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Title: Prayer Availeth Much
Creator(s): Anderson, T. M.
Rights: Public Domain
CCEL Subjects: All; Christian Life
LC Call no: BV210.2
LC Subjects:
Practical theology
Worship (Public and Private) Including the church year, Christian symbols,
liturgy, prayer, hymnology
Prayer
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Prayer Availeth Much
PRAYER AVAILETH MUCH
“. . . The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” —
James 5:16
by
Tony Marshall (T.M.) Anderson
Published by
The Advocate Publishing House
Circleville, Ohio
(No copyright or date of publication)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1
The Fellowship of Prayer (Philippians 4:6.)
Chapter 2
Our Requests Made Known unto God (Philippians 4:6.)
Chapter 3
God’s Peace Obtained in Answer to Prayer (Philippians 4:6, 7.)
Chapter 4
The Praying that Glorifies God (John 14:13.)
Chapter 5
Praying without Doubting (Mark 11:23.)
Chapter 6
Praying with Desire (Mark 11:24.)
Chapter 7
A Manifestation of God in Answer to Prayer (Acts 4:31.)
Chapter 8
The Intercessory Prayers of Christians (Luke 11:5, 6.)
Chapter 9
The Three Essentials of Prayer (Luke 11:10.)
Chapter 10
Asking and Receiving (Luke 11:10.)
Chapter 11
Seeking and Finding (Luke 11:10.)
Chapter 12
The Knocking that Obtains an Opening (Luke 11:10.)
Chapter 13
The Immortal Prayers of Saints (Revelation 5:8.)
Chapter 14
Christ Pleads His Will (John 17:24.)
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THE FOREWORD
The brief messages on prayer contained in this little book have been written
for the purpose of stimulating a greater interest in the importance of
praying without ceasing.
I am convinced that the people of God have not explored the boundless
possibilities of prayer.
We evidently believe that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much, but we are often aware of the fact that very little has been
accomplished by our own prayers.
It has not been possible to present a complete study of the subject of
prayer revealed in the Holy Scriptures. For one to undertake such a task
would be like an attempt to measure eternity by a span.
It is my sincere desire to encourage God’s people to pray without ceasing.
When once they understand the fundamental principles of prayer, they will
not find it difficult to accomplish some amazing results through effectual
fervent intercession.
Your Servant in Christ Jesus,
T. M. ANDERSON
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CHAPTER 1
THE FELLOWSHIP OF PRAYER
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” — Phil. 4:6
This timely exhortation stresses the fact that God’s people should consult
with Him in every matter pertaining to life. Unless they see the imperative
necessity of prayer, and give it an important place in daily life, they
cannot expect to be maintained by the ample resources of a generous Saviour.
It is apparent that we cannot obtain the things essential to life unless we
make everything pertaining to life a matter of earnest prayer. It is
impossible to live a consistent Christian life in the sight of God by
praying occasionally. Praying intermittently is certainly not praying
incessantly and importunately. Such careless praying is not consistent with
the exhortation to pray without ceasing.
Persons praying spasmodically are like men that gorge themselves with food
and drink on special occasions and starve themselves between the feasts. We
do not live from feast to famine when we enter into a partnership with
Christ in prayer. We are not disturbed by doubts and defeats when we make
everything a matter of earnest prayer. We enjoy an unbroken fellowship with
Christ when we make our requests known unto Him in daily prayer. He imparts
to us the necessary strength to cope with the temptations and trials
incident to life in this benighted world when everything relating to life is
made known unto Him in prayer. When the inspired Apostle said,”. . . Let
your requests be made known unto God,” he was obviously emphasizing the
importance of revealing to the Lord everything required to sustain us in
life. We find it necessary to reveal both our spiritual and our temporal
needs unto Him in prayer.
Nothing pertaining to our life in this world is unimportant in the sight of
God. He is interested in everything that concerns us in life.
The Lord would have us understand that we obtain rest of soul when we enter
into the fellowship of prayer with Him. When Paul said, “Be careful for
nothing . . . ,” he revealed the true rest of soul to be found in the
covenant of prayer. He is urging us to lay aside our troublesome cares and
anxieties lest they hinder us in making our requests known unto the Lord.
Paul was saying in substance, “Be not anxiously solicitous; do not give
place to trouble, no matter what occurs; for anxiety cannot change the
condition of things from bad to good, but will certainly injure your soul if
you give place to it.” It is certainly true that we must cast our burdens
and earthly concerns upon the Lord before we can make our requests known
unto Him by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.
Perhaps my personal testimony will enable others to perceive the value of
entering into the fellowship of prayer with Christ, for I found true rest of
soul and quietness of heart when I entered into the partnership of prayer
with Him. “Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
I was teaching in the department of religious education in Asbury College
when I entered into the covenant of prayer with Christ. It had been my
purpose for several months to prepare some written messages on the Epistle
to the Hebrews. In order to have time to devote to this work it was
necessary for me to arise early in the morning and do the writing before the
hour I was scheduled to meet my classes. I began this work during the first
week of 1950.
I was suddenly awakened about midnight on January sixth. Knowing that I had
a full day of work before me, I felt it necessary to sleep a few hours lest
I be too weary in mind and body to do the writing and teaching. At that
moment the Saviour spoke to me. He asked me if I were willing to sacrifice
some sleep in order to give Him an opportunity to speak with me in the quiet
hours of the morning. He told me that it was necessary to deny myself of
sleep in order to prevail in prayer. I realized for the first time that
denying myself of sleep was a form of fasting. For five hours I waited
before the Lord in sacred worship and holy communion. My soul was greatly
revived, and I felt refreshed in mind and rested in body.
After this remarkable manifestation of the Saviour I was constrained to
examine my prayer life. I was impressed to consider the time spent in prayer
during the average day. I was humbled before the Lord when I discovered how
little time had been given to Him in prayer and meditation. It had been my
daily practice from the day I was saved to spend some time in prayer morning
and evening. I had established the family altar in my home. I had spent time
in secret prayer during the years of my ministry. I had never knowingly
overlooked the importance of prayer. I am now aware that I had never
discovered the possibilities in prayer like they were revealed to me when I
waited five delightful hours before the Saviour that memorable morning.
When I entered into the fellowship of prayer with Christ, I solemnly
promised Him that I would not allow my plans and pursuits of daily life to
infringe on my time to pray. I vowed to take sufficient time to commune with
Him in prayer no matter what duties of the day demanded my attention. When I
made this covenant with Christ I emptied myself of earthly possessions and
concerns. I placed my ministry, my teaching, my writings, my vocation, my
travels, and my home in a heap before the Lord. I separated myself from
these interests as completely as I ever expect to be separated from them in
death. I deliberately put these earthly concerns in a place of secondary
importance in my life. I counted all things loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of the fellowship with Christ in prayer. I fully realized that
Christ was speaking to me when He said, “If any man will come after me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will
save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake
shall find it.” I was reminded of how much I had lost through the years
because I had not known the value of fellowship with Christ in prayer.
When I entered the fellowship of prayer with the Lord my soul was
immediately relieved of the burdens and cares of life. I found the place of
His rest in the covenant of prayer. My duties are many, and my body is often
weary from my labors in the ministry, but my spirit knows no weariness for
my soul dwells at ease in the haven of perfect peace. There were times in
the past when the responsibilities of the ministry were almost more than my
mind and body could endure. The many concerns of preaching made me restless
in the night and disturbed during the day. It is clear to me now that I had
not discovered the secret of resting in the Lord. I was pushing and pulling
in my own strength. I was not trusting the Spirit to bring things to pass.
I have the same burdens and cares of the ministry today, but I have
discovered how to cast my cares upon the Lord in the fellowship of prayer.
The yoke of the Meek and Lowly Christ is easy, and His burden is light. He
has given me rest of soul and quietness of spirit in the covenant of daily
prayer. It is now my daily practice to keep the morning watch with the
Saviour.
“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I
direct my prayer unto thee, and look up.” — Psa. 5:3.
The hours between midnight and six o’clock in the morning are the most
peaceful. The duties and distractions of the preceding day have ended, and
the activities of the new day have not begun.
It is apparent that Jesus made it a practice of His life to pray in the
quiet hours of the morning. It is written,
“In the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and
departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” — Mark 1:35.
The duties of the coming day demanded much from the Saviour. The virtue that
went out of Him to heal the hearts and hurts of the people was replenished
in the place of prayer. His physical strength was constantly renewed through
His ceaseless prayers. Before the dawn of the busy day our Lord went out,
and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. We are not told where
He found this peaceful place to pray. He may have found a place of sacred
seclusion to pray beneath the overshadowing boughs of a towering tree where
nature remained speechless with reverence and the morning star looked down
in solemn contemplation. The Lord may have longed to pour out His sinless
soul with strong crying and tears in some voiceless valley filled with holy
hush. It could be that He sought a solitary place among the friendly hills
where the silent shadows of the departing night lingered until hastened into
hiding by the light of the approaching dawn. Perhaps He found rest for His
burdened heart in a sequestered place in a lonely desert carpeted with
shifting sands where the sighing winds ceased to whisper while He prayed.
The example of our Lord enables us to perceive the value of unburdening our
hearts in the quiet hours of the morning. It is difficult to pray when the
mind is filled with the confusion and rush of the day. We can pray in the
quietness of the home while the day is young if we are willing to sacrifice
some sleep. The Saviour admonished us to enter into the closet and shut the
door. We must shut the door of our mind and exclude the cares and burdens of
the day in order to prevail with God in the secret place of prayer.
One will be astonished at the results obtained in the quiet place of prayer.
I have seen the Lord work wonders in answer to prayer offered before Him in
the early hours of the morning. I have known Him to heal people in homes and
hospitals hundreds of miles from the place where I was praying.
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CHAPTER 2
OUR REQUESTS MADE KNOWN UNTO GOD
“. . . Let your requests be made known unto God.” — Phil. 4:6.
Paul, the pattern saint, would have us see the value of revealing our needs
to God in prayer. We must not presume that the things required to sustain
life will be granted without making our requests known unto God. Our
requirements on earth and God’s resources in heaven are meant for each
other. If we ask, we shall receive. When we fail to ask, we fail to receive.
The Word declares, “Ye have not, because ye ask not.” There would be no
point in exhorting Christians to make their requests known unto God unless
He had made a sufficient provision to supply all their need. The apostle
revealed the abundant riches of God when he said . . .
“My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by
Christ Jesus.” — Phil. 4:19
This assuring promise discloses the resources God made available to His
people in answer to prayer. In the clear light of this certified promise
they have no justifiable excuse for spiritual poverty.
We can think of God’s promise to be a certified check made payable to us the
moment we present it for payment. No matter what gracious spiritual and
temporal blessings the promise contains, we cannot receive them until we
make our requests known unto God in prayer. It is possible to have an all
sufficiency in all things by claiming the riches of God made available to us
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. When Paul said, “My God shall
supply all your need,” he is saying, “Christ is all you need.” We are
enriched in all things pertaining to life in time and in eternity when we
possess Him. Christ is all we ever need to cope with the difficulties and
dangers confronting us in the path leading to the Father’s house of many
mansions.
The temporal blessings received from the Lord are not sufficient to supply
all our need in this world. Jesus stated this fact when He said,
“. . . A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he
possesseth.” — Luke 12:14
The fertile fields cannot produce true riches. A man is truly rich toward
God when he possesses the resources of Christ contained in His certified
promise to supply all our need. When Paul said, “My God...” he disclosed the
amazing fact that a man can possess God. It is written in the covenant of
grace,
“. . . I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” — 2 Cor. 6:16.
The paramount purpose of Christ is achieved the moment He gives Himself to
us in the covenant of God. The Scriptures reveal that the Saviour has given
everything to redeem us, and provided everything to supply us, and wills to
give all that He is in His divine nature to satisfy us. If a man has not
received the indwelling Christ in answer to prayer, he has failed to obtain
the grand objective of all praying.
We do not find it difficult to make our requests known unto God when we are
fully aware of His presence. Paul stated this fact when he said,
“. . . The Lord is at hand.” — v. 5
This amazing revelation is evidently an essential part of the admonition to
make our requests known unto God. The inspired apostle focused attention on
a great truth when he said, “. . . The Lord is at hand.” He is saying in
substance, “The Lord is handy. The Lord stands ready to give aid and comfort
to His praying people.” No matter how we interpret the statement, “. . . The
Lord is at hand,” we are fully aware of His nearness when we make our
requests known unto Him. Jesus confirmed this truth when He said, “Lo, I am
with you always, even unto the end of the world.” He evidently knew that we
had the mental and moral capacity to sense His presence at all times and in
all places on earth. If we cannot know that He is at hand when we pray, then
His promise has no place of value in our profession of faith.
To offer a prayer without realizing the nearness of the Lord would be like
speaking meaningless words into empty space. How could we know that our
requests had been made known unto God unless He responded by assuring us
that our petitions had been heard? I am persuaded that it is not possible to
pray with confidence toward the Lord without being aware of His presence.
The inspired apostle said,
“. . . This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing
according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us,
whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of
Him.” — 1 John 5:14, 15
John is saying in substance, “If you know that God hears you, then you know
you have the answer.” It is apparent that we must first know that He hears
us before we know that we have the answer. Knowing that God hears us when we
pray is something vastly more than a beautiful theory about prayer.
Spiritual perception in prayer is the norm of spiritual life. We rejoice in
prayer when we perceive that the Lord is at hand. Paul said, “Rejoice in the
Lord always: and again I say, rejoice.” The realization that the Lord is
near is the cause of constant praise.
If His abiding presence with us in this troubled world is not the only
source of lasting joys, then let us hope that someone will come to guide our
footsteps toward the place of endless happiness. God’s Word reveals that the
Lord will direct our weary feet into the path of praise.
“Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at
thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.” — Psa. 16:11.
It is apparently true that the measure of our joy is always in proportion to
the measure of our praying. One must pray without ceasing in order to have
joy unspeakable and full of glory. God’s praying people discover that the
joy of the Lord is their strength, and His abiding presence is their shield.
Perhaps Paul was in prison when he uttered the immortal words of praise. The
dark and dingy prison was not so carefully guarded, and its rigid bars so
firmly fixed that the Lord was prevented from entering its dismal confines
to give comfort and courage to His suffering servant.
If Paul had been asked what he had found in the dank cell to cause him to
sound such a note of praise, he would have said, “...The Lord is at hand.”
His consoling nearness caused the prisoner to praise, and His assuring
presence inspired the suffering saint to sing. The dreary confines of a
prison cannot stifle the songs of the soul girded with the gladness of God.
The righteous may be incarcerated in dungeons, and the redeemed fastened in
the stocks, but their achieving faith is not fettered, and their
supplications are not shackled. From the inner cell of the common jail the
singing servants of God shook the foundations of the earth, and caused
hardened sinners to seek salvation.
The infirmities of the body may imprison a saint like the formidable walls
of a federal prison; but the afflictions of the flesh and the trials of life
cannot prevent the saints from singing in the shadows like those that sing
in the shining. It is written,
“. . . He that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about. Be glad
in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are
upright in heart.” — Psa. 32:11.
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CHAPTER 3
GOD’S PEACE OBTAINED IN ANSWER TO PRAYER
“. . . Let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which
passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ
Jesus.” — Phil. 4:6, 7.
When we make our requests known unto God by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving we are assured of receiving His peace through Christ Jesus.
When we enter into the sacred Presence of the Prince of Peace, we enter into
the place of perfect peace. The house of prayer is the sanctuary of peace.
Paul would have us understand that Christ imparts a measure of His own peace
to our worshipping hearts when we make everything pertaining to life a
matter of prayer. We can readily comprehend the possibilities of prayer when
we perceive that mortal man can obtain a measure of the peace which the God
of Peace possesses in His divine nature. It is not necessary for the
children of God to enter heaven in order to enjoy the priceless possession
of peace. Christ wills to give the heavenly heritage of His Peace to all the
sons of God. He revealed this truth when He said,
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth,
give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid.” — John 14: 27.
It is obviously true that Jesus has purposed that His own peace shall give
His praying and believing people untroubled hearts in this world of trouble.
He would have us understand that His own perfect peace shall confirm us in
hope, and comfort us in heart. It is apparent that this heavenly heritage of
the heart can be obtained in answer to prayer. God’s peace is an essential
quality of His divine nature. We saw His peace manifested in Jesus Christ,
The Prince of Peace. Jesus was never excited and perturbed by the trickery
and hypocrisy of the religious leaders of His day. He never lost His
spiritual poise when persecuted and slandered by His enemies.
Jesus was always calm and composed in the time of trial. He was never
intimidated by the threats of violence. He had an indomitable courage that
confounded His critics. He never compromised truth to gain favor with men.
His sublime silence in the hour of His trial caused the multitude to marvel.
A faithful witness of the Saviour’s sufferings said:
“. . . Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should
follow in his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened
not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.” — 1 Peter
2:21-23
Peter’s testimony enables us to see how the peace of God behaves in this
world of turmoil and strife. The quality of God’s peace was exemplified in
the sinless character and conduct of the Saviour. His life revealed the
inherent nature of God’s peace which passeth all understanding. God has
designed that His peace shall keep our hearts and minds. He would have us
understand that His peace shall be our guard when we make our requests known
unto Him in prayer. When once we grasp the truth about this, and give it an
important place in daily life, we will know what it means to possess the
peace of God which passeth all understanding.
The heart is the center of man’s spiritual being. It is the citadel of his
immortal soul. The ambitions, the aspirations, and the affections reside in
the heart. The will, the conscience, and the desires dwell in the heart of
man. The Word says,
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
— Prov. 4:23
It is God’s purpose to expel the indwelling sin of the soul by the power of
the indwelling Spirit, and impart peace to man’s heart.
“. . . The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of
righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.” — Isa. 32:17
When Jesus said. “. . . Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid,” He implied that it was possible to be delivered from the perplexing
troubles and agitating fears incident to life in this world. The peace of
God can banish all our burdensome bewilderment’s and fill our yearning
hearts with comfort and contentment. God is willing to make the citadel of
our souls the stronghold of His garrison of peace. He wills to make our
hearts an impregnable fortress of spiritual power. His peace will mount
guard over our hearts and minds like a sentinel appointed to keep watch over
a city. Paul added to our comfort when he said,
“. . . The God of peace shall be with you.” — v. 9.
He is saying that we can have the peace of God within, and God of peace
without.
When Paul speaks of the mind he is evidently speaking of the intellect, the
feelings, and the understanding. We have the capacity to think and to reason
about the things of God. We are capable of having the truth of God revealed
to us by the Holy Spirit. It is not possible to comprehend the peace of God
without the help of the Spirit. We cannot analyze the peace of God in the
laboratory of the human mind to ascertain its true nature; neither can we
discover the component parts of God’s peace by the methods of modern science
and philosophy. His peace passeth all human understanding. There are times
when our minds are sorely perplexed by the problems confronting us in this
uncertain world. There are times when we cannot depend on our reasoning to
find the answer to life’s trials and tribulations. Jesus said,
“. . . In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have
overcome the world.” — John 16:33
Life has no fears and death holds no terrors for the soul fortified by the
eternal peace of Christ. He is our peace and our protection. The peace
received in answer to prayer does not prevent the problems of life from
perplexing us; but His peace does prevent these trials from triumphing over
us.
There will be times when our feelings will contradict our faith. Sickness
can depress our emotions to such an extent that we are disposed to doubt our
relationship to Christ. When we are sick, when our nerves are tense, when we
are constantly on the verge of tears, our faith will be submerged by our
feelings. In such times of trial it seems that the joy of the Lord has
departed, and we are tempted to think that for some unknown reason we are
suffering the displeasure of the Lord. Our confused state of mind is caused
by our illness. The loving Lord has not been grieved by our infirmities of
body and mind.
There will be times in life when we seem to stand on the brink of an
impassable gulf which the human understanding cannot cross. When we come to
the place where reasoning ends and despair begins, we will discover that
Christ’s protective peace is like a bridge that spans the gulf which our own
limited understanding cannot cross. The infirmities of the body can cause
the imagination to run wild. Sickness can cause many fantastic ideas and
strange impressions to disturb and confuse our minds. Some unhappy people
imagine they are being tormented by evil spirits. Some think their nervous
disorders are caused by some strange power of Satan. These distressing
nervous disorders and groundless fears are caused by their physical
condition. A just and holy God will not allow His praying and trusting
people to become the unwilling victims of satanic power. He has provided a
peace to garrison their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
A few devout individuals have been tormented by the fear that they have
committed the unpardonable sin. Some have been so completely engulfed by
this terrifying thought that they have abandoned all hope. These misguided
persons have allowed themselves to become victims of their own confused
state of mind. The terrifying thought that they have forfeited all hope of
salvation exists only in their overwrought imaginations. If these troubled
souls will exercise faith in a merciful and faithful Christ, and humbly ask
Him for help and hope, their groundless fears will immediately pass away,
and the peace of God will comfort their troubled hearts.
The Saviour has paid a great price to redeem us from all iniquity. He will
not withhold His saving mercy and grace from any seeking soul longing with
all the heart to please Him in all things. The peace of God will prevent us
from becoming the hapless prey of our distraught minds if we will pray
without ceasing, and continue to believe on the name of the Son of God. When
Jesus said, “...Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid,”
He intended to impress us with the fact that we can prevent the fears and
troubles from entering our hearts and minds. He expects us to keep our minds
stayed on Him. The inspired prophet saw this fact when he said,
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because
he trusteth in thee.” — Isa. 26:3
The Psalmist said,
“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never
suffer the righteous to be moved.” — Psa. 55:22. . .
If we continue to make our requests known unto God by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving, He will not suffer us to be moved by the
forces of evil in this disquieted earth.
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CHAPTER 4
THE PRAYING THAT GLORIFIES GOD
“. . . Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father
may be glorified in the Son.” — John 14:13.
Jesus revealed His purpose in answering prayer when He said, “. . . That the
Father may be glorified in the Son.” In order to achieve His exalted purpose
to glorify the Father, the Son has bestowed on His redeemed people the
inalienable right to ask anything in His Name. In the clear light of this
remarkable truth it is not difficult to perceive that the possibilities in
prayer are as great as the purpose of the Son of God. It is likewise
apparent that every prayer offered in the Name of the Son must be offered
for the specific purpose of obtaining the things which glorify the heavenly
Father.
The Saviour was near the close of His public ministry with His disciples
when He delivered His parting address preserved for us by John. In His
closing address He speaks to the men whose training time has about ended. He
instructed His messengers in the “Sermon on the Mount” to pray, believing
and trusting the Father to give them all good gifts; but in His closing
discourse He points to something higher to be accomplished through prayer
and faith. These faithful men were to go and perform His works, even greater
works than He had achieved during His ministry in the world. The Master
disclosed to them that praying in His Name was to be the channel through
which the enabling power was obtained to perform the works which glorify the
Father in the Son.
When Jesus said, “. . . I go to my Father,” He was obviously speaking of His
ascension to the right hand of God. His exaltation to the right hand of the
Majesty on high began a new epoch in the praying and working of the
disciples. The Saviour had imparted power to His chosen disciples while with
them in the world, and He now purposes to enable them to do greater things
for Him. He has promised to impart the power from heaven to accomplish
greater works for Him in the world. He ordained His chosen apostles to go
and bring forth fruit, saying,
“Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my
disciples.” — John 15:8.
The indomitable courage they had to witness for Him, the miracles performed
in His Name, and the sufferings endured for His sake, were living
testimonies of the power received through the fervent prayers offered in His
Name.
What is true regarding the Saviour’s works achieved by His faithful
disciples is likewise true regarding His works to be accomplished by His
faithful people in this present age. The same Christ who worked in them and
through them in that day, is the same changeless Christ who wills to work in
and through His people in these last days. If the people of God expect to
perform the works of Christ which shall glorify the Father, they must
believe on Him for the very work’s sake, and pray in His Name.
We can perceive our responsibilities to Christ when we consider His words
regarding the greater works to be accomplished for Him in the world.
Apparently the greater works to be performed are not works more excellent in
quality, but works greater in quantity. Perhaps the ministry of Jesus did
not extend beyond the borders of the land where He lived and died. But it is
obvious that He fully intended that the whole world should feel the
spiritual impact of His invincible power through the preaching and praying
of His ransomed people. Therefore He filled His faithful witnesses with the
Holy Ghost and power and sent them unto the uttermost part of the earth to
perform the works which glorify the Father in the Son. Let us ever be
mindful of the fact that power to achieve the greater works for Christ is
obtained through prayer and faith. A man cannot achieve the works of Christ
through his eloquence And education; he must fervently pray in the Name of
Jesus, and receive power from Him in order to accomplish the works of God in
this pleasure loving age.
As long as Jesus was in the world, He performed the works of the Father;
devils fled at His word of command, the sick were healed, and the poor had
the Gospel preached unto them. When He returned to the Father, His works
from the throne of grace must be performed through His praying and trusting
people. The oneness between the Lord on His mediatorial throne in heaven and
His people on earth is so divinely perfect, that He meant it as the literal
truth when He said, “. . . Greater works than these shall he do; because I
go unto my Father.”
It is for the express purpose of accomplishing the works of Jesus in this
present world that such great promises regarding prayer have been given to
His people. But His people are not at liberty to claim the Saviour’s
promise, “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it,” in order to
obtain something very special for themselves. His certified promise does not
authorize us to make him a servant of our own comforts in life. The Master
has assured us that the Father is mindful of our personal needs, and wills
to give good things to His children, but our creature comforts are not the
things which matter most in this life. Our chief concern should always be to
obtain power through prayer to achieve the greater works for Christ.
A careful study of the Saviour’s words reveal that it is His purpose to
glorify the Father through the life and love and labors of His redeemed
people. When once we fully comprehend this amazing truth it will not be
difficult to understand the meaning of the praying that glorifies the Father
in the Son. When Jesus said, “. . . He that believeth on me, the works that
I do shall he do also. . . ,” He revealed the obvious fact that a man has
both the mental and moral capacity to perform the works of God in this
world. It is apparently true that all men do not have the same natural
abilities to serve God in this world. The Master disclosed this truth in His
parable relating to the Kingdom of heaven.
“Unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every
man according to his several ability . . .” — Matt. 25:15
Jesus would have us understand that each man shall be rewarded according to
his faithfulness in performing his assigned task. The Master will not
require more than any man is capable of doing for Him. It is impossible for
any man to accomplish the works of Christ unless he first possesses the
works of Christ in his own heart. We must not overlook the fact that moral
character and moral conduct are so intimately related that one does not
exist apart from the other. A man’s character is always exemplified in his
conduct. The Saviour said,
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which
is good . . .” — Luke 6:45
Jesus revealed the effective cause for achieving His works when He said,
“. . . The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” — John 14:10
Paul stated this sublime truth when he said,
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure.” — Phil. 2:13
It certainly is possible for Almighty God to impart the inherent qualities
of His divine nature to a redeemed soul, seeing that He did impart His image
and likeness to the first man in the original creation. When Jesus said,
“...I go to my Father,” He was speaking of His death on the cross and His
ascension to the throne in heaven. If we sincerely believe in the
provisional sacrifice of Christ on the cross, we must believe that the
inherent graces of mercy, truth, and holiness together with the fruit of the
Spirit can be produced in the heart of mortal man.
