma-Na-Si entered the room, and after a ceremonial bow knelt down and began to pray. Then he sang a Christian hymn to the praise of the Lord Jesus. Then, in the name of the Risen Lord, glorified and omnipotent, he commanded the demon to come out of the woman. At once she was calm, though prostrate with weakness. From that day she was perfectly whole. She was amazed when they told her that she had uttered the name of the Christian boy, for she had never heard of it or read of it before, for the whole of that village was heathen. But that day was veritably a \ldblquote beginning of days\rdblquote to those people, for from it the Word of the Lord had free course and was glorified.\par Beloved reader, I do not know how this little narrative affects you. It is one that moves me to the very depths of my being. It seems to me that most of us know so little of the power of God \emdash so little of His overwhelming, irresistible love. Oh, what love is His! Now, every time we pray, that wonderful love envelops us in a special way.\par If we really loved our blessed Savior, should we not oftener seek communion with Him in prayer? Fellow Christian, is it because we pray so little that we criticise so much? Oh, let us remember that we, like our dear Savior, are not sent into the world to condemn, to judge, the world, \ldblquote but that the world should be saved through Him\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_3:17\cf0\ulnone ).\par Will any thoughtless word of criticism of anyone move anyone nearer to Christ? Will it even help the utterer of that fault-finding to be more like the Master? Oh, let us lay aside the spirit of criticism, of blaming, of fault-finding, of disparaging others or their work. Would not St. Paul say to us all, \ldblquote And such were some of you, but ye are washed\rdblquote ? (\cf1\ul 2Co_6:11\cf0\ulnone .)\par Do you see what we are aiming at? All the evil dispositions and failings we detect in others are due to the devil. It is the evil one in the heart who causes those words and deeds which we are so ready to condemn and to exaggerate. Demon-possession is not unknown in England, but it takes a different form, perhaps. Our very friends and acquaintances, so kindly and lovable, are often tied and bound by some besetting sin \emdash \ldblquote whom Satan hath bound, lo, these many years.\rdblquote\par We may plead with them in vain. We may warn them in vain. Courtesy and charity \emdash and our own failings and shortcomings \emdash forbid us standing over them like Ma-Na-Si and exercising the evil spirit! But have we tried prayer \emdash prayer always backed up by love which cannot be \ldblquote provoked\rdblquote ? (\cf1\ul 1Co_13:5\cf0\ulnone .)\par God answers prayer from old and young, when there is a clean heart, a holy life, and a simple faith. God answers prayer. We are but frail and faulty servants at the best. Sincere as we may be, we shall sometimes ask amiss. But God is faithful that promised, and He will guard us from all harm and supply every need.\par \pard\i Can I have the things I pray for?\par God knows best;\par He is wiser than His children.\par I can rest.\i0\par \pard\sb100\sa100\ldblquote Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God; and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 1Jo_3:21\cf0\ulnone .)\par \par \pard\cf2\f1\fs32\par } ver God\rquote s method, but we know something of His manner of answering prayer.\par But at the very outset may we remind ourselves how little we know about ordinary things? Mr. Edison, whose knowledge is pretty profound, wrote in August, 1921, \ldblquote We don\rquote t know the millionth part of one per cent about anything. We don\rquote t know what water is. We don\rquote t know what light is. We don\rquote t know what gravitation is. We don\rquote t know what enables us to keep on our feet to stand up. We don\rquote t know what electricity is. We don\rquote t know what heat is. We don\rquote t know anything about magnetism. We have a lot of hypotheses, but that is all.\rdblquote But we do not allow our ignorance about all these things to deprive us of their use! We do not know much about prayer, but surely this need not prevent us from praying! We do know what our Lord has taught us about prayer. And we do know that He has sent the Holy Spirit to teach us all things (\cf1\ul Joh_14:26\cf0\ulnone ). How, then, does God answer prayer? One way is just this: \emdash\par He reveals His mind to those who pray. His Holy Spirit puts fresh ideas into the minds of praying people. We are quite aware that the devil and his angels are busy enough putting bad thoughts into our minds. Surely, then, God and His holy angels can give us good thoughts? Even poor, weak, sinful men and women can put good thoughts into the minds of others. That is what we try to do in writing! We do not stop to think what a wonderful thing it is that a few peculiar-shaped black marks on this white paper can uplift and inspire, or depress and cast down, or even convict of sin! But, to an untutored savage, it is a stupendous miracle. Moreover, you and I can often read people\rquote s thoughts or wishes from an expression on the face or a glance of the eye. Even thought transference between man and man is a commonplace today. And God can in many ways convey His thoughts to us. A remarkable instance of this was related by a speaker last year at Northfield. Three or four years ago, he met an old whaling captain who told him this story.\par \ldblquote A good many years ago, I was sailing in the desolate seas off Cape Horn, hunting whales. One day we were beating directly south in the face of a hard wind. We had been tacking this way and that all the morning, and were making very little headway. About 11 o\rquote clock, as I stood at the wheel, the idea suddenly came into my mind, \lquote Why batter the ship against these waves? There are probably as many whales to the north as to the south. Suppose we run with the wind instead of against it? In response to that sudden idea I changed the course of the ship, and began to sail north instead of south. One hour later, at noon, the look-out at the masthead shouted \lquote Boats ahead!\rquote Presently we overtook four lifeboats, in which were fourteen sailors, the only survivors of the crew of a ship which had burned to the water\rquote s edge ten days before. Those men had been adrift in their boats ever since, praying God frantically for rescue; and we arrived just in time to save them. They could not have survived another day.\rdblquote\par Then the old whaler added, \ldblquote I don\rquote t know whether you believe in religion or not, but I happen to be a Christian. I have begun every day of my life with prayer that God would use me to help someone else, and I am convinced that God, that day, put the idea into my mind to change the course of my ship. That idea was the means of saving fourteen lives.\rdblquote\par God has many things to say to us. He has many thoughts to put into our minds. We are apt to be so busy doing His work that we do not stop to listen to His Word. Prayer gives God the opportunity of speaking to us and revealing His will to us. May our attitude often be: \ldblquote Speak, Lord, Thy servant heareth.