Southern Christian Advocate

PRAYER.
Prayer moves the hand that holds the heart. It is not absolutely necessary that we should pray over a book of mathematics, or a volume of history to understand it. Yet if the reader had the opportunity of daily and hourly access to the author, would he not frequently avail himself of it and go to him for explanation?-- The Bible is the book of God, and it treats of subjects on which our feelings are strongest, our prejudices most violent, and our ignorance most profound. We have daily and hourly opportunity of consulting the Divine Author. Are we not manifestly without excuse, if not availing ourselves of this privilege, we fall into mistakes and adopt false interpretations?
The lever that is destined to move the world is the Gospel; but prayer is the only way in which God's people can apply any power to that lever; and we believe that when the universal Church shall make a combined effort in this way, the world will be moved and the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of the Lord. By prayer we bring down the might of Heaven to do what the strength of the human arm cannot do; by this we make Omnipotence our ally.
The prayers of God's people constitute one link in the chain of salvation connected on one side with the power of God, and on the other with the conversion of men. Break not that golden chain.
Oh, if men did but pray for each other as they ought, what a blessed fraternity the human family would be. It is intercession made in heaven, founded on the atonement offered on earth, that preserves this revolted world from merited destruction, that procures forbearance for the wicked, and sustains the principle of divine life in the soul of the righteous. I feel safe in saying that the intercessory prayers of Christians avert more evil and procure more good than all other human means together.
It is always a great encouragement in prayer, when we can plead with God former mercies, when we can remind him that the thing we ask him to do for us is only what he has done before. With what confidence may a church plead with him, "Wilt thou not revive us again?" which God has often, or even once revived.
The want of success in the prayer of the foolish virgins, proves that prayer may be rightly directed to the Lord--may be short--may be unostentatious--may be sincere--may be fervent--may be for that which is good and necessary--may be importunate, and yet fail of its object. Not every prayer is heard, though it have many qualities of a good prayer. One defect, if it relate to that which is essential, will spoil it. In the prayer of those virgins there was no faith and no love, and it was ill timed. The time was, when, if they had asked and knocked, they would have received and gained entrance agreeably to the promise, but that time lasts not always. Behold the contrast between the prayer of these foolish virgins and holy Stephen. Acts vii. 59.
He is a dead man who does not pray. The Scriptures plainly teach the duty of specification in prayer, and especially in private prayer. Think not that your prayers will be of much, if any avail, so long as they do not partake of this property. He who asks for a great many things at a time, cannot be very desirous of getting any one of them. It is in prayer, as in some other things, the way to accomplish much, is to do one thing at a time.- Take a single case and lay that before God.-- The woman of Canaan came to Christ on a single errand, and urged one only suit. When Peter was in prison, and the Church desired his release, they prayed, not for all good things, but "for him." He, who in his secret devotions, prays only for his friends or his enemies in general, is not sufficiently interested for any one of them.
It is thought by some, that Christians do not need to be prayed for. But they need it as much as any others, and we are more frequently reminded of the duty of praying for them than for any other class of persons. Our consistency as Christians, and our progress in religion, depend very much on our prayers for one another. Perhaps the low state of religion among professing Christians is more owing to a neglect of this duty than any thing else.
When Paul prayed for the Ephesians, it is remarkable that he prayed for but one thing, and that one in order to others. Eph. i. 17.- The truth is, we do not want but one thing.… Thy want, O man, is of the soul, and thy soul has but one want--"One thing is needful." Would to God thy soul had but one desire, so as to say with David--"One thing have I desired of the Lord; that will I seek after."- Nevins.