When we request Christ to perform His works in our hearts we are devoutly
praying that the Father may be glorified in the Son. We must open the doors
of our hearts and extend to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit the
right to rule us for ever, when we truly pray that the Father may be
glorified in His Son. Jesus assured us that the heavenly Father would make
His abode with us in answer to prayer. Surely a people so signally blessed
would be able to exemplify the greater works of Christ in their diligent
labors. It is apparent that our Lord has not limited the power made
available to His people through prayer in His Name. When He said, “. . . I
will do it,” He placed His unlimited power at our disposal. He reveals
himself to be an Almighty Servant standing ready and willing to do anything
and everything pertaining to His works in answer to prayer. While meditating
on these amazing promises it is necessary to keep in mind that the primary
purpose of Christ in answering prayer is, “That the Father may be glorified
in the Son.”
The measure of our faith and the fervency of our prayers determine the
effectiveness of our labors for Christ. If our faith is weak and our praying
passionless we cannot expect to achieve much for Him. A man can ease his
accusing conscience by explaining that he failed to accomplish the works of
Christ because of adverse conditions where he lives and labors. When a man
is willing to face the facts, he may discover that he failed because he had
not believed in Christ for the very work’s sake, and prayed fervently in His
Name. We cannot justify our failures by pleading our lack of natural
ability. I am persuaded that God does not impart a greater measure of
natural ability to us when we are saved by grace, but I do firmly believe
that He releases the powers of our souls when we give ourselves to Him. Only
the Creator knows the latent forces and inherent potentialities in an
immortal soul. When these spiritual powers are released by the indwelling
Spirit of God the whole world can feel the dynamic force of a living Christ.
When Jesus said, “. . . Believe me for the very works’ sake,” He was
pleading for a faith that would not fail to give the message of redeeming
love to the whole world. He was thinking of the generations yet unborn when
He gave us the right to ask anything in His Name. While Jesus was in the
world, mankind could see His miracles, hear His messages, and be blessed by
His ministry. The astonishing fact is that the people of yesterday saw Him
crucified, dead and buried, but cared very little about Jesus of Nazareth,
the penniless preacher of Palestine. They were too engrossed in their own
affairs of life to be impressed by a suffering Saviour. The world of today
is too busy to be bothered with thoughts of life eternal. It is God’s will
to reveal the Son’s works to a perishing world. He has willed that the works
of His Son shall be accomplished in this present world through the labors
and consistent living of His people.
Let us heed the pleadings of the Christ, and believe His promise to answer
our prayers that the Father may be glorified in His Son. Let us continue to
believe on Him for the very work’s sake and pray in His Name for power to
achieve the victory for Him on earth. No matter how sorely we are tried, nor
how dark the hours may seem in times of sufferings, we must continue to pray
that the Father may be glorified in the Son through our services and
sacrifices in His work. Let us ever keep in mind that the countless years
which have fled into the dateless past have not outmoded the works of
Christ, neither shall the oncoming ages overthrow them. His glorious works
of grace performed in our hearts and exemplified in our living and labors
shall glorify the Father in the Son throughout all ages, world without end.
_________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 5
PRAYING WITHOUT DOUBTING
“. . . And shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things
which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” —
Mark 11:23
These interesting words are a part of the Saviour’s discourse on the power
of faith. The disciples were greatly astonished by the power manifested in
the Master’s words which dried up the fruitless tree from the roots. When
Jesus arrested the attention of His disciples by this unusual miracle, He
obviously intended to reveal the power of God made available to His people
through the prayer of faith. When Peter called the Lord’s attention to the
withered tree He said, “. . . Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you,
That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou
cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that
those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he
saith.”
In order to understand truth about praying without doubt in our hearts it is
necessary to consider the Saviour’s opening statement, “. . . Have faith in
God.” The remarkable discourse following His opening words reveals the
fundamental fact relating to the prayer of faith. Our Lord would have us see
that we can possess the faith of God. He revealed this fact when He said,
“Have faith in God.” It would be utterly impossible to believe that those
things which we say in prayer shall come to pass unless we had an implicit
faith in God. When Jesus said, “. . . Have faith in God,” He revealed the
Source of the priceless possession of the faith which enables us to pray
without a doubt in our hearts. His admonition to have faith in God implies
that all men have an inherent faith derived from God when He created the
first man in His own image. The quality of inherited faith was not destroyed
in the fall although it was greatly impaired as a result of disobedience.
Jesus disclosed the amazing fact that we can possess a measure of the faith
which Almighty God possesses in His own Divine Nature. This fact should not
seem incredible since it is true that God did impart a measure of His own
faith to man at the beginning of creation.
We do not hesitate to accept the fact that God imparts a measure of His life
and love to His redeemed people. Surely it is not impossible for Him to
impart a sufficient measure of His faith to His people to sustain them in
life in this world of doubt and disbelief. If His people are not able to
accomplish His works in the world because of the littleness of their faith,
there is no valid reason to doubt that He can and will increase their
measure of achieving faith. When the disciples said, “. . . Lord, Increase
our faith,” we have reasons to believe that He granted their request. (See
Luke 17:5.)
The Saviour did not imply that we could possess the same measureless degree
of faith which the infinite God possesses in His Divine Person. But He did
encourage us to believe that we can receive a measure of God’s faith to
enable us to accomplish His purpose in redemption. The Saviour would have us
see that we can enter into the faith of God and become workers together with
Him in achieving His eternal purpose in His beloved Son. It is obviously
true that God works in His people and through them according to the degree
of their faith. He cannot do great things unless His people can believe Him
for great things. Christ is made invincible in this world through the
unwavering faith of His praying people.
The Scriptures reveal that Christ works according to His own faith, and His
people enter into His faith and work with Him in accomplishing His purpose
in redemption. The fact that He works according to His own faith is as
understandable as the fact that a man works according to his own faith. A
man can plan to build his house long before he lays the first stone in the
foundation. He can plan for the happiness of a family before a child is born
to gladden his heart. It is also true that a man’s family can enter into his
faith and assist him to achieve his purpose in life. Surely it is possible
for the redeemed family of Christ to enter into His faith and participate in
His eternal purpose to achieve the final victory over sin and death. The Son
of God is not limited by circumstances, neither is He lacking in adequate
resources to supply the need of His family on earth. Nothing shall prevent
Him from bringing many sons unto glory according to the will of the heavenly
Father.
We can pray without a doubt regarding the power of God. We can perceive the
truth about Christ’s eternal verities when we consider His statement about
removing the mountain at the word of command. We are aware that the mountain
has no power within itself to obey the word of command, “. . . Be thou
removed, and be thou cast into the sea. . . ” It is also obvious that the
mountain is not removed by the efforts of man. Therefore we must conclude
that the person speaking the words that remove the mountain has access to a
power sufficient to remove the mountain and have it cast into the sea. The
words of Jesus warrant us in saying that this power is made available to His
praying people through faith. If this is not the truth then we must conclude
that the words of Christ have no meaningful application to the perplexing
problems of daily life. We are aware that the Master’s words are figurative
yet they are factual. The mountain evidently represents something that God
will remove in answer to the prayer of faith.
Let us assume that the mountain represents the mass of human misery caused
by sin in this troubled earth. It is certainly true that no man has power
within himself to remove the mass of physical and mental sufferings caused
by sin in this world. It is likewise true that no man has the strength of
will to remove the mountain of iniquity which stands between himself and a
holy God. Sin rests on his guilty soul like the weight of the hills. A
man’s load of depravity gives him a heavy heart and a burdened spirit. When
we look at the mass of human suffering resulting from sin, we can visualize
the insurmountable difficulties confronting humanity in this distressed
earth. The bewildering sufferings caused by the sins of men constitute a
mountain of misery and woe more formidable and forbidding than all the
precipitous heights and impregnable rocks of earth’s tallest peaks.
Christ is our only hope for deliverance in this disconsolate world. If faith
in Him cannot bring the power necessary to surmount these difficulties, then
faith has failed utterly to achieve the victory we have a right to expect in
the light of God’s unfailing promises. The imperishable Word declares,
“...The just shall live by faith.” How can we obey this fundamental law of
life unless we can avail ourselves of a power sufficient to overcome every
opposing force? We cannot doubt God’s willingness to impart to His praying
saints a sufficiency of spiritual strength to cope with the trials incident
to life. The Scriptures record the victories achieved by the saints of God
who were made immortal in sacred history by their dauntless courage and
unwavering faith.
Let us pray the prayer of faith, not doubting in our hearts, but believing
that strength shall be given day by day to surmount our difficulties in
life. Let us not falter in the way as we journey toward fadeless dawn of the
eternal day.
We can pray without a doubt regarding the purpose of God. The Scriptures
reveal that it is God’s eternal purpose in Christ to save all men from all
sin on the condition of repentance and faith.
Christ has faith in His own ability to accomplish the Father’s purpose by
restoring a fallen man to the moral image of God. Nothing shall prevent Him
from fulfilling His eternal purpose as revealed in the divine plan of
salvation. There is not the remotest possibility that His perfect plan of
redemption shall fail. We are assured that the gates of hell shall not
prevail against Christ’s invincible church, purchased by His blood, endowed,
and endued by His Spirit.
We do well to ponder Paul’s immortal challenge,
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us?” — Rom. 8:31.
When once we have a proper concept of God’s immutable purpose as revealed in
His Word, it will not be difficult to pray without a doubt. Let us look
again at the Saviour’s words, “. . . And shall not doubt in his heart, but
shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass. . .” For
the sake of clarity, let us underscore the words, “. . . Shall come to pass
. . . When shall those things which we say in prayer come to pass? When may
we reasonably expect every prayer to be answered? The things we have said in
prayer shall come to pass when everything spoken by the Lord shall come to
pass. When God’s plan of salvation has been consummated, then all things
spoken by the Son of God, and all things spoken by the mouth of His holy
prophets, and all the things spoken in the prayers of His faithful people
shall come to pass.
The Scriptures affirm that it is God’s purpose to save them to the uttermost
that come unto Him through Christ. God’s utmost ability was required to save
us from the utmost extent of our sin. To be saved to the uttermost according
to the purpose of Christ, means to be delivered from all sin in this present
life, and delivered from the effects of sin in the body and mind in the life
to come.
We can pray without a doubt in our hearts regarding a complete deliverance
from sin in this present life, and it shall come to pass. But we must
patiently wait until Christ’s final triumph over sin and death before we can
be delivered from the results of sin in our bodies and minds. We can pray
without a doubt in our hearts regarding our final deliverance, and it shall
come to pass according to the purpose of God. When Christ has fulfilled His
eternal purpose in redemption, then the mountain of human misery and woe
shall be removed from the earth. When we perceive this truth as revealed in
the Scriptures, we can understand that every prayer offered without a doubt
in our hearts shall surely be answered in full.
The things we say in prayer are powerless and meaningless unless we have
Christ’s authority to say them. But if the things we say in our prayers are
the things which He has said, then we can pray without a doubt in our
hearts.
We find this truth revealed in the Master’s words concerning the mountain
being removed at the word of command. Take note of the fact that Jesus first
spoke the words, “. . . Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea
. . .” Assuming that the mountain symbolizes the mass of human woe and
suffering caused by sin, we perceive that it is possible to have this mass
of human misery removed by speaking the living words of Jesus in our prayer.
It is apparent that we can enter in to His faith and engage His omnipotent
power to achieve victory over sin and death. When we pray without a doubt in
our hearts, we share Christ’s faith to achieve the purpose of the Father.
When we speak His words, we have a valid reason to except the things we say
to come to pass.
Our prayers can embrace every word of promise and every word of purpose
spoken by our Lord. Our faith and prayers can join His faith and prayers and
assist Him in the final fulfillment of His Father’s will and work. When
applying this gracious truth to the things which Christ has spoken in
explicit terms of eternal truth, it is not difficult to see that our prayer
of faith becomes an integral part of the whole plan of redemption. We are
assured that every word spoken in prayer shall be answered in the final
restitution of all things. It is written,
“And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom
the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which
God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world
began.” Acts 3:20, 21
Paul vividly revealed the final triumph of Christ when he said,
“Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God,
even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and
power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The
last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” — 1 Cor. 15:24-26
Our hope and expectation for final deliverance from all effects of evil in
our bodies and minds shall be realized when He shall come to be glorified in
His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe in that day. When He
shall appear we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. We shall
share in His final victory over disease and death. We shall hear Him say to
the mountain of sufferings, “. . . Be thou removed, and be thou cast into
the sea. . . ,” and it shall come to pass.
In view of this consoling hope let us continue to pray without a doubt in
our hearts. Let us rest our faith on the enduring love of Christ, asking
nothing more than to be counted worthy of His pleasure throughout all ages,
world without end.
_________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 6
PRAYING WITH DESIRE
“. . . What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive
them, and ye shall have them.” — Mark 11:24.
These inspiring words of Jesus disclose that He has obligated Himself to
satisfy the incessant and insistent desires of His praying people. His words
leave no doubt in our minds regarding His willingness to answer our
requests. He makes it plain that whatsoever things are required to satisfy
our spiritual and temporal needs shall be granted according to the measure
of our faith.
We must obey the fundamental law of faith by sincerely believing that we
receive the things desired when we pray, otherwise they shall not be
granted. It is necessary to do some clear thinking regarding our Lord’s
promise to give us the things desired when we pray in faith.
Some unwise persons have interpreted Jesus as saying, “When ye pray, believe
that you have the things desired, and you have them.” It is difficult to
accept this concept of the Master’s teaching about the prayer of faith. No
intelligent man can believe that he has received the things desired unless
he has received them. It would be absurd to make such a claim in the light
of truth.