\rdblquote\par God answers other prayers by putting new thoughts into the minds of those we pray for. At a series of services dealing with the Victorious Life, the writer one afternoon urged the congregation to \ldblquote makeup\rdblquote their quarrels if they really desired a holy life. One lady went straight home, and after very earnest prayer wrote to her sister, with whom, owing to some disagreement, she had had nothing to do for twenty years! Her sister was living thirty miles away. The very next morning the writer of that note received a letter from that very sister asking forgiveness and seeking reconciliation. The two letters had crossed in the post. While the one sister was praying to God for the other, God was speaking to that other sister, putting into her mind the desire for reconciliation.\par You may say, Why did not God put that desire there before? It may be that He foresaw that it would be useless for the distant sister to write asking forgiveness until the other sister was also willing to forgive. The fact remains that, when we pray for others, somehow or other it opens the way for God to influence those we pray for. God needs our prayers, or He would not beg us to pray.\par A little time back, at the end of a weekly prayer-meeting, a godly woman begged those present to pray for her husband, who would never go near a place of worship. The leader suggested that they should continue in prayer then and there. Most earnest prayers were offered up. Now, the husband was devoted to his wife, and frequently came to meet her. He did so that night, and arrived at the hall while the prayer-meeting was still in progress. God put it into his mind to open the door and wait inside \emdash a thing he had never done before. As he sat on a chair near the door, leaning his head upon his hand, he overheard those earnest petitions. During the homeward walk he said, \ldblquote Wife, who was the man they were praying for tonight?\rdblquote \ldblquote Oh,\rdblquote she replied, \ldblquote it is the husband of one of our workers.\rdblquote \ldblquote Well, I am quite sure he will be saved,\rdblquote said he; \ldblquote God must answer prayers like that.\rdblquote A little later in the evening he again asked, \ldblquote Who was the man they were praying for?\rdblquote She replied in similar terms as before. On retiring to rest he could not sleep. He was under deep conviction of sin. Awaking his wife, he begged her to pray for him.\par How clearly this shows us that when we pray, God can work! God could have prompted that man to enter that prayer-meeting any week. But had he done so it is a question whether any good at all would have come from it. When once those earnest, heartfelt petitions were being offered up on his behalf God saw that they would have a mighty influence upon that poor man.\par It is when we pray that God can help us in our work and strengthen our resolves. For we can answer many of our own prayers. One bitter winter a prosperous farmer was praying that God would keep a neighbor from starving. When the family prayers were over, his little boy said, \ldblquote Father, I don\rquote t think I should have troubled God about that. Why not?\rdblquote he asked. \ldblquote Because it would be easy enough for you to see that they don\rquote t starve!\rdblquote There is not the slightest doubt that if we pray for others we shall also try to help them.\par A young convert asked his vicar to give him some Christian work. \ldblquote Have you a chum?\rdblquote \ldblquote Yes,\rdblquote replied the boy. \ldblquote Is he a Christian?\rdblquote \ldblquote No, he is as careless as I was.\rdblquote \ldblquote Then go and ask him to accept Christ as his Savior.\rdblquote \ldblquote Oh, no!\rdblquote said the lad, \ldblquote I could never do that. Give me anything but that.\rdblquote \ldblquote Well,\rdblquote said the vicar, \ldblquote promise me two things: that you will not speak to him about his soul, and that you will pray to God twice daily for his conversion.\rdblquote \ldblquote Why, yes, I\rquote ll gladly do that,\rdblquote answered the boy. Before a fortnight was up he rushed round to the vicarage. \ldblquote Will you let me off my promise? I must speak to my chum!\rdblquote he cried. When he began to pray God could give him strength to witness. Communion with God is essential before we can have real communion with our fellow-man. My belief is that men so seldom speak to others about their spiritual condition because they pray so little for them.\par The writer has never forgotten how his faith in prayer was confirmed when, as a lad of thirteen, he earnestly asked God to enable him on a certain day to secure twenty new subscribers for missions overseas. Exactly twenty new names were secured before night closed in. The consciousness that God would grant that prayer was an incentive to eager effort, and gave an unwonted courage in approaching others.\par A cleric in England suggested to his people that they should each day pray for the worst man or woman and then go to them and tell them about Jesus. Only six agreed to do so. On arrival home he began to pray. Then he said, \ldblquote I must not leave this to my people. I must take it up myself. I don\rquote t know the bad people. I\rquote ll have to go out and enquire.\rdblquote Approaching a rough-looking man at a street corner, he asked, \ldblquote Are you the worst man in this district?\rdblquote \ldblquote No, I\rquote m not.\rdblquote \ldblquote Would you mind telling me who is?\rdblquote \ldblquote I don\rquote t mind. You\rquote ll find him at No. 7, down that street.\rdblquote\par He knocked at No. 7 and entered. \ldblquote I\rquote m looking for the worst man in my parish. They tell me it might be you?\rdblquote \ldblquote Whoever told you that? Fetch him here, and I\rquote ll show him who\rquote s the worst man! No, there are lots worse than me.\rdblquote \ldblquote Well, who is the worst man you know?\rdblquote \ldblquote Everybody knows him. He lives at the end house in that court. He\rquote s the worst man.\rdblquote So down the court he went and knocked at the door. A surly voice cried, \ldblquote Come in!\rdblquote\par There were a man and his wife. \ldblquote I hope you\rquote ll excuse me, but I\rquote m the minister of the chapel along the round. I\rquote m looking for the worst man in my district, because I have something to tell him. Are you the worst man?\rdblquote The man turned to his wife and said, \ldblquote Lass, tell him what I said to you five minutes ago.\rdblquote \ldblquote No, tell him yourself.\rdblquote \ldblquote What were you saying?\rdblquote enquired the visitor. \ldblquote Well, I\rquote ve been drinking for twelve weeks. I\rquote ve had the D.T\rquote s and have pawned all in the house worth pawning. And I said to my wife a few minutes ago, \lquote Lass, this thing has to stop, and if it doesn\rquote t, I\rquote ll stop it myself \emdash I\rquote ll go and drown myself.\rquote Then you knocked at the door! Yes, sir, I\rquote m the very worst man. What have you got to say to me?\rdblquote \ldblquote I\rquote m here to tell you that Jesus Christ is the greatest Savior, and that He can make out of the worst man one of the best. He did it for me, and He will do it for you.\rdblquote \ldblquote D\rquote you think He can do it even for me?\rdblquote \ldblquote I\rquote m sure He can. Kneel down and ask Him.\rdblquote\par Not only was the poor drunkard saved from his sins, but he is today a radiant Christian man, bringing other drunken people to the Lord Jesus Christ.\par Surely none of us finds it difficult to believe that God can, in answer to prayer, heal the body, send rain or fair weather, dispel fogs, or avert calamities?\par We have to do with a God whose knowledge is infinite. He can put it into the mind of a doctor to prescribe a certain medicine, or diet, or method of cure. All the doctor\rquote s skill is from God. \ldblquote He knoweth our frame\rdblquote \emdash for He made it. He knows it far better than the cleverest doctor or surgeon. He made, and He can restore. We believe that God desires us to use medical skill, but we also believe that God, by His wonderful knowledge, can heal, and sometimes does heal, without human co-operation. And God must be allowed to work in His own way. We are so apt to tie God down to the way we approve of. God\rquote s aim is to glorify His name in answering our prayers. Sometimes He sees that our desire is right, but our petition wrong. St. Paul thought he could bring more glory to God if only the thorn in the flesh could be removed. God knew that he would be a better man and do better work with the thorn than without it. So God said No-No-No to his prayer, and then explained why!\par So it was with Monica, who prayed so many years for the conversion of Augustine, her licentious son. When he was determined to leave home and cross the seas to Rome she prayed earnestly, even passionately, that God would keep him by her side, and under her influence. She went down to a little chapel on the seashore to spend the night in prayer close by where the ship lay at anchor. But, when morning came, she found that the ship had sailed even while she prayed! Her petition was refused, but her real desire was granted. For it was in Rome that Augustine met the sainted Ambrose, who led him to Christ. How comforting it is to know that God knows what is best!\par But we should never think it unreasonable that God should make some things dependent upon our prayers. Some people say that if God really loves us He would give us what is best for us whether we ask Him or not. Dr. Fosdick has so beautifully pointed out that God has left man many things to do for himself. He promises seedtime and harvest. Yet man must prepare the soil, sow, and till, and reap in order to allow God to do His share. God provides us with food and drink. But He leaves us to take, and eat, and drink. There are some things God cannot, or at least will not, do without our help. God cannot do some things unless we think. He never emblazons His truth upon the sky. The laws of science have always been there. But we must think, and experiment, and think again if we would use those laws for our own good and God\rquote s glory.\par God cannot do some things unless we work. He stores the hills with marble, but He has never built a cathedral. He fills the mountains with iron ore, but He never makes a needle or a locomotive. He leaves that to us. We must work.\par If, then, God has left many things dependent upon man\rquote s thinking and working, why should He not leave some things dependent upon man\rquote s praying? He has done so. \ldblquote Ask and ye shall receive.\rdblquote And there are some things God will not give us unless we ask. Prayer is one of the three ways in which man can co-operate with God; and the greatest of these is prayer.\par Men of power are without exception men of prayer. God bestows His Holy Spirit in His fullness only on men of prayer. And it is through the operation of the Spirit that answers to prayer come. Every believer has the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him. For \ldblquote if any have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.\rdblquote But a man of prevailing prayer must be filled with the Spirit of God.\par A lady missionary wrote recently that it used to be said of Praying Hyde that he never spoke to an unconverted man but that he was soundly converted. But if he ever did fail at first to touch a heart for God, he went back to his room and wrestled in prayer till he was shown what it was in himself that had hindered his being used by God. Yes, when we are filled with the Spirit of God, we cannot help influencing others God-ward. But, to have power with men, we must have power with God.\par The momentous question for you and me is not, however, \ldblquote How does God answer prayer?\rdblquote The question is, \ldblquote Do I really pray?\rdblquote What a marvelous power God places at our disposal! Do we for a moment think that anything displeasing to God is worth our while holding on to? Fellow-Christian, trust Christ wholly, and you will find Him wholly true.\par Let us give God the chance of putting His mind into us, and we shall never doubt the power of prayer again.\par \pard\cf2\f1\fs32\par }  WI12 Chapter 10: How God Answers Prayer{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\fnil\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\keepn\sb100\sa100\lang1033\b\f0\fs36 CHAPTER 10: HOW GOD ANSWERS PRAYER\par \pard\sb100\sa100\b0\fs24 FOR man fully to understand God and all His dealings with us is an utter impossibility. \ldblquote O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Rom_9:33\cf0\ulnone .) True, but we need not make difficulties where none exists. If God has all power and all knowledge, surely prayer has no difficulties, though occasionally there may be perplexities. We cannot disco;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\keepn\sb100\sa100\lang1033\b\f0\fs36 CHAPTER 11: HINDRANCES TO PRAYER\par \pard\sb100\sa100\b0\fs24 THE, poet said, and we often sing \emdash\par \pard\i What various hindrances we meet\par In coming to the mercy-seat.\i0\par \pard\sb100\sa100 Yes, indeed, they are various. But here again, most of those hindrances are our own making.\par God wants me to pray. The devil does not want me to pray, and does all he can to hinder me. He knows that we can accomplish more through our prayers than through our work. He would rather have us do anything else than pray.\par We have already referred to Satan\rquote s opposition to prayer:\par \pard\i Angels our march oppose\par Who still in strength excel\par Our secret, sworn, relentless foes,\par Countless, invisible \i0\par \pard\sb100\sa100 But we need not fear them, nor heed them, if our eyes are ever unto the Lord. The holy angels are stronger than fallen angels, and we can leave the celestial hosts to guard us. We believe that to them \emdash the hosts of evil \emdash we owe those wandering thoughts which so often wreck prayer. We no sooner kneel than we \ldblquote recollect\rdblquote something that should have been done, or something which had better be seen to at once.