It is misleading to tell a sincere seeker after a pure heart to believe that
the blessing has been received when that person knows in his own heart that
it is not true. This absurd teaching leaves a man confused and disappointed.
A man must receive the witness of the Holy Spirit to confirm the work of
grace performed in the heart. An honest man cannot affirm that he has
obtained the things desired unless he knows that he has received them from
God.
We must not assume that we have the things desired. Our faith does not rest
on an assumption; our faith rests on an assurance imparted to us by the
spirit of truth. When Jesus revealed His provision to satisfy our desires,
He disclosed the incentive to pray. He is saying, “Whatsoever things you
desire, when you pray, believe that God has provided them, and you shall
have them.”
We must first believe that the resources of God are made available to us
through prayer. If we entertain the slightest doubt in our hearts regarding
this fact, we cannot obtain the things desired to satisfy us in life.
While seriously meditating on the remarkable words of Jesus concerning the
things desired in prayer, let us not overlook the fact that He is speaking
about the mountain being removed at the word of command. If it is God’s
purpose to remove all sin and sufferings from the earth at His word of
command, then it is likewise true that everything required to accomplish His
purpose on behalf of His people is made available to them in the provision
of redeeming grace. When we see this truth we can understand God’s purpose
in establishing the throne of grace. Is it any wonder that we are told to
come boldly unto the throne of grace? We can readily understand the real
incentive to pray when we know that our legitimate desires will be granted
when we pray for things pertaining to the plan of redemption as revealed in
Christ. There is no provision made to gratify our desires unless the things
desired are directly related to Christ’s plan of salvation.
The primary purpose of the Saviour’s sacrifice on the cross was to save us
from sin and sufferings. It is His purpose to present us faultless before
the presence of the Father with exceeding joy. It is our Lord’s purpose to
dry our tears for ever, open the gates of pearl, and give us an abundant
entrance into the City of God. It is permissible to interpret Jesus as
saying, “Whatsoever things are required to satisfy you and sustain you in
this holy way of life, when you pray, believe that you can obtain them, and
you shall have them.”
It has not required one tear of sorrow, nor exacted one drop of our blood,
nor cost us one night of sleep to provide the things required to save us
from sin and sufferings in this world. The unsparing God gave His only Son
to provide the things we need for time and eternity.
There are no unholy and selfish desires in the heart of a Christian. A true
Christian is motivated to pray by the normal desires of spiritual life like
a hungry son is moved to ask bread of his father. The child’s desire for
food does not spring from force of habit, it is a desire springing from the
natural requirements of daily life. The incentive to pray is as normal as
the desire for food and drink. The very fact that the desire exists is
positive proof that it can be satisfied in a natural and legitimate manner.
There is an intense longing after Christ like the hunger and thirst of a
person requiring food and drink. Such a desire cannot be satisfied with
anything less than a manifestation of the living Lord. There is a desire to
know more about His enduring love. There is a desire to linger long in
sacred worship and holy communion with Him in the quiet place of prayer. A
Christian says,
“My soul followeth hard after thee . . .” — Psa. 63:8
The inspired writer voiced his desire when he said,
“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee,
O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and
appear before God?” — Psa. 42:1, 2
A man can earn his daily bread by the sweat of his brow, and allay his
thirst at the springs flowing out of the earth, but a man that hungers and
thirsts after Christ must have the bread from heaven to satisfy his hunger,
and drink the living water from the fountain of life to slake his thirst.
We desire a freedom which cannot be obtained while we live in this body. We
long to be delivered from our earthly bondage into the glorious liberty of
the first resurrection. In this human body we yearn, earnestly desiring to
be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven.
“For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that
we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed
up of life.” — 2 Cor. 5:4
When the eternal purpose of Christ has been completed, the saints shall be
delivered from the presence of sin and sorrows which have troubled them in
this unhappy earth. In that glad hour they shall experience the glorious
liberty of the sons of God.
God’s redeemed children have no continuing city in this world. They look for
a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Their
citizenship is in heaven; from whence they also look for the Saviour, the
Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change their infirm bodies, that they may be
fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working wherewith He
is able even to subdue all things unto Himself. When these things shall come
to pass, then shall we obtain the end of our faith, even the salvation of
our souls.
_________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 7
A MANIFESTATION OF GOD IN ANSWER TO PRAYER
“. . . When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled
together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the
word of God with boldness.” — Acts 4:31.
This remarkable manifestation of God reveals the effectiveness of prevailing
prayer. It vividly discloses the fact that prayer can accomplish much. It is
apparent that neither the apostles, nor the assembled company of devout
believers were astonished at the marvelous visitation of God. They had
assembled together in one place for the express purpose of achieving victory
over the opposition of wicked men, and they fully expected the Lord to
answer their united prayers in His own way.
Perhaps the shaking of the place where they were assembled together was an
extraordinary occurrence, but receiving a direct answer to their importunate
praying was neither unusual nor unexpected. The believers had assembled for
the specific purpose of producing a miracle in the spiritual world, and not
for the purpose of producing a phenomenon in the natural world. We do not
need a manifestation of the supernatural to arrest the attention of a
pleasure seeking world. God does not often shake the shackles off His
imprisoned saints, and open the doors of the jail with an earthquake. He can
do the unusual and the unexpected when necessary. We do not need the Lord to
do something to astonish us, but we do need Him to do something to alert us
to our dangers.
We cannot ignore the fact that we desperately need a startling manifestation
of God to shake us out of our spiritual lethargy and selfish complacency. We
cannot substitute a program for power and have the least semblance of hope
that the unsaved will be attracted by it.
The believers were praying in a desperate crisis when they said, “. . .
Lord, behold their threatenings . . .” We are aware that some of the most
enduring results recorded in sacred history were obtained when some devout
person prayed in an hour of crisis. Abraham prevailed with God in prayer
when the angelic messengers told him about the destruction of Sodom. The
holy Scriptures reveal that Moses prayed importunately for the people when
they incurred the fierce anger of God by worshipping the golden calf. It was
a critical time in Israel when Elijah prayed earnestly on mount Carmel.
Jesus was praying in an hour of crisis when He said, “. . . Father, the hour
is come . . .” The believers were confronted by a desperate situation when
they said, “. . . Lord, behold their threatenings . . .” With them, it was a
case of life or death, victory or defeat. The odds against them were
tremendous, but the God that was for them was Almighty.
There is nothing in the sacred records to show that they had the slightest
intention of compromising the truth in order to have favor with men. They
did not call a meeting of the official board to discuss ways and means of
evading the fundamental issues involved. They did not take refuge in a
stupefying pessimism saying that nothing could be done to remedy the
situation confronting them. Neither did they deceive themselves by saying
that things would work out satisfactorily to all parties concerned. They
were willing to accept the conflict that challenged their faith and hope in
God. They did the most natural thing in the sight of the Lord when they
assembled together with one accord in prayer, and lifted up their voice in
one concerted petition to Him for help.
The believers in this day of grace should be impressed by the victory
achieved by this praying company of saints. There are many things which
threaten us today. We are confronted with serious situations that cannot be
overcome unless we keep our strength renewed through prevailing prayer.
It is written, “. . . They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they
spake the word of God with boldness.” A gracious infilling with the Spirit
of God is the only solution for our spiritual difficulties in this age of
the world. The Lord’s holy prophet said,
“. . . When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord
shall lift up a standard against him.” — Isa. 59:19
We cannot hope to escape the flood of evil which threatens to overwhelm the
believers today unless we are constantly refilled and re-invigorated by the
Holy Spirit. When Paul said, “. . . Be filled with the Spirit,” he was
stressing the necessity of continuing in the fullness of the Spirit in order
to achieve the victory for Christ in this world. This remarkable filling
with the Spirit was evidently different in some respects from the epochal
filling received on the day of Pentecost. This gracious enablement of the
Spirit was obviously one of the times of refreshing to be expected from the
presence of the Lord. (Acts 3:19.)
Unless the believers in the church today have their spiritual strength
replenished repeatedly by the Spirit they will not be able to overcome the
increasing power of spiritual wickedness threatening them today. The church
cannot cope with the menacing threat of worldliness except the company of
believers pray for power to meet the insidious threat. The company of
believers cannot withstand the subversive teachings of modern Liberalism
unless they pray for strength to contend for the faith once delivered to the
saints.
It will require much prayer to prevail against the creeping paralysis
resulting from meaningless programs and pointless plays promoted by the
worldly-minded leaders in the church. Unless the company of believers today
are girded with the power of the Holy Spirit they will not be able to cope
with the crisis confronting them in this day of formality and unbelief. God
did not answer their impassioned prayer in the hour of crisis by
miraculously changing the attitude of the determined opposition. He did not
remove the threat which endangered them, neither did He destroy the
ring-leaders responsible for the persecution of the church. It is
interesting to note that the company of believers did not ask the Lord to
change the attitude of their enemies. They accepted the fact that such
persecution had been foreseen and foretold.
“. . . Thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people
imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were
gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.” — Acts 4:25.
(Psalm 2:1-3)
The Lord would have us understand that suffering persecution for His sake is
the price to be paid in blood and tears for the unspeakable pleasure of
serving Him in the holy way of life.
Our young people should be impressed with the fact that they cannot expect
the Lord to change the attitude of their unsaved friends and associates.
When once the young converts discover this truth they will not find it
difficult to overcome the hardships of life. Pastors find it difficult to
get the young people established in the faith because they apparently
believe that God should change their environment in answer to prayer. It is
apparently difficult for them to understand that a change in their
surroundings is not the solution of their spiritual problem. It is likewise
true that a change in the moral conditions which environ the church today is
not the solution of its spiritual problem.
The company of believers found the solution of their problem when they
lifted up their voice with one accord in prayer to God. The answer they
received enabled them to cope with the rising tide of spiritual wickedness
in high places. The Lord fortified them with a spiritual power that no
combination of evil forces could withstand successfully.
The embattled believers were praying with an unwavering faith when they
said, “Lord, thou art God.” The indisputable fact of God was the basis of
the unshakable confidence which inspired them to pray. It is remarkable how
impotent and insignificant the feeble efforts of wicked men appear when we
realize that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
(Psalm 46:1.)
The imperishable Word declares,
“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” — Psa.
118:6
God gave us a certified promise when He said, “I will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee.” The Lord has never deserted His faithful people in the time
of conflict. We need to have this blessed truth imbedded in our
consciousness, impressed on our minds, and indelibly inscribed in our hearts
by the hand of God. When once we grasp the fact of God it is not difficult
to pray.
God’s everlasting kingdom will never be destroyed by the combined forces of
the ungodly. Almighty God is never in jeopardy. He has no fear of mortal
man. He shall remain immutable in purpose and invincible in power for
evermore.
Consider what the praying company said about God’s enemies,
“For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both
Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were
gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined
before to be done.” — Acts 4:27, 28
The conscienceless Herod, and the cowardly Pontius Pilate are dead, and
their vicious opposition to Christ is dead and buried in the sepulcher of
the ages. The aggressive agnosticism and sneering atheism that ran rampant
less than a century ago has ceased to occupy a prominent place in the world
today. The vicious Liberalism which afflicts the church today will soon be
dead, buried together with modern infidels who have advocated its pernicious
views.
Perhaps the sands have been washed in the footprints of the Stranger of
Galilee, but the world has not forgotten that He lived, loved, and labored
to save lost humanity from eternal death. The countless centuries which have
hurried into the dateless past have not impaired His strength to save us to
the uttermost. The marching millenniums will not erase His matchless Name
from the annals of sacred history. The last desolate day of time will not
find Him buried in the sepulcher of the ages. The fleeing ghost of eternity
will never discover the grave of God. Of Him it is written,
“And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth;
and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou
remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture
shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same,
and thy years shall not fail.” — Heb. 1:10-12.
When we fortify our faith and underscore our thinking with the words, “Lord,
thou art God,” we can prevail in prayer and overcome the combined forces of
evil which threaten us in these trying times. Almighty God will not abandon
His eternal purpose because a few wicked men have lifted up their voices
against Him. Our God has assured us that all things work together for good
to them that love Him, to them who are the called according to His purpose.
His imperishable promises give a strong consolation to lay hold of the hope
set before us. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without
wavering; for He is faithful that promised.
The assembled company prayed that the messengers of the Word might have
courage. They said,
“. . . Grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy
word.” — Acts 4:29
The voice of prayer was heard in heaven and the answer granted when the
assembled company of devout saints prayed this importunate prayer in the
time of crisis. God’s people were not praying for boldness because they were
moral cowards. They were fearfully aware of the danger which threatened
them; but they were not too cowardly to face it with God’s help.
The rulers of the people, and the elders in Israel had called Peter and John
before the council, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the
name of Jesus. (Acts 4:18.) God’s called servants could not heed this
diabolical command and be faithful to the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus. To comply with such an unjust demand, not to speak at all nor teach
in the Name of Jesus, one must compromise the truth of Christ, and cease to
emphasize the central theme of the Gospel message. The very essence of the
Gospel is contained in the Name of Jesus.
It is interesting to notice that the believers were praying for the message
of divine truth. They said, “With all boldness they may speak thy word.” The
emphasis is placed on “Thy word.” The Christians wanted to hear God’s Word
declared with firm conviction and unwavering confidence. They evidently
wanted to be edified and enlightened by the message of saving truth. They
obviously believed that the Gospel was the power of God unto salvation to
every one that believed it. It is indeed blessed to discover a people who
desire to hear the message of redeeming grace, a people who do not want to
be entertained with cheap programs and silly plays in the church, a people
hungry for the bread of life which Christ only can give.