\par These thoughts come from without, and are surely due to the promptings of evil spirits. The only cure for wandering thoughts is to get our minds fixed upon God. Undoubtedly a man\rquote s worst foe is himself. Prayer is for a child of God \emdash and one who is living as a child of God should pray.\par The great question is: Am I harboring any foes in my heart? Are there traitors within? God cannot give us His best spiritual blessings unless we fulfil conditions of trust, obedience and service. Do we not often ask earnestly for the highest spiritual gifts, without even any thought of fulfilling the necessary requirements? Do we not often ask for blessings we are not fitted to receive? Dare we be honest with ourselves, alone in the presence of God? Dare we say sincerely, \ldblquote Search me, O God, and see \emdash\rdblquote ? Is there anything in me which is hindering God\rquote s blessing for me and through me? We discuss the \ldblquote problem of prayer\rdblquote ; we are the problem that needs discussing or dissecting! Prayer is all right! There is no problem in prayer to the heart which is absolutely stayed on Christ.\par Now, we shall not quote the usual Bible texts which show how prayer may be frustrated. We merely desire that everyone should get a glimpse of his own heart. No sin is too small to hinder prayer, and perhaps to turn the very prayer itself into sin, if we are not willing to renounce that sin. The Moslems in West Africa have a saying, \ldblquote If there is no purity, there is no prayer; if there is no prayer, there is no drinking of the water of heaven.\rdblquote This truth is so clearly taught in Scripture that it is amazing that any should try to retain both sin and prayer. Yet very many do this. Even David cried, long ages ago, \ldblquote If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Psa_66:18\cf0\ulnone ).\par And Isaiah says, \ldblquote Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Isa_59:2\cf0\ulnone ). Surely we must all agree that it is sin in us, and not the unwillingness of Christ to hear, that hinders prayer. As a rule, it is some little sin, so-called, that mars and spoils the prayer-life. There may be:\par (1) Doubt. Now, unbelief is possibly the greatest hindrance to prayer. Our Lord said that the Holy Spirit would convict the world of sin \emdash \ldblquote of sin because they believe not on Me\rdblquote (St. \cf1\ul Joh_16:9\cf0\ulnone ). We are not \ldblquote of the world,\rdblquote yet is there not much practical unbelief in many of us? St. James, writing to believers, says: \ldblquote Ask in faith, nothing doubting; for he that doubteth . . . let not that man think he shall receive anything of the Lord\rdblquote (St. \cf1\ul Jam_1:6-8\cf0\ulnone ). Some have not because they ask not. Others \ldblquote have not\rdblquote because they believe not. Did you think it a little strange that we spent so much time over adoration and thanksgiving before we came to the \ldblquote asking\rdblquote ? But surely, if we get a glimpse of the glorious majesty of our Lord, and the wonders of His love and grace, unbelief and doubt will vanish away as mists before the rising sun? Was this not the reason that Abraham \ldblquote staggered not,\rdblquote \ldblquote wavered not through unbelief,\rdblquote in that he gave God the glory due unto His name, and was therefore \ldblquote fully assured that what He had promised He was able also to perform\rdblquote ? (\cf1\ul Rom_4:20-21\cf0\ulnone ). Knowing what we do of God\rquote s stupendous love, is it not amazing that we should ever doubt?\par (2) Then there is Self \emdash the root of all sin. How selfish we are prone to be even in our \ldblquote good works\rdblquote ! How we hesitate to give up anything which \ldblquote self\rdblquote craves for. Yet we know that a full hand cannot take Christ\rquote s gifts. Was this why the Savior, in the prayer He first taught, coupled us with everything else? \ldblquote Our\rdblquote is the first word. \ldblquote Our Father . . . give us . . . forgive us . . . deliver us . . .\rdblquote\par Pride prevents prayer, for prayer is a very humbling thing. How hateful pride must be in the sight of God! It is God who gives us all things \ldblquote richly to enjoy.\rdblquote \ldblquote What hast thou that thou didst not receive?\rdblquote asks St. Paul (\cf1\ul 1Co_4:7\cf0\ulnone ). Surely, surely we are not going to let pride, with its hateful, ugly sister, jealousy, ruin our prayer-life? God cannot do great things for us whereby we may be glad if they are going to \ldblquote turn our heads.\rdblquote Oh, how foolish we can be! Sometimes, when we are insistent, God does give us what we ask, at the expense of our holiness. \ldblquote He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Psa_106:15\cf0\ulnone ). O God, save us from that \emdash save us from self! Again, self asserts itself in criticising others. Let this thought burn itself into your memory \emdash the more like Jesus Christ a man becomes, the less he judges other people. It is an infallible test. Those who are always criticising others have drifted away from Christ. They may still be His, but have lost His Spirit of love. Beloved reader, if you have a criticising nature, allow it to dissect yourself and never your neighbor. You will be able to give it full scope, and it will never be unemployed! Is this a harsh remark? Does it betray a tendency to commit the very sin \emdash for it is sin \emdash it condemns? It would do so were it spoken to any one individual. But its object is to pierce armor which is seemingly invulnerable. And no one who, for one month, has kept his tongue \ldblquote from picking and stealing\rdblquote the reputation of other people will ever desire to go back again to back-biting. \ldblquote Love suffereth long and is kind\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 1Co_13:4\cf0\ulnone ). Do we? Are we?\par We are ourselves no better because we have managed to paint other people in worse colors than ourselves. But, singularly enough, we enhance our own spiritual joy and our own living witness for Christ when we refuse to pass on disparaging information about others, or when we refrain from \ldblquote judging\rdblquote the work or lives of other people. It may be hard at first, but it soon brings untold joy, and is rewarded by the love of all around. It is most hard to keep silent in the face of \ldblquote modern\rdblquote heresies. Are we not told to \ldblquote contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints\rdblquote ? (\cf1\ul Jud_1:3\cf0\ulnone .) Sometimes we must speak out \emdash but let it always be in the spirit of love. \ldblquote Rather let error live than love die.\rdblquote\par Even in our private prayers fault-finding of others must be resolutely avoided. Read once more the story of John Hyde praying for the \ldblquote cold brother.\rdblquote Believe me, a criticising spirit destroys holiness of life more easily than anything else, because it is such an eminently respectable sin, and makes such easy victims of us. We need scarcely add that when a believer is filled with the Spirit of Christ.\emdash who is Love \emdash he will never tell others of the unchristian behavior he may discern in his friends. \ldblquote He was most rude to me\rdblquote ; \ldblquote He is too conceited\rdblquote ; \ldblquote I can\rquote t stand that man\rdblquote ; and such-like remarks are surely unkind, unnecessary, and often untrue.\par Our dear Lord suffered the contradiction of sinners against Himself, but He never complained or published abroad the news to others. Why should we do so? Self must be dethroned if Christ is to reign supreme. There must be no idols in the heart. Do you remember what God said of some leaders of religion? \ldblquote These men have taken their idols into their heart . . . ; should I be inquired of at all by them?\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Eze_14:3\cf0\ulnone .)\par When our aim is solely the glory of God, then God can answer our prayers. Christ Himself rather than His gifts should be our desire. \ldblquote Delight thyself in the Lord and He shall give thee the petitions of thine heart\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Psa_37:4\cf0\ulnone , R.V., marg.).\par \ldblquote Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God; and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 1Jo_3:21-22\cf0\ulnone ).\par It is as true today as in the early days of Christianity that men ask, and receive not, because they ask amiss that they may spend it on their pleasures \emdash .i.e., self (James iv. 3).\par (3) Unlove in the heart is possibly the greatest hindrance to prayer. A loving spirit is a condition of believing prayer. We cannot be wrong with man and right with God. The spirit of prayer is essentially the spirit of love. Intercession is simply love at prayer.\par \pard\i He prayeth best who loveth best\par All things both great and small;\par For the great God Who loveth us,\par He made and loveth all. \i0\par \pard\sb100\sa100 Dare we hate or dislike those whom God loves? If we do, can we really possess the Spirit of Christ? We really must face these elementary facts in our faith if prayer is to be anything more than a mere form. Our Lord not only says, \ldblquote And pray for those that persecute you; that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Mat_5:44-45\cf0\ulnone ).\par We venture to think that large numbers of so-called Christians have never faced this question. To hear how many Christian workers \emdash and prominent ones, too \emdash speak of others from whom they disagree, one must charitably suppose they have never heard that command of our Lord!\par Our daily life in the world is the best indication of our power in prayer. God deals with my prayers not according to the spirit and tone which I exhibit when I am praying in public or private, but according to the spirit I show in my daily life.\par Hot-tempered people can make only frigid prayers. If we do not obey our Lord\rquote s command and love one another, our prayers are well-nigh worthless. If we harbor an unforgiving spirit it is almost wasted time to pray. Yet a prominent Dean of one of our cathedrals was recently reported to have said that there are some people we can never forgive! If so, we trust that he uses an abridged form of the Lord\rquote s prayer. Christ taught us to say \ldblquote Forgive us . . . as we forgive.\rdblquote And He goes farther than this. He declares, \ldblquote If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Mat_6:15\cf0\ulnone ). May we ever exhibit the Spirit of Christ, and not forfeit our own much-needed forgiveness. How many of our readers who have not the slightest intention of forgiving their enemies, or even their offending friends, repeated the Lord\rquote s prayer today?\par Many Christians have never given prayer a fair chance. It is not through conscious insincerity, but from want of thought. The blame for it really rests upon those of us who preach and teach. We are prone to teach doctrines rather than doings. Most men desire to do what is right, but they regard the big things rather than the little failings in the life of love.\par Our Lord goes so far as to say that even our gifts are not to be presented to God if we remember that our brother \ldblquote hath ought against us\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Mat_5:23\cf0\ulnone ). If He will not accept our gifts, is it likely He will answer our prayers? It was when Job ceased contending with his enemies (whom the Bible calls his \ldblquote friends\rdblquote ) that the Lord \ldblquote turned his captivity\rdblquote and gave him twice as much as he had before (\cf1\ul Job_42:10\cf0\ulnone ).\par How slow we are \emdash how unwilling we are \emdash to see that our lives hinder our prayers! And how unwilling we are to act on love-lines. Yes, we desire to \ldblquote win\rdblquote men. Our Lord shows us one way. Don\rquote t publish abroad his wrongdoings. Speak to him alone, and \ldblquote thou hast gained thy brother\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Mat_18:15\cf0\ulnone ). Most of us have rather pained our brothers!\par Even the home-life may hinder the prayer-life. See what Peter says about how we should so live in the home that our \ldblquote prayers be not hindered\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 1Pe_3:1-10\cf0\ulnone ). We would venture to urge every reader to ask God to search his heart once again and to show him if there is \ldblquote any root of bitterness\rdblquote towards anyone. We all desire to do what is pleasing to God. It would be an immense gain to our spiritual life if we would resolve not to attempt to pray until we had done all in our power to make peace and harmony between ourselves and any with whom we have quarreled. Until we do this as far as lies in our power, our prayers are just wasted breath. Unkindly feelings towards another hinder God from helping us in the way He desires.\par A loving life is an essential condition of believing prayer. God challenges us again, today, to become fit persons to receive His superabundant blessings. Many of us have to decide whether we will choose a bitter, unforgiving spirit, or the tender mercies and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Is it not amazing that any man can halt between two opinions with such a choice in the balance? For bitterness harms the bitter more than anyone else.\par \ldblquote Whensoever ye stand praying, forgive if ye have ought against anyone; that your Father also, who is in heaven, may forgive you\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Mar_11:25\cf0\ulnone ). So said the blessed Master. Must we not then either forgive, or cease trying to pray? What shall it profit a man if he gain all his time to pretend to pray, if he harbors unlove in his heart to prevent real prayer? How the devil laughs at us because we do not see this truth!\par We have God\rquote s word for it that eloquence, knowledge, faith, liberality, and even martyrdom profit a man nothing \emdash get hold of it \emdash nothing, unless his heart is filled with love (\cf1\ul 1Co_1:1-13\cf0\ulnone ). \ldblquote Therefore give us love.