The assembled believers prayed for the messengers of the Gospel, saying,
“Grant unto thy servants.” It is well to notice that the Christians said,
“Thy servants.” They evidently recognized that the apostles were the
servants of God. They were not considered to be servants of an institution,
or an organization. They considered the apostles to be the called servants
of God, who had commissioned them to serve His redeemed family. These godly
men were not hired promoters; they were Christ’s holy messengers.
It does not require moral courage to promote a program to entertain a group
of nominal Christians. Neither does it require courage to give a book
review, or speak on current events; but it does require boldness to press
the claims of Christ on men, and demand that they repent of their sins and
yield themselves to Him.
It does not require spiritual fortitude to organize a campaign to raise
money for the general interests of the church; but it does take much prayer
and faithful preaching to precipitate a genuine revival of full salvation.
To raise these issues does not mean that one is indulging in hurtful
criticism of God’s faithful people and preachers. It does mean that one is
gravely concerned about the praying of God’s people, who are members of the
body of Christ. It is apparent that a devout minister can perform his work
for Christ more efficiently when he knows that the Christians want to hear
the Word and are supporting him with their prayers and faith. The record
shows that Peter and John had joined the company of saints in the fellowship
of prayer. This fact discloses that the messengers of Christ realized the
necessity of prevailing prayer.
It is not unusual to hear some ministers say they are so burdened with the
work of the church that they have very little time to spend in earnest
prayer. This is a startling admission for any man to make, especially a
minister of the Gospel. It is a serious matter in the life of a preacher
when he allows himself to be cumbered with much serving. The results of his
neglect of prayer will be revealed by the poverty of his preaching. It is
possible for a minister to become so preoccupied with his duties that he
will give prayer a place of secondary importance in his life. God’s servants
should consider that nothing pertaining to the church of Christ is more
important than waiting before the Lord in the secret place of prayer. The
man of God loses his passion for souls when he willfully neglects to pray.
He must wait until his soul is aflame with holy zeal, and his mind
stimulated with fresh news from heaven. When he takes proper time to pray,
his preaching will edify and enlighten the Christians, and the fruitfulness
of his ministry will be increased.
The writer disclosed some remarkable results from this ministry of prayer
when he said,
“And with great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the
Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.” v. 33.
The assembled company prayed for miracles to be performed in the name of
Jesus.
“By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be
done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.” — v. 30
It is obvious that the Christians expected miracles to accompany the
preaching of the Word. It is interesting to note that the prayer for
boldness to speak the Word included the petition for healing, and signs and
wonders. The order of the prayer places preaching the Word first before the
performing of miracles in the name of Jesus.
Our Lord placed more emphasis on preaching and teaching than He did on His
gracious ministry of healing the sick, and showing signs and wonders.
However, we are not to conclude that such miracles cannot be performed
through the power of prayer in this age and generation. The healing of the
sick, and the signs and wonders performed in the name of Jesus accompany the
preaching of the Word.
This fact is clearly observed when we give thoughtful attention to the
import of the prayer. The prayer for miracles reveals the true concept
regarding the power of Jesus to heal. They said, “By stretching forth thine
hand to heal . . .” The presence of Jesus was so real to praying saints that
they asked Him to stretch forth His nail-scarred hand and heal the people.
Jesus did stretch forth His hand and touched the diseased bodies of men, and
they were instantly healed. The fact that Christ has ascended to heaven has
not changed our concept of His Divine Person. He is willing and able to
stretch forth His hand and heal our broken bodies today like He did in the
days of His flesh.
I am persuaded to believe that the professing Christians would see more
miracles of healings performed by the hand of Jesus if they would spend more
time in earnest prayer for the messengers of the Gospel.
I am convinced that the Lord will work wonders in this age of indifference
if we will cease to limit Him by unbelief, and accept the fact that miracles
can be performed today by the outstretched hand of the Holy Child Jesus.
_________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 8
THE INTERCESSORY PRAYERS OF CHRISTIANS
“. . . Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine in his journey is
come to me . . .” — Luke 11:5, 6.
There is evidently a ministry of prayer even as there is a ministry of
preaching. The teachings of Jesus contained in the parable show us that
praying and preaching are integral parts of the plan of salvation.
Preaching is God’s way of speaking to man, and praying is man’s way of
speaking to God. Preaching is God’s way of appealing to the will of man, and
praying is man’s way of appealing to the will of God.
Our Lord’s teachings relating to intercessory prayer are clearly revealed in
the Epistles. John’s Epistles reveal the amazing power made available to
God’s people through intercessory prayer. Peter assures us that the eyes of
the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers.
James said, “. . . The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord
shall raise him up . . .” The inspired writings of Paul disclose the
astonishing possibilities in the ministry of intercessory prayer. In one of
Paul’s Epistles the ministry of prayer is connected so closely with the
ministry of preaching that it is difficult to tell where the prayer ends and
the preaching begins. (Colossians 1:9-17.)
Note the boundless possibilities revealed in the prayers of a faithful
minister of Christ.
“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always
labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and
complete in all the will of God.” — Col. 4:12.
It is obvious that the fervent prayers of a servant of Christ can enable the
believers to stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. Perhaps it
is difficult for us to understand how our praying for the children of God
can establish them in the faith, nevertheless it is true according to this
Scripture. We are convinced that our fervent prayers can obtain power from
the throne of grace to preserve some struggling saint in an hour of severe
trial.
The man said, “. . . A friend of mine in his journey is come to me . . .”
Our Lord focused attention on the responsibility to pray for others when He
uttered the stirring words in this parable. It obviously was not the man’s
own personal need that compelled him to request the three loaves; it was the
imperative need of the tired traveler that moved him to ask for bread at
midnight.
No man can be a faithful follower of Christ and not recognize his
responsibility to pray for others. The spiritual life received from Christ
motivates a Christian to present the needs of others at the throne of grace,
where mercy is obtained, and the promised grace is found to help others in a
time of urgent need.
Our personal responsibility to intercede for others is made more apparent
when we emphasize the words, “. . . Is come to me . . .” What strange
combination of circumstances caused the man to seek help from his friend?
Perhaps he had taken the wrong road in the confusing darkness of the night.
We are aware that the parable does teach the disturbing truth that men are
lost in the darkness of sin, and that it is our duty to lead them to Christ.
But the pitiful plight of the pilgrim is not the only startling truth
contained in our Lord’s teachings.
The statement, “. . . A friend of mine in his journey. . . ,” persuades one
to think that the traveler knew before he started on his journey that he
could find rest and comfort in the home of his friend. It was his faith in
his friend’s reputation for hospitality that encouraged him to continue on
his journey through the enveloping darkness of the night.
The parable reveals that men will come to us when they are convinced of our
ability to obtain help for them through intercessory prayer. The news that a
certain man can prevail with God in prayer will soon reach a multitude of
hopeless and helpless people. Some distressed soul will soon be knocking at
the man’s door seeking help and comfort.
It was the good news that Christ was giving help and comfort to all men that
caused the multitudes to seek Him day and night. The disciples had a
boldness in their preaching and a power in their praying that drew broken
and burdened humanity to seek the Saviour.
Paul expressed his thanks to God for the church when he said,
“. . . From you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and
Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so
that we need not to speak any thing.” — 1 Thess. 1:8.
Lost men do not seek Christ by mere chance; He draws them unto Himself
through the convicting and convincing power of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit
performs His office work in the world through Christ’s witnesses. Jesus
said,
“. . . The Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall
testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me
from the beginning.” — John 15:26, 27
It is obvious that the Spirit enables the Christians to attract lost men by
faithfully witnessing to the Saviour. Our Lord has not commissioned all of
His people to preach, but He called all of them to pray.
The great revivals born in the hours of agonizing prayer attracted the
attention of the civilized world. People came for the express purpose of
obtaining spiritual help through the preaching and praying of God’s
servants. The great revival that began at Asbury College in 1950 was born in
seasons of importunate praying. Some of the students prayed all night for a
great spiritual awakening. Many of the teachers prayed earnestly for a
gracious visitation of God. My own soul was in great agony of prayer. The
burden was so great that I confessed the sins of the world to God. In some
peculiar manner I had been made aware of the condemnation that rested on the
souls of lost men.
During the Chapel service I exhorted the students to seek the Lord. I
realized that it was God’s appointed hour to answer prayer. At that moment
the Holy Ghost moved mightily on the entire student body. Wave after wave of
deep conviction swept over the audience. Many were moved to seek the Lord
with diligence. It was an hour of triumph for the faithful few who had
tarried through long seasons of intercessory prayer before the Lord during
the quiet hours of the morning. The news of this marvelous visitation of God
spread all over the nation. It was broadcast by radio to several foreign
countries. People came hundreds of miles to receive spiritual help. Perhaps
more than five thousand people were directly influence by this glorious
spiritual awakening born in the hours of intercessory prayer.
I am thoroughly convinced that a great spiritual awakening will come to this
benighted world if the people of God will deny themselves of sleep and seek
God in the peaceful hours of the morning. It is my firm conviction that the
great Asbury revival set the pattern to be followed in order to have a great
revival in this day and age of the world. God will hear His people when they
see the importance of praying for others. Our Lord revealed this fact when
He said, “Because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he
needeth.” The man’s plea for bread was so insistent that he did not heed the
protest of his sleepy friend. The need of the traveler who had come to him
out of the night was more important than the rest needed by his friend’s
entire family.
Is it possible that we are too indolent and indifferent to pray? Is there no
passion for souls? Is there no sincere concern for the lost? Can it be that
we are too sleepy to watch with Christ in the Gethsemane of prevailing
prayer? Are our physical comforts more important than our praying for
others?
Perhaps our Lord will draw some weary wayfarers to our door asking for help
through our intercessory prayers. If He is pleased to trust us with such a
responsibility, let us not fail to feed the famishing soul.
The man made an amazing confession when he said to his friend, “...I have
nothing to set before him.” It is evident that Jesus is not calling
attention to the man’s embarrassing poverty. He is showing us that our
sufficiency is not of ourselves. Paul stated this fact when he said.
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves;
but our sufficiency is of God.” — 2 Cor. 3:5.
We are woefully wanting in natural ability to help others spiritually; we
have nothing to set before them. Unless we avail ourselves of the abundant
resources of Christ through prayer, we will never have anything of spiritual
worth to set before a starving world.
It is not difficult to imagine that the man had an easy chair and a
comfortable bed to offer the tired traveler. But furniture is not a
substitute for food. The welcome at the door, the furnishing of the house,
and the entertaining conversation, cannot satisfy the hunger of the human
heart. It requires the bread of life obtained from God to save a famishing
soul from death.
Jesus encouraged us to avail ourselves of His resources when He said, “...He
will rise and give him as many as he needeth.” We have nothing of ourselves
to save a lost soul, but we have a faithful Friend, who will give us as much
as we request in intercessory prayer.
Jesus would have us understand that our importunate praying can overcome our
discouragement’s and difficulties. He disclosed this fact when He said,
“. . . He from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now
shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.” He
is not saying that our heavenly Father is unwilling to grant our requests
for others. The Master is teaching us not to cease praying when we encounter
some opposing forces in life. There are times when it seems that our earnest
requests have been denied. Let us keep in mind that our heavenly Father is
willing to give the bread of life in answer to our intercessory petitions
for others.
_________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 9
THE THREE ESSENTIALS OF PRAYER
“. . . Every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to
him that knocketh it shall be opened.” — Luke 11:10.
The plain teachings of Jesus accord us a valid reason to believe that every
sincere prayer offered by His people shall be answered.
Jesus stated the three essentials of prayer when He said, “Ask, seek,
knock.” He disclosed these three essentials of prayer in His parable about
the man asking his friend for three loaves. It is quite obvious that he was
asking, seeking and knocking when he made his request for bread in the
middle of the night.
The Master’s words revealing the inherent principles of effectual praying
confirm our faith, enlarge our understanding, and enable us to appropriate
His certified promises. It is apparent that His promises relating to prayer
are as vast in scope as the extent of His promises pertaining to salvation.
It is written,
“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall
he not with him also freely give us all things.” — Rom. 8:32.
This Scripture reveals the possibilities of prayer to be as great as the
boundless measure of redemptive grace. The unsparing God places no limit on
our praying because there is no limit placed on His giving. If we believe
that Christ was sacrificed to save us to the uttermost, we must likewise
believe that He is able to supply our needs to the uttermost.
The lamentable fact is we have been exceedingly slow to comprehend the
unlimited possibilities of prayer revealed in Christ’s plain words. When we
fully understand His instructions about praying, and grasp the promises by
faith, we will not find it difficult to pray the effectual fervent prayer of
achieving faith. We certainly owe it to ourselves and to all men, to
consider seriously the fundamental principles of prayer disclosed to His
disciples in answer to their request, “. . . Lord teach us to pray . . .”
The very essence of this request is in itself a prayer to know how to pray.
It is necessary to consider Christ’s teachings regarding our daily bread in
order to understand the three essentials of prayer. He has focused our
attention on the requests for bread in His entire discourse on prayer. Our
daily bread is contained in the first direct request revealed in the Lord’s
prayer, “Give us day by day our daily bread.” The request for bread follows
the prayer of worship. “. . . Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy
will be done . . .” The request for bread also precedes the prayer for
pardon and preservation. Bread is obviously the central theme of the Lord’s
prayer, according to the teachings of Jesus.
Our Lord emphasizes the need of bread in the parable of the man seeking the
three loaves at midnight, and concludes His discourse by arresting our
attention to the son asking bread of his father.
It is apparent that Christ’s teachings about asking for bread contain
something much more important than our temporal needs in this life. He
evidently intended to stress the fact that we needed spiritual food in order
to live in time and in eternity. We recall that Jesus astonished His
disciples when He said, “I am the bread of life.” When He uttered these
words He made it clear that we cannot live without Him, for He is as
essential to spiritual life as bread is essential to physical life. (See
John 6:48-58.)