\rdblquote\par (4) Refusal to do our part may hinder God answering our prayers. Love calls forth compassion and service at the sight of sin and suffering, both here and overseas. Just as St. Paul\rquote s heart was \ldblquote stirred\rdblquote \emdash \ldblquote provoked\rdblquote \emdash within him as he beheld the city full of idols (Acts 17:16). We cannot be sincere when we pray \ldblquote Thy kingdom come\rdblquote unless we are doing what we can to hasten the coming of that kingdom \emdash by our gifts, our prayers and our service.\par We cannot be quite sincere in praying for the conversion of the ungodly unless we are willing to speak a word, or write a letter, or make some attempt to bring him under the influence of the Gospel. Before one of Moody\rquote s great missions he was present at a meeting for prayer asking for God\rquote s blessing. Several wealthy men were there. One began to pray that God would send sufficient funds to defray the expenses. Moody at once stopped him. \ldblquote We need not trouble God about that,\rdblquote he said quietly, \ldblquote we are able to answer that prayer!\rdblquote\par (5) Praying only in secret may be a hindrance. Children of a family should not always meet their father separately. It is remarkable how often our Lord refers to united prayer \emdash \ldblquote agreed\rdblquote prayer. \ldblquote When ye pray, say, Our Father\rdblquote ; \ldblquote If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything they shall ask, it shall be done for them. . . . For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Mat_18:19-20\cf0\ulnone ).\par We feel sure that the weakness in the spiritual life of many churches is to be traced to an inefficient prayer-meeting, or the absence of meetings for prayer. Daily matins and evensong, even when reverent and without the unseemly haste which is so often associated with them, cannot take the place of less formal gatherings for prayer, in which everyone may take part. Can we not make the weekly prayer-meeting a live thing and a living force?\par (6) raise is as important as prayer. We must enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise, and give thanks unto Him and bless His name (\cf1\ul Psa_100:4\cf0\ulnone ). At one time in his life Praying Hyde was led to ask for four souls a day to be brought into the fold by his ministry. If on any day the number fell short of this, there would be such a weight on his heart that it was positively painful, and he could neither eat nor sleep. Then. in prayer he would ask the Lord to show him what was the obstacle in himself. He invariably found that it was the want of praise in his life. He would confess his sinfulness and pray for a spirit of praise. He said that as he praised God seeking souls would come to him. We do not imply that we, too, should limit God to definite numbers or ways of working; but we do cry: \ldblquote Rejoice! Praise God with heart and mind and soul.\rdblquote\par It is not by accident that we are so often bidden to \ldblquote rejoice in the Lord.\rdblquote God does not want miserable children; and none of His children has cause for misery. St. Paul, the most persecuted of men, was a man of song. Hymns of praise came from his lips in prison and out of prison: day and night he praised His Savior. The very order of his exhortations is significant. \ldblquote Rejoice evermore; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 1Th_5:16-18\cf0\ulnone ).\par The will of God. Get that thought into your mind. It is not an optional thing.\par REJOICE: PRAY: GIVE THANKS\par That is the order, according to the will of God \emdash for you, and for me. Nothing so pleases God as our praises \emdash and nothing so blesses the man who prays as the praises he offers! \ldblquote Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the petitions of thine heart\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Psa_37:4\cf0\ulnone , R.V., marg.).\par A missionary who had received very bad news from home, was utterly cast down. Prayer availed nothing to relieve the darkness of his soul. He went to see another missionary, no doubt seeking comfort. There on the wall was a motto-card: \ldblquote Try Thanksgiving!\rdblquote He did; and in a moment every shadow was gone, never to return.\par Do we praise enough to get our prayers answered? If we truly trust Him, we shall always praise Him. For\par \pard\i God nothing does nor suffers to be done\par But thou would\rquote st do thyself\par Could\rquote st thou but see\par The end of all events as well as He.\par \pard\sb100\sa100\i0 One who once overheard Luther praying said, \ldblquote Gracious God! What spirit and what faith is there in his expressions! He petitions God with as much reverence as if he were in the Divine presence, and yet with as firm a hope and confidence as he would address a father or a friend.\rdblquote That child of God seemed quite unconscious that \ldblquote hindrances to prayer\rdblquote existed!\par After all that has been said, we see that everything can be summed up under one head. All hindrance to prayer arises from ignorance of the teaching of God\rquote s Holy Word on the life of holiness He has planned for all His children, or from an unwillingness to consecrate ourselves fully to Him.\par When we can truthfully say to our Father, \ldblquote All that I am and have is thine,\rdblquote then He can say to us, \ldblquote All that is mine is thine.\rdblquote\par \pard\cf2\f1\fs32\par } ZEw14 CHAPTER 12: WHO MAY PRAY?{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\fnil\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\keepn\sb100\sa100\lang1033\b\f0\fs36 CHAPTER 12: WHO MAY PRAY?\par \pard\sb100\sa100\b0\fs24 IT is only two centuries ago that six undergraduates were expelled from the University of Oxford solely because they met끨J SQ13 CHAPTER 11: HINDRANCES TO PRAYER{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\fnil\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\colortbl together in each other\rquote s rooms for extempore prayer! Whereupon George Whitefield wrote to the Vice-Chancellor, \ldblquote It is to be hoped that, as some have been expelled for extempore praying, we shall hear of some few others of a contrary stamp being expelled for extempore swearing.\rdblquote Today, thank God, no man in our land is hindered by his fellow-men from praying. Any man may pray \emdash but has every man a right to pray? Does God listen to anyone ?\par Who may pray? Is it the privilege \emdash the right \emdash of all men? Not everyone can claim the right to approach the King of our realm. But there are certain persons and bodies of people who have the privilege of immediate access to our sovereign. The Prime Minister has that privilege. The ancient Corporation of the City of London can at anytime lay its petition at the feet of the King. The ambassador of a foreign power may do the same. He has only to present himself at the gate of the palace of the King, and no power can stand between him and the monarch. He can go at once into the royal presence and present his request. But none of these has such ease of access and such loving welcome as the Kings own son.