The three essentials of prayer are readily understood when applied to the
Saviour, who is the living bread from heaven. When we sincerely ask for the
Lord Jesus, we shall receive Him; when we earnestly seek Him, we shall find
Him; and when we knock at His door, it shall be opened unto us.
The three fundamental principles of prayer apply to the entire scope of life
in this world, and in the world to come. I am thoroughly convinced that the
redeemed family of God will ask, seek, and knock in prayer throughout all
eternity. Their request will not be hindered by their infirmities of body
and mind as they are in this world. We are daily aware of the fact that we
know not what we should pray for as we ought. We will be able to make our
requests known unto God in that holy place with a clear mind and a glorified
body.
It is quite evident that our Lord would have us understand this startling
fact seeing that He made the request for bread the central theme of family
life. It is certainly true that as long as we live in the Father’s house we
must depend on Him to sustain us. There is no valid reason to believe that
this relationship shall end when we enter heaven. There is nothing in the
Master’s teachings to show us that we ever become self-sustaining in life,
either in this world or in the world to come.
I am fully persuaded that the fundamental principle of asking and giving
will continue to all eternity. God stated this fundamental rule of His
household when He said to the Son,
“Ask of me, and I shall give thee . . .” — Psa. 2:8.
This astonishing principle of asking and giving was clearly an integral part
of the Saviour’s ministry on earth. We find the same basic principle
revealed in the amazing fact that He ever lives to make intercession for us.
The three essential principles of prayer are revealed in nature. Every
living thing in creation must be fed. Every plant, insect, and living
creature on earth must ask, seek, and knock in order to obtain food from
nature. We accept this obvious fact without question.
We have no reason to believe that eternal life in heaven will be sustained
independent of our relationship to Christ. He supplies our needs in this
world in answer to prayer, and He shall continue to supply our eternal
requirements in answer to prayer. If this is the rule of the Father’s
household on earth, it will continue to be the rule for ever.
_________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 10
ASKING AND RECEIVING
“. . . Every one that asketh receiveth . . .” — Luke 11:10.
When our Lord uttered these immortal words He gave to every child of God the
inalienable right to pray. He impressed His disciples with this fact by
asking them some pertinent questions:
“If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a
stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he
shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know
how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly
Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” — v. 11-13.
If the father loves his son it would be utterly inconsistent with his nature
to give his child a stone, or a snake, or a stinging scorpion instead of
bread. The father’s answer to his son’s request will be granted according to
the measure of his love for his child. It is the most natural thing in all
the world for a father to listen to the requests of his family. When Jesus
said, “. . . Any of you that is a father,” he compares a man’s love for his
children to God’s love for His children. He asks us to look up from our
earthly fathers, and calculate how much more the heavenly Father will be
moved to give good gifts to His children. Jesus is teaching us to understand
that as much as God’s goodness exceeds the goodness of mortal man, so much
greater is our assurance that He will grant our childlike petitions.
Every child of God from the youngest to the oldest has a right to ask the
Father for the bread of life. Every child, irrespective of age, sex, or
race, can come boldly to the throne of grace, and find grace to help in time
of need. There are no underprivileged children in God’s family. The
crippled, the weak, and the sick children have a right to ask the heavenly
Father for the living bread from heaven.
The Saviour would have us perceive the imperishable truth that, “. . . Every
one that asketh receiveth . . .” It is utterly unthinkable that our loving
Father would ignore our earnest petitions. He will not remain silent and
unmoved when His own children are weeping before Him in earnest petitions.
A missionary was telling about the sufferings endured while a prisoner
during the war. He said that the crying of his starving family caused him to
suffer more than all the cruel and barbarous treatment received at the hands
of the savage and inhuman guards. When we understand how this godly man was
moved by the constant crying of his famishing family, we can comprehend how
our heavenly Father can be moved to answer the unceasing prayers of His
family. It was not possible for the faithful missionary to grant the urgent
requests of his children, but it is possible for our heavenly Father to
grant the requests of His children.
Jesus teaches us that prayer has a human side and a divine side. The human
side is the asking, and the divine side is the giving. The two halves which
make up the whole of prayer are the asking and the receiving. Our asking and
the Fathers’ answering belong to each other. Our requests on earth and the
Father’s answer in heaven are meant for each other. If we believe that the
Father has made an ample provision for the needs of His children, then we
must also believe that He will surely give them all good gifts according to
the promise.
Jesus teaches us to come to Him day by day to receive the bread of life to
sustain us in this world. He wills day by day to do for us what we ask in
simple faith.
When the Master said, “. . . Every one that asketh receiveth. . . ,” He
stressed the fact that we are not to rest without an answer to our
petitions. He is saying that it is the Father’s will, and the rule of His
house to grant the requests of His believing children.
When no answer is received we are often disposed to say that it is not the
will of God to give us the answer. We will find it much easier to yield to
our own false reasoning about the answer to prayer than it is to shake off
our lethargy and seek God until the answer is obtained. There are so many
persons who rest content without the distinct experience of answered prayer.
This distressing fact reveals the serious deterioration of Christian life in
these last days. These unhappy souls pray daily, they ask many things, and
devoutly hope that some of their prayers will be answered. They apparently
do not know that it is the norm of spiritual life to receive definite
answers to prayer. They obviously do not know that the heavenly Father wills
day by day to do for us what we ask in faith.
We must take the words of Jesus just as they were spoken. We must not allow
human reasoning to weaken the force of His teachings about our asking and
receiving. We owe it to ourselves to take sufficient time while praying, to
listen to His voice, and believe the truth that “Every one that asketh
receiveth.”
We should not make our many failures of the past the measure of our faith
for the present. We must hold fast the assuring fact that the effectual
fervent prayer of God’s obedient child availeth much.
The son’s request for bread is based on his relationship to the father. It
is by virtue of this relationship that the son has the inalienable right to
expect his father to answer his requests. When Jesus speaks of the son
asking bread of his father, He is speaking of an obedient son. The son that
finds no pleasure in obedience to his father and presumes that he can still
ask and receive what he desires will certainly be disappointed. A son who
loves and honors his father will find it is the father’s good pleasure to
answer his daily requests.
Consistent living on the part of God’s people is the condition for obtaining
the answer to prayer. God’s precepts requiring obedience in our living, and
His promises relating to our praying are inseparable.
We can certainly count on God’s fulfilling His promise to answer prayer when
we obey His sovereign will in all things. We should take time to meditate on
the tenderness and love the heavenly Father has for His obedient children.
Much of our difficulty in praying is removed when we think on the happy
relationship existing between an obedient child and a loving heavenly
Father. When He sees His child with sincere purpose and steady will seeking
diligently in everything to be and live as a child, then our prayers will
prevail with Him as the prayer of an obedient child.
It requires considerable time to comprehend fully the teachings of Jesus
regarding the inherent principles of effectual praying. If God’s people will
take sufficient time to meditate on the essentials of prevailing prayer,
they will be rewarded richly for the hours spent in the school of Christ.
When once we grasp the gracious truth contained in the words of Jesus, and
take a firm hold on the promises relating to prayer, we will then realize
the meaning of His words, “. . . Every one that asketh receiveth”. We firmly
believe that the Master stated the truth when He said, “. . . Every one that
asketh receiveth . . .” Nevertheless we are confronted frequently with the
startling and disconcerting fact that we do not always receive definite
answer to our prayers. We find it exceedingly difficult to reconcile these
disturbing facts with the explicit statement of Jesus regarding the answer
to our prayers.
When we consider the Master’s teachings about prayer, we must not strive to
make them conform to our wishful thinking regarding the answer to our
prayers. It is possible for us to set our heart on obtaining something we
greatly desire for our own personal gratification, and then express our keen
disappointment because the request was not granted.
The answer to our perplexing questions about prayer will be found when we
study the Master’s words about the son asking for bread. We are fully aware
that the son cannot live without bread; he must have it or perish. However,
there are many things the son may ask which are not as important to life as
food. He may ask his father for money, or fine clothing, or toys. The father
may consider it wise to give his son these good gifts; and again he might
deem it best for the son’s own good to withhold these things requested; but
when the child asks for food it is a different matter of life, because food
is a necessity.
There are many good gifts which our heavenly Father may deem it wise to
bestow upon us, such as good health, prosperity, and financial security. If
He wills to withhold these things we must submit to His sovereign will
without complaint. Perfect health, prosperity, and earthly goods are not
essential to life in this world. Our relationship to God does not depend on
these creature comforts. These things cannot impart to us the moral strength
we need to cope with the trials incident to life in this evil world. It
requires the “Bread of life” to give the spiritual strength to sustain us in
these last days. We are fully assured that our Father will give us the
living bread from heaven to keep us strong in faith, undaunted in courage,
and invincible in hope.
The grand climax of our Lord’s discourse on prayer was reached when He
disclosed the Father’s promise to give the Holy Spirit to His praying
children. He would have us understand that our urgent requests for the bread
from heaven are answered by the Father’s gift of the Spirit.
He is teaching us that the Spirit is given to the children of God for the
express purpose of sustaining and satisfying life. Our incessant demands for
spiritual food are supplied by the indwelling Spirit. Our daily prayer
should be, “Lord, evermore give us this bread.” The answer from heaven is,
“. . . Every one that asketh receiveth . . .”
_________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 11
SEEKING AND FINDING
“. . . He that seeketh findeth.” — Luke 11:10
When Jesus said, “He that seeketh findeth. . . ,” He disclosed the second
fundamental principle of prevailing prayer. His immortal words assure us
that we can make some important discoveries through prayer.
His brief statement presents the greatest challenge known to mortal man. His
teachings about prayer are a direct challenge to our profession of faith. If
we believe that Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, we must believe
that some very important discoveries can be made regarding these essential
facts about Him.
It is astonishing what men will do when inspired and motivated by the hope
of finding the things of earth they so ardently desire. They sail uncharted
seas, endure the scorching heat of the desert, scale the ice-covered
mountains, and brave the dangers of a trackless wilderness in hope of
discovering the things they diligently seek.
It does not require a chart, or compass, or costly equipment to find the
things of God. We have no stormy seas to sail, no blistering sands to cross,
no snow-clad mountains to scale, and no pathless wastes to encounter in our
efforts to find the things we seek from God. We are not haunted day and
night by the tormenting fears that we will not obtain the answer to our
sincere petitions. We have not the slightest reason to doubt the validity of
Christ’s statement, “. . . He that seeketh findeth . . .” Our faith to seek
the things of Christ are based on His integrity and veracity.
When Jesus said, “Seek, and ye shall find. . . ,” He was evidently speaking
about finding the possessions of our heavenly Father. We are assured that
His provision is as great as the manifold needs of His children. The weary
can seek and find rest. The weak can seek and find strength. The sick can
seek and find health. The Father wills to grant the various requests of His
praying and trusting children.
When Jesus revealed the Father’s promise to give the Holy Spirit in answer
to prayer, He obviously intended to impress His trusting children with the
fact that the Spirit would enable them to seek and find the treasures of
truth. He later confirmed this remarkable fact regarding the ministry of the
Spirit, saying,
“. . . When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all
truth . . .” — John 16:13.
We do not discover the things of God by mere chance; neither can we find
them by a process of human reasoning. The things of God are revealed unto us
by His Spirit. The Word declares,
“. . . Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart
of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God
hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God.” — 1 Cor. 2:9, 10.
Prayer is like the telescope that enables a man to discover remote stars,
blazing suns and whirling worlds in outer space. We may think of prayer as a
microscope which enables a man to look into the realm of small things.
The Holy Spirit makes visible the invisible things of God. He enables us to
pray so persistently that we can focus the light of Christ on the resources
of God, and discover worlds, wealth, and wisdom unknown and unseen by the
natural man. The inspired Apostle said,
“. . .We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are
not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which
are not seen are eternal.” — 2 Cor. 4:18.
We discover the eternal things of God in direct proportion to the measure of
our seeking in prayer. The man who seeks diligently to know the things which
God has prepared for them that love Him, will be rewarded by a greater
measure of knowledge than the man who is casual and indifferent in his
seeking.
It is necessary to deny ourselves of many things in order to seek and find
the possessions of the Father revealed in His Son. The Apostle disclosed
this truth when he said,
“. . .What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea
doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord . . .” — Phil. 3: 7, 8.
It is impossible to obtain a more perfect knowledge of Christ until we count
all things loss for Him. We must lay aside the things we count gain. To be
aware of Christ in daily life is of greater value than all earthly knowledge
to be obtained in this world. It is written,
“. . . Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all
your heart.” — Jer. 29:13.
We cannot comply with the conditions stated in this promise unless we divest
ourselves of all cumbersome cares.
When Jesus gave us the parable about the son asking daily bread of his
father, He fully intended to impress us with several salient facts about
prayer. The fact that the son seeks and obtains the things provided by his
father is not the only truth contained in the parable. A son worthy of such
a loving father would consider him to be more than a generous provider; he
would rejoice because of his father’s presence with his family. The presence
of the father means much to an innocent child in this passing world.
Jesus would have us understand that our heavenly Father is present with His
family in this world. We know that our Father has provided good things for
us, but He means more to us than a generous Provider. The fact that He is
present with us at all times, and in all places fills our hearts with joy
unspeakable and full of glory.
Philip expressed much in his brief prayer when he said to Jesus, “. . . Shew
us the Father, and it sufficeth us.” When this faithful disciple made this
request, he voiced the deepest longings of the human heart. We cannot be
satisfied in this distressed earth without a clear revelation of our
heavenly Father. Philip did not ask for the impossible when he made his
importunate plea to Jesus. Perhaps he had heard Jesus say, “. . . He that
seeketh findeth . . .” The Saviour answered Philip’s request when He said,
“. . . He that hath seen me hath seen the Father . . .”