\par But there is the King of kings \emdash the God and Father of us all. Who may go to Him? Who may exercise this privilege \emdash yes, this power \emdash with God? We are told \emdash and there is much truth in the remark \emdash that in the most skeptical man or generation prayer is always underneath the surface, waiting. Has it the right to come forth at anytime? In some religions it has to wait. Of all the millions in India living in the bondage of Hinduism, none may pray except the Brahmins! A millionaire merchant of any other caste must perforce get a Brahmin \emdash often a mere boy at school! \emdash to say his prayers for him.\par The Mohammedan cannot pray unless he has learned a few phrases in Arabic, for his \ldblquote god\rdblquote only hears prayers offered in what they believe to be the holy language. Praise be to God, no such restrictions of caste or language stand between us and our God. Can any man, therefore, pray?\par Yes, you reply, anyone. But the Bible does not say so. Only a child of God can truly pray to God. Only a son can enter His presence. It is gloriously true that anyone can cry to Him for help \emdash for pardon and mercy. But that is scarcely prayer. Prayer is much more than that. Prayer is going into \ldblquote the secret place of the Most High,\rdblquote and abiding under the shadow of the Almighty (\cf1\ul Psa_91:1\cf0\ulnone ). Prayer is a making known to God our wants and desires, and holding out the hand of faith to take His gifts. Prayer is the result of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. It is communion with God. Now, there can scarcely be communion between a king and a rebel. What communion hath light with darkness? (\cf1\ul 2Co_6:14\cf0\ulnone .) In ourselves we have no right to pray. We have access to God only through the Lord Jesus Christ (\cf1\ul Eph_3:18\cf0\ulnone , \cf1\ul Eph_2:12\cf0\ulnone ).\par Prayer is much more than the cry of a drowning man \emdash of a man sinking in the whirlpool of sin: \ldblquote Lord, save me! I am lost! I am undone! Redeem me! Save me!\rdblquote Anyone can do this, and that is a petition which is never unanswered, and one, if sincere, to which the answer is never delayed. For \ldblquote man cannot be God\rquote s outlaw if he would.\rdblquote But that is not prayer in the Bible sense. Even the lions, roaring after their prey, seek their meat from God; but that is not prayer.\par We know that our Lord said, \ldblquote Everyone that asketh receiveth\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Mat_7:8\cf0\ulnone ). He did say so, but to whom? He was speaking to His disciples (\cf1\ul Mat_5:1-2\cf0\ulnone ). Yes, prayer is communion with God: the \ldblquote home-life\rdblquote of the soul, as one describes it. And I much question whether there can be any communion with Him unless the Holy Spirit dwells in the heart, and we have \ldblquote received\rdblquote the Son, and so have the right to be called \ldblquote children of God\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_1:12\cf0\ulnone ).\par Prayer is the privilege of a child. Children of God alone can claim from the heavenly Father the things which He hath prepared for them that love Him. Our Lord told us that in prayer we should call God \ldblquote our Father.\rdblquote Surely only children can use that word? St. Paul says that it is \ldblquote because ye are sons God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, \lquote Abba, Father\rquote\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Gal_4:6\cf0\ulnone ). Is this what was in God\rquote s mind when, in dealing with Job\rquote s \ldblquote comforters,\rdblquote He said, \ldblquote My servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I accept\rdblquote ? (\cf1\ul Job_42:8\cf0\ulnone .) It looked as if they would not have been \ldblquote accepted\rdblquote in the matter of prayer. But as soon as one becomes a \ldblquote son of God\rdblquote he must enter the school of prayer. \ldblquote Behold, he prayeth,\rdblquote said our Lord of a man as soon as he was converted. Yet that man had \ldblquote said\rdblquote prayers all his life (\cf1\ul Act_9:11\cf0\ulnone ). Converted men not only may pray, but must pray \emdash each man for himself, and, of course, for others. But, unless and until we can truthfully call God \ldblquote Father,\rdblquote we have no claim to be treated as children \emdash as \ldblquote sons,\rdblquote \ldblquote heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ\rdblquote \emdash no claim at all. Do you say this is hard? Nay, surely it is natural. Has a \ldblquote child\rdblquote no privileges?\par But do not misunderstand me. This does not shut any man out of the kingdom of heaven. Anyone, anywhere, .can cry, \ldblquote God be merciful to me, a sinner!\rdblquote Any man who is outside the fold of Christ, outside the family of God, however bad he may be, or however good he thinks he is, can this very moment become a child of God, even as he reads these words. One look to Christ in faith is sufficient \ldblquote Look and live.\rdblquote God did not even say \ldblquote see\rdblquote \emdash He says just look! Turn your face to God.\par How did those Galatian Christians become \ldblquote sons of God\rdblquote ? By faith in Christ. \ldblquote For ye are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Gal_3:26\cf0\ulnone ). Christ will make any man a son of God by adoption and grace the moment he turns to Him in true repentance and faith. But we have no rightful claim even upon God\rquote s providence unless we are His children. We cannot say with any confidence or certainty, \ldblquote I shall not want,\rdblquote unless we can say, with confidence and certainty, \ldblquote The Lord is my Shepherd.\rdblquote\par A child, however, has a right to his father\rquote s care, and love, and protection, and provision. Now, a child can only enter a family by being born into it. We become children of God by being \ldblquote born again,\rdblquote \ldblquote born from above\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_3:3-5\cf0\ulnone ). That is, by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ (\cf1\ul Joh_3:16\cf0\ulnone ).\par Having said all this as a warning, and perhaps as an explanation why some people find prayer an utter failure, we hasten to add that God often hears and answers prayer even from those who have no legal right to pray \emdash from those who are not His \ldblquote children,\rdblquote and may even deny that He exists! The Gospels tell us of not a few unbelievers who came to Christ for healing; and He never sent one away without the coveted blessing \emdash never. They came as \ldblquote beggars,\rdblquote not as \ldblquote children.\rdblquote And even if \ldblquote the children must first be fed,\rdblquote these others received the crumbs \emdash yea, and more than crumbs \emdash that were freely given.\par So today God often hears the cry of unbelievers for temporal mercies. One case well known to the writer may be given as an illustration. My friend told me that he had been an atheist many years. Whilst an infidel, he had been singing for forty years in a church choir because he was fond of music. His aged father became seriously ill two or three years ago, and lay in great pain. The doctors were helpless to relieve the sufferer. In his distress for his father, the infidel choirman fell on his knees and cried, \ldblquote O God, if there is a God, show Thy power by taking away, my father\rquote s pain!\rdblquote God heard the man\rquote s piteous cry, and removed the pain immediately. The \ldblquote atheist\rdblquote praised God, and hurried off to his vicar to find out the way of salvation! Today he is out-and-out for Christ, giving his whole time to work for his newly-found Savior. Yes, God is greater than His promises, and is more willing to hear than we are to pray.\par Perhaps the most striking of all \ldblquote prayers\rdblquote from the lips of unbelievers is that recorded of Caroline Fry, the author of Christ Our Example. Although possessed of beauty, wealth, position and friends, she found that none of them satisfied, and at length, in her utter misery, she sought God. Yet her first utterance to Him was an expression of open rebellion to and hatred of Him! Listen to it \emdash it is not the prayer of a \ldblquote child\rdblquote : \emdash\par \ldblquote O God, if Thou art a God: I do not love Thee; I do not want Thee; I do not believe there is any happiness in Thee: but I am miserable as I am. Give me what I do not seek; give me what I do not want. If Thou canst, make me happy. I am miserable as I am. I am tired of this world; if there is anything better, give it me.\rdblquote\par What a \ldblquote prayer\rdblquote ! Yet God heard and answered. He forgave the wanderer and made her radiantly happy and gloriously fruitful in His service.\par \pard\i In even savage bosoms\par There are longings, servings, yearnings\par For the good they comprehend not.\par And their feeble hands and helpless.\par Groping blindly in the darkness,\par Touch God\rquote s right hand in the darkness,\par And are lifted up and strengthened.\i0\par \pard\sb100\sa100 Shall we, then, alter our question a little, and ask, who has a right to pray?\rdblquote Only children of God in whom the Holy Spirit dwells. But, even so, we must remember that no man can come unashamed and with confidence to his Father in heaven unless he is living as a son of God should live. We cannot expect a father to lavish his favors upon erring children. Only a faithful and sanctified son can pray with the Spirit and pray with the understanding also (\cf1\ul 1Co_14:15\cf0\ulnone ).\par But if we are sons of God, nothing but sin can hinder our prayers. We, His children, have the right of access to God at any time, in any place. And He understands any form of prayer. We may have a wonderful gift of speech pouring itself out in a torrent of thanksgiving, petition, and praise like St. Paul; or we may have the quiet, deep, lover-like communion of a St. John. The brilliant scholar like John Wesley and the humble cobbler like William Carey are alike welcome at the throne of grace. Influence at the court of heaven depends not upon birth, or brilliancy, or achievement, but upon humble and utter independence upon the Son of the King.\par Moody attributed his marvelous success to the prayers of an obscure and almost unknown invalid woman! And truly the invalid saints of England could bring about a speedy revival by their prayers. Oh, that all the shut-ins\rdblquote would speak out!\par Do we not make a mistake in supposing that some people have a \ldblquote gift\rdblquote of prayer? A brilliant Cambridge undergraduate asked me if the life of prayer was not a gift, and one which very few possessed? He suggested that, just as not everyone was musical, so not everyone is expected to be prayerful! George Muller was exceptional not because he had a gift of prayer, but because he prayed. Those who cannot \ldblquote speak well,\rdblquote as God declared Aaron could, may labor in secret by intercession with those that speak the word. We must have great faith if we are to have great power with God in prayer, although God is very gracious and oftentimes goes beyond our faith.\par Henry Martyn was a man of prayer, yet his faith was not equal to his prayers. He once declared that he \ldblquote would as soon expect to see a man rise from the dead as to see a Brahmin converted to Christ.\rdblquote Would St. James say, \ldblquote Let not that man think he shall receive anything of the Lord\rdblquote ? (\cf1\ul Jam_1:7\cf0\ulnone .) Now, Henry Martyn died without seeing one Brahmin accepting Christ as his Savior. He used to retire, day by day, to a deserted pagoda for prayer. Yet he had not faith for the conversion of a Brahmin. A few months back there knelt in that very pagoda Brahmins and Mohammedans from all parts of India, Burma and Ceylon, now fellow-Christians. Others had prayed with greater faith than Henry Martyn.\par Who may pray? We may; but do we? Does our Lord look at us with even more pathos and tenderness than when He first uttered the words, and say, \ldblquote Hitherto ye have asked nothing in My name? Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Joh_16:24\cf0\ulnone ). If the dear Master was dependent on prayer to make His work a power, how much more are we? He sometimes prayed with \ldblquote strong crying and tears\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Heb_5:7\cf0\ulnone ). Do we? Have we ever shed a prayerful tear? Well might we cry, \ldblquote Quicken us, and we will call upon Thy name\rdblquote (\cf1\ul Psa_80:18\cf0\ulnone ).\par St. Paul\rquote s exhortation to Timothy may well be made to us all: \ldblquote Stir up the gift of God which is in thee\rdblquote (\cf1\ul 2Ti_1:6\cf0\ulnone ). For the Holy Spirit is prayer\rquote s great Helper. We are incapable of ourselves to translate our real needs into prayer. The Holy Spirit does this for us. We cannot ask as we ought. The Holy Spirit does this for us. It is possible for unaided man to ask what is for our ill. The Holy Spirit can check this. No weak or trembling hand dare put in motion any mighty force. Can I \emdash dare I \emdash move the Hand that moves the universe? No! Unless the Holy Spirit has control of me.\par Yes, we need Divine help for prayer \emdash and we have it! How the whole Trinity delights in prayer! God the Father listens: the Holy Spirit dictates: the eternal Son presents the petition \emdash and Himself intercedes; and so the answer comes down.\par Believe me, prayer is our highest privilege, our gravest responsibility, and the greatest power God has put into our hands. Prayer, real prayer, is the noblest, the sublimest, the most stupendous act that any creature of God can perform.\par It is, as Coleridge declared, the very highest energy of which human nature is capable. To pray with all your heart and strength \emdash that is the last, the greatest achievement of the Christian\rquote s warfare on earth.\par \ldblquote LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY!\rdblquote\par \pard\cf2\f1\fs32\par }