If the Father revealed Himself in His Beloved Son in that distant day, we
can expect Him to reveal Himself in His Son in this day. Our need is as
great as the need of the pleading disciple. When Jesus said, “...He that
seeketh findeth...,” He had no intention of leaving us confused and in doubt
concerning the things to be discovered through prayer.
The Master’s word affords us a valid reason to expect the Father to reveal
Himself to us in His Son. This is obviously the truth He would have us see
in the parable of the son asking bread. It is absolutely unthinkable that an
intelligent child would not be aware that his father was present when he
asked him for daily bread. It is likewise contrary to truth to suppose that
the child’s father would be pleased to remain unknown and unseen by his
family.
God’s infallible Word reveals that He did manifest Himself to His people in
the ages past. If the dateless past is the only time God has revealed
Himself, then we in this dispensation of grace have no truth to substantiate
our claims that Christ was raised from the dead, and showed Himself alive by
many infallible proofs.
We cannot persuade ourselves to believe that Christ has clothed Himself with
perpetual silence, and cannot and will not reveal Himself to His people. If
a seeking soul cannot be as fully aware of Christ’s presence as a child is
aware of his father’s presence, then the Master’s words are utterly
meaningless. When Jesus said, “. . . He that seeketh findeth. . . ,” He
banished for ever our bewildering doubt and confusion of mind concerning the
reality of the heavenly Father’s abiding presence with His happy family.
If our minds fail to grasp the import of the Saviour’s teachings about
prayer, we should wait patiently before Him in humble submission and quiet
meditation until our minds are clear and our faith strong. The prayer of
faith can obtain the substance of things hoped for, and make real to us the
evidence of things not seen by the natural eye.
It is not unusual to find reliable witnesses who will testify that Jesus has
revealed Himself to them while they were devoutly seeking Him in prayer.
These godly people are neither fanatics nor mystics. They consider the
recurrent visitations of Jesus to be the norm of spiritual life.
During the peaceful hours of the early morning I was praying and waiting
before the Saviour when He suddenly revealed Himself to me. I saw Him as
clearly as anyone ever saw Him in the days of His flesh. I ceased to pray,
and remained quiet and speechless in His Presence. The moments seemed too
sacred for me to break the sweet silence by prayer. What could I have said
to Him? Was He not the answer to all prayer?
I do not know how long He lingered with me on that memorable morning. I was
not aware of the passing of time. To me, all time had ceased, and eternity
had begun. No language can express my boundless joy and happy surprise when
He stood before me. I shall never forget the beauty of His face and the
glory of His garment. The glory radiating from His Person filled the room
with a soft silent light. He spoke not a word to me. His attitude was as One
who listens attentively when you speak. I realized as never before in my
life that He wanted me to pray. My heart was immediately burdened to pray
for a visitation of God. I humbled myself in His Presence and put my head
between His feet and poured out my soul in the agony of intercessory prayer.
The vision of Jesus satisfied my heart and gave me perfect contentment of
mind regarding His willingness to answer prayer. I realized that He was the
end of all seeking and the answer to all problems of life. I bowed low
before Him, and opened my inmost being to welcome Him as my Lord and Master.
I devoutly worshipped Him in spirit and in truth. To this gladsome hour He
is as real as the flesh of my body and the earth beneath my feet. I have
never had one doubt regarding His presence.
Perhaps some will ask if there is a scriptural basis for believing that the
Saviour will reveal Himself to His seeking people. I was confronted with
this question after the Lord manifested Himself to me. Could it be that the
vision was nothing more than the result of my wishful thinking? Was I a
hopeless victim of an overwrought imagination? Was I suffering from a
serious mental disorder? Was it a fanciful dream? These were some of the
questions confronting me after the Lord had appeared in answer to my prayer
of faith.
In my diligent search for truth, I recalled that the Saviour had said,
“. . . He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him,
and will manifest myself to him.” — John 14: 21.
The gracious words glowed with a new light, and disclosed a new meaning to
my rejoicing soul. His assuring words were all I needed to confirm my faith
and answer my perplexing questions. I found many promises in the Scriptures,
but this one promise was sufficient to satisfy my heart and mind.
Some of my friends firmly believe that I am sick. Certain others are greatly
concerned about my mental condition. Perhaps some have devoutly prayed for
my immediate healing. I am thankful for their earnest prayers.
I have often wondered how some persons interpret the Saviour’s own promise
to manifest Himself to them that love Him. I wonder if they believe that
such an experience is possible in this present age. I am convinced that many
do not believe that the Saviour’s promise extends to anyone except the
chosen disciples. They evidently consider all reliable testimony as being
fantastic and fanatical.
If we allow ourselves to be hindered by the unbelief of this modern age we
will surely fail to grasp the fact that frequent visitations of the Lord are
to be expected in a normal Christian life.
When Jesus said, “. . . He that seeketh findeth. . . ,” He intended to
impress us with the fact that an obedient child of God would seek to please
Him in all things pertaining to life. This truth is obviously revealed in
the parable of the son asking bread. Surely the son would seek to please his
father. A son worthy of the heavenly Father would seek to please Him in
matters of life. The obedient son would also realize that the father was
pleased with him. The perfect example of this is revealed in the Son of God.
The Father witnessed to His pleasure in His Son when He said,
“. . .This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” — Matt. 3:17.
The Beloved Son witnessed to this truth when He said,
“. . . The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that
please him.” — John 8:29.
We make the greatest discovery in life when we discover the secret of
pleasing God. An obedient child of the Father that lives day by day with an
awareness of His pleasure has found the pearl of great price.
Our human frailties and infirmities of body and mind will often hinder us in
performing always those things which please our heavenly Father, but there
is nothing in the world that prevents us from being a pleasure to Him if we
are willing to obey Him in all things relating to life. We can be a pleasure
to our Father long before we are able to understand how to do the things
which are well-pleasing in His sight. The favor of God rests constantly on
the people who believe Him and diligently seek Him. It is written,
“. . . Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to
God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him.” — Heb. 11:6.
When we obtain His approbation we have received the greatest reward known to
mortal man. The earthly pleasures we leave behind when we come to the end of
life’s journey are not important, but the eternal pleasures received at the
end of the way are worth all it costs to obtain them.
_________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 12
THE KNOCKING THAT OBTAINS AN OPENING
“. . .To him that knocketh it shall be opened.” — Luke 11:10
These words of the Master reveal the third fundamental principle of the
effectual fervent prayer that availeth much.
The Master disclosed the value of praying persistently in His discourse
about the man asking three loaves at midnight. There is something much more
encouraging in His teachings about prayer than we find in the words of the
reluctant neighbor, who said, “. . . Trouble me not: the door is now shut
. . .” Our Lord would have us understand that the goodness of our heavenly
Father far exceeds the goodness of the sleepy man. The Master is teaching us
that we can prevail in prayer in spite of the discouragements and
difficulties confronting us in life.
The bread so desperately needed to satisfy the hunger of the weary wayfarer
was on the other side of the closed door. Much depended on the importunate
pleading and insistent knocking on the part of the man seeking bread. If he
had been discouraged by his friend’s gruff words, “. . . Trouble me not. . .
,” he would have gone away defeated and empty handed. If he had believed
that his drowsy friend had spoken his final word when he said, “. . . The
door is now shut. . . ,” he would have departed with a deep sense of
frustration and failure.
Our heavenly Father will never rebuff his praying children, saying, “. . .
The door is now shut . . .”Jesus is teaching us to pray with unwavering
faith and firm confidence. He inspired us with dauntless courage to pray
persistently when He said, “. . . To him that knocketh it shall be
opened.”
The Saviour’s heartening words imply that a vast realm of truth will be
opened unto us when we knock at the door of the Father’s house. It will
enhance our understanding concerning the possibilities of prayer if we will
devote some time to study what the Saviour has said about the open door set
before His people.
Jesus identified Himself as being the door when He said,
“I am the door: by me if any man will enter in, he shall be saved, and shall
go in and out, and find pasture.” — John 10:9
His astonishing words enable us to comprehend more completely the truth
about prevailing prayer.
Christ is the door. He is the only entrance to God, and the only entrance to
salvation. When we put Him in the promise regarding our persistent knocking
in prayer we can perceive the truth. We can interpret the assuring promise
as saying, “To him that knocketh, Christ, the Door, shall be opened.” In
other words, Christ will open Himself to us in answer to prayer. This is a
blessed truth to contemplate. Christ opens His loving heart to His praying
people. He opens His eternal hope to His praying people. He opens His
enduring holiness to His praying people. He opens His invincible strength to
His praying people. In the light of this Divine revelation, one is
constrained to say,
"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” — Rom.
11:33.
It has pleased the Lord to open His immutable purpose to His faithful saints
and enable them to see His ultimate triumph over sin and death. He opens the
gates of eternal life, the greatness of enduring love, and the glory of His
likeness to His praying family. Through prayer we can enter into the joys of
an uttermost salvation and delight ourselves in the abundance of peace.
Through prayer we can escape the snares of Satan, and elude the evil
purposes of the foe.
Christ is both an entrance and an exit. We can pray our way into the blessed
realities of spiritual life, and pray our way out of the bewildering
problems of life. Our Lord revealed these gracious facts to us when He said,
“...To him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
When Jesus opens Himself to His praying people He opens eternity to them,
for He fills eternity with Himself and contains eternity in Himself. He is
the First Cause and the Final Conclusion of everything in time and in
eternity. Our concept of Christ is enlarged when He opens to us. The
Psalmist was fully aware of this marvelous truth when he said,
“. . . Thou hast set my feet in a large room.” — Psa. 31:8.
Christ wills to open His Word to us in answer to prayer. He stated this fact
when He said,
“I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have
received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they
have believed that thou didst send me.” — John 17:8.
Perhaps my personal testimony will encourage others to pray that Christ will
reveal His words to them. During the quiet hour of the morning I was asking
the Saviour to enable me to understand His Word. For many years I had made
it my practice to study the Scriptures, but I was aware that the Scriptures
contained a depth of meaning that I had not perceived. I sincerely desired
to understand the Word of God. I realized my need of an enlarged concept of
the plan of salvation. It was the one prayer of my heart to know more about
God’s invincible Word in order to preach the message of life to a perishing
world. I was convinced that the Lord had heard my sincere prayer. Not many
days after the season of prayer, He began to unfold His Word of truth to my
heart and mind with a depth of meaning I had never known.
I was teaching in Asbury College when the Lord began to reveal His Word to
me. I listened to my own lecture with great interest. I said things about
the Saviour that had not been prepared in my notes for the class. The light
of Divine revelation flooding my soul was not the result of my reasoning.
The truth about redemption did not come from my own mind; it was coming from
the mind of Christ. My soul was enjoying great peace, and His living words
were like fire in my spirit. I was constrained to tell others of the
Saviour’s love for lost humanity. To this happy hour His truth abides within
my heart and mind. His Spirit continues to reveal the Words of Christ to me
day by day. I can say with the Psalmist,
“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee,
O God.” — Psa. 42:1.
God’s imperishable truth will glow with a new light when we knock at His
door in prayer. If we have failed to grasp the significance of Christ’s
plain teachings about prayer when He said, “. . . To him that knocketh it
shall be opened,” we should ask Him to open Himself to us. There is nothing
more simple and understandable in life than knocking at a door. Even a
little child can knock at a door.
Christ is the Door between the spiritual realm and the physical realm. When
we are born of the Spirit we enter a spiritual kingdom, which is a spiritual
realm. We live, move, and have our being in a spiritual realm with Christ.
We are in the world physically, but we are not of the world spiritually.
God’s Word declares that a righteous person is like a tree. A tree lives in
two realms of nature; it lives in the earth, and it lives above the earth.
Paul recognized this amazing fact when he said,
“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” — Col.
3:2.
Jesus revealed an amazing truth when He said, “I am the door...” We can
enter into His presence and pray before Him in the same simple manner that
we can go into another room through an open door. When we discover this
amazing truth, we find it possible to take others into
His presence and talk with Him about their needs. It has been my pleasure to
take others into the presence of Jesus many times. I saw the truth of these
things when I entered into a covenant of prayer with Christ. I do not find
it difficult to enter into His presence at anytime.
When Jesus said, “. . . To him that knocketh it shall be opened,” He meant
to show us that it is possible for His praying people to enter the heavenly
place where He is seated on the mediatorial throne, and present their
petitions to Him. This fact is substantiated by Paul, who said,
“. . .Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God.” — Col. 3:1.
The inspired prophet evidently perceived this wonderful truth concerning
Christ when he said,
“. . . He shall be for a glorious throne to his Father’s house.” — Isa.
22:23.
God’s children have a glorious throne in the Father’s house. They have a
perfect right to come boldly to the glorious throne of grace and make their
requests known unto their heavenly Father.
Our Lord likewise disclosed a marvelous truth about the door when He said,
“. . . And shall go in and out, and find pasture.” It is apparent that a
saved man can go from one realm to another and find spiritual food. Jesus
has made an ample provision to sustain His people in both the physical realm
and the spiritual realm. He cares for His people in the natural world and in
the spiritual world. The Saviour would have us understand that the Good
Shepherd will care for His flock while they are out in the field, even as He
cares for them when they are in the fold. In other words, the Saviour will
preserve us while we work and witness for Him in the world, like He
preserves us when we are resting safely in the fold of His love. It is
written,
“The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time
forth, and even for evermore.” — Psa. 121:8.
The changeless Christ has spoken with absolute authority concerning the open
door.
“. . . Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it:
for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied
my name.” — Rev. 3:8
“. . . To him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
It shall remain open to all eternity.
_________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 13
THE IMMORTAL PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS
“. . .Golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.” — Rev.
5:8.
Christ frequently chooses some unusual place on earth to reveal Himself to
mankind. It is obviously consistent with His Divine Nature and eternal
purpose in redemption to disclose Himself in some unusual place and in some
unexpected manner.
He revealed Himself to Moses in a burning bush in a desert. He revealed
Himself to be the long expected Messiah to a woman of unsavory reputation at
Jacob’s well. He revealed a measure of His effulgent glory to three chosen
disciples on a high mountain. He revealed Himself and His purpose to give
the Gentiles the Gospel to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus.
Perhaps the most amazing revelation ever given to mortal man was given to
John when the Saviour revealed Himself clothed in His majesty and might
standing in the midst of the seven churches. John said,
“. . . When I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. . . .” — Rev. 1: 17.
Christ chose to reveal Himself to John while in exile on the lonely isle of
Patmos. This holy disciple was banished to this wave-washed and wind-swept
pile of shattered stones and shifting sands,
“. . . For the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” — Rev.
1:9.
The Saviour selected this faithful man to be the human channel through which
His sublime truth could be given to His trusting saints. It pleased the
blessed Lord to reveal the sublime truth about prayer in John’s picturesque
language, “. . . Golden vials full of odours . . .”
Our Lord would evidently have us understand that prayer is a part of
worship. It is like the odours of sweet incense ascending upward to God. The
heavenly Father is pleased with our fervent prayers when we fill them with
the fragrance of our sincere worship.
The Saviour would have us understand that our prayers are kept in golden
vials in His Holy Place in heaven like the golden censer, and the ark of the
covenant overlaid round about with gold, were kept in the most Holy Place in
the temple.
Perhaps God’s praying people have not fully grasped the fact that all
sincere prayers are immortal, and the Lord preserves these prayers like a
sweet incense kept in golden vials.
We surely are aware that Christ’s prayers are living petitions preserved for
us in His plan of eternal salvation. He breathed the power of His endless
life into His prayers. His prayers are immortal because He is immortal. His
prayers will be answered because He is the answer to all prayer.
The prayers recorded in the Holy Scriptures are an immortal part of the
Divine plan of salvation. These petitions were made immortal by the power of
the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Spirit enables God’s people to pray with
yearnings which cannot be uttered.
“And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,
because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of
God.” — Rom. 8:27.
It is clearly disclosed in this remarkable Scripture that every prayer
empowered by the indwelling Spirit becomes an integral and immortal part of
the entire economy of God as disclosed in the plan of redemption.
I am thoroughly convinced that every prayer offered according to the will of
God shall be answered either in our lifetime on earth, or after we have
entered our heavenly home. However, I cannot discover anything revealed in
the Word of God to warrant anyone in believing that the translated saints
can pray for persons living on the earth. Praying to the translated saints,
and asking them to pray for us, is a modified form of idolatry. Jesus Christ
is the only mediator between God and man. All prayers must be offered to
Him, and in His Name only.
When I affirm that every prayer offered in the Name of Jesus shall be
answered, I am not saying that God will overrule the human will in order to
answer our prayers. He cannot and will not save any man against his will,
but He will convict a man of sin against his will.
Perhaps an incident will disclose what I mean when I speak of an immortal
prayer. One night during a camp meeting, a man came to the altar weeping
with deep conviction for sin. After a season of earnest prayer, he was
converted and gave a glowing testimony. His faithful father had preached for
many years and had prayed often during those years for his unsaved son. He
never lived to see his son saved, but on this particular night in the camp
meeting, the loving Lord answered prayer and saved this erring son of the
preacher.
It helps me to imagine that the Saviour called His sainted servant and said,
“My child, I have many of your prayers in golden vials. They are like sweet
odours poured out before Me. I have the prayers you offered for your erring
son during your lifetime on earth. I am now ready to answer your prayers
during the camp meeting where you preached My Gospel many years ago. My
child, I have just now granted your son a pardon in answer to your prayers
and prayers of My people.” It encourages my heart to believe that God will
answer every prayer.
While praying during the quiet hours of the morning in a hotel room some
years ago, I was burdened to pray for a woman slowly dying with a cancer of
the throat. She had been a successful missionary for many years and had
returned home from the field broken in health, bitter and resentful in
spirit. I knew her saintly mother during her lifetime, and I knew how she
had prayed for her daughter.
While praying for this dying missionary, the Lord said to me, “I am ready
and willing to answer a mother’s prayer, and give her suffering daughter
peace of heart and mind.” I was so sure that the Lord had spoken to me about
this dying woman, and about His willingness to answer her mother’s prayers,
that I wrote a letter urging certain women to go and pray with this
suffering missionary. She found peace and comfort of heart and mind, and
went home within a few weeks to be with her faithful Saviour and her
rejoicing mother.
Many of the Lord’s redeemed children will live and die without receiving the
answers to many of their sincere prayers. When we live by faith and die in
the faith, we can be assured that a Just and Holy God will not forget His
certified promises regarding His willingness to answer the prayers offered
in the Name of Jesus.
The “. . . golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the
saints,” shall be poured out before the mediatorial throne of Jesus some
glorious day. When that gladsome hour shall arrive on the wings of time, we
shall see the triumph of the tears we have shed in the hours of agonizing
prayer. We shall see the Father glorified in the Son.
We are living in a passing world filled with fears and doubts; but we can
live in this transient world and not be filled with its fears and doubts
regarding the answer to our prayers. The inspired Psalmist said,
“Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God
is a refuge for us.” — Psa. 62:8.
God’s certified promises relating to prayer give us the inalienable right to
say,
“Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I
cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is
higher than I.” — Psa. 61:1, 2.
The Scriptures encourage us to pray incessantly and importunately knowing
within ourselves that God will answer our petitions in His own time, and
according to His own will. Let us offer up prayers with strong crying and
tears unto Him that is able to save to the uttermost. Let us pray without
ceasing until the hour comes for our immortal prayer to be poured out like
sweet incense poured out of golden vials.
_________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 14
CHRIST PLEADS HIS WILL
“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I
am . . .” — John 17:24.
Jesus presented the precious legacy of His prayer when He offered His
intercessory prayer preserved for us by John. The Lord let His disciples
have the pleasure of knowing what His intercession for them in heaven as
their High Priest was like. The disciples had heard the Saviour pray for
them many times, but they had never heard Him pray as He did at this
particular time. They must have been deeply impressed by the simplicity of
His approach to the Father. They heard Him pray with the implicit confidence
of the Beloved Son, Who is co-equal and eternal with the Father. They must
have realized that Christ breathed into His intercessory prayer the efficacy
and power of His endless life.
Jesus presented the priceless legacy of His prayer to the Father when He
said, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me
where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou gavest me: for thou
lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” These gracious words of
Jesus reveal His final will regarding the blessed estate of the redeemed.
His inalienable right to plead His will before the Father is based on His
finished work in the world. He said,
“I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou
gavest me to do.” — v. 4.
Jesus made it clear that His intercessory prayer is an integral part of His
redemptive work on the cross. His finished work and His final will are one
in the Divine plan of salvation.
It has pleased the Saviour to disclose the final fulfillment of all He has
willed and devised for His purchased people. The pleasing prospect of being
with Him where He is shall be fulfilled to the glory of the Father and to
the everlasting admiration and joyful acclamation of His adoring saints.
It was difficult for the disciples to understand the Saviour’s avowed
purpose to go away. Their minds were sorely perplexed and their hearts
troubled by the disturbing fact of His sufferings and death. They thought
that He was leaving them alone to serve and suffer in a world hostile toward
all they believed and preached. Perhaps they had almost reached the point of
accepting final defeat when Jesus revived their faltering courage, saying,
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In
my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told
you. I go to prepare a place for you.” — John 14:1, 2.
Let us emphasize His gracious words, “. . . A place for you.” Our Lord
revealed the purpose of His departure when He uttered these immortal words.
He lifted the veil between time and eternity to establish the faith of His
troubled people. He enabled His ransomed saints to see the heavenly home of
the soul with the eyes of their hearts. He would have His people rest their
faith on His comforting words, “In my Father’s house are many mansions
. . .”
There will be no homeless children in the family of God. All shall dwell in
stately mansions throughout the endless day. This unfriendly world has no
permanent abiding place for the children of God. They were born in this
world, and many shall be buried in this world, but this passing world is not
their home. They have no continuing city on the earth. God’s people are
citizens of the celestial City, the heavenly Jerusalem, which John saw
coming down from heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Perhaps we are disposed to think of the eternal pleasure and ineffable joys
to be obtained in the place prepared for His people. We try to visualize the
beauty of the City whose Builder and Maker is God. We are inclined to wonder
about the skill of the Infinite Artist who has blended the seven prismatic
colors of white light to enhance the resplendent glory of the holy
habitation of the redeemed.
While meditating on the blessed hope of heaven let us not overlook the fact
that our expectations are based on the finished work of Christ. Jesus said
to the Father, “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” He
made no mention of the price paid in blood and tears to prepare the place
where we could be with Him to all eternity. He prays like One returning home
after having completed an assigned task.
His vicarious sufferings on the middle cross provided the necessary fitness
of moral character for us to sharp eternal bliss with Him in the Father’s
house. His intercessory prayer assures us that we can be sanctified through
the truth. It is His will to cleanse us by His blood and present us holy and
unblamable and unreproved in His sight. (Colossians 1:22.)
We have every reason to believe that we can avail ourselves of the blessed
benefits of His finished work, and come to the end of life’s journey and
receive a grand welcome into the City of God. His finished work and final
will are the sure foundation on which we rest our hope to be with Him where
He is, and to behold His glory.
Jesus possessed a peculiar joy in achieving His Father’s purpose in
redemption. He had a peculiar pleasure in providing a place in the Father’s
house for His trusting people. His joy in bringing many sons unto glory
enabled Him to triumph over His physical sufferings and anguish of soul.
The merciless mockery of the multitude, the scorning sneers of the scribes,
and the reproaches of the riotous rabble could not turn Him from His fixed
purpose to finish His work according to the will of the Father. The stripes,
spittle, blood, and bruises could not defeat Him. The insults and
indignities heaped upon Him could not overwhelm His fervent love for His
homeless saints. Being numbered with the transgressors, He was crucified on
a lonely hill called Calvary. He suffered, the Just for the unjust, that He
might bring us to God.
He was despised by foes, derided by fanatics, and deserted by friends, but
He triumphed over sin and death, and returned to the right hand of the
majesty on High, and ever lives to make intercession for His saints.
It would be utterly impossible to imagine the overwhelming despair and
dreadful disappointment that would sweep over the souls of the redeemed if
Christ’s prayer should not be answered. The black raven of despair would
croak the dirge of eternal death on the graves of the godly. The living sons
of God would lift up their voices in unutterable lament and bewail the day
they heard the hope of the Gospel.
We have no fears and doubts regarding the final triumph of Christ’s
intercessory prayer. He has presented His petition as a legacy to be shared
by His trusting people. His last will and testament has been signed by His
nail-scarred hand and sealed by the Holy Spirit. Every word uttered in His
immortal intercession shall be answered in full.
The voice of His supplication has been heard in high heaven, and the
language of His weeping has been interpreted before the mercy seat of pure
gold. His tears shall triumph and His petition shall be granted.
It is almost unbelievable that our Lord can find pleasure in holy fellowship
with His ransomed people to all eternity. His prayer shows us that it is His
will to dwell with His people in the sacred bond of love throughout all
ages, world without end.
The greatest pleasure to be enjoyed in heaven will be the unspeakable
pleasure of being with the Saviour for evermore. The glory of His presence
shall make glad the City of God.
We would find no pleasure in beholding the beauty of the Father’s house of
many mansions if Christ were not present to fill it with the light of His
countenance. The brightness of His glory, and beauty of His Person shall
enhance the happiness of the redeemed. The river of life, the fruitful
trees, and the anthems of angels enhance the joys of the habitation of the
holy people, but these blessed realities would fail to satisfy the citizens
of the land of endless day unless the glorified Son were present to receive
their eternal praise.
Let us continue to pray that our Lord will count us worthy to receive the
legacy of His intercessory prayer presented to the Father. Let us not fail
to obtain the spiritual fitness provided for us in His finished work. We
must ever be mindful of the fact that without holiness no man shall see the
Lord.
Let us take comfort in the Saviour’s immortal prayer, “Father, I will that
they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may
behold my glory, which thou gavest me: for thou lovedst me before the
foundation of the world.”
_________________________________________________________________
Indexes
_________________________________________________________________
Index of Scripture References
Psalms
[1]2:1-3 [2]2:8 [3]5:3 [4]16:11 [5]31:8 [6]32:11 [7]42:1
[8]42:1 [9]42:2 [10]46:1 [11]55:22 [12]61:1 [13]61:2 [14]62:8
[15]63:8 [16]118:6 [17]121:8
Proverbs
[18]4:23
Isaiah
[19]22:23 [20]26:3 [21]32:17 [22]59:19
Jeremiah
[23]29:13
Matthew
[24]3:17 [25]25:15
Mark
[26]1:35 [27]11:23 [28]11:23 [29]11:24 [30]11:24
Luke
[31]6:45 [32]11:5 [33]11:5 [34]11:6 [35]11:6 [36]11:10
[37]11:10 [38]11:10 [39]11:10 [40]11:10 [41]11:10 [42]11:10
[43]11:10 [44]11:11-13 [45]12:14 [46]17:5
John
[47]6:48-58 [48]8:29 [49]10:9 [50]14:1 [51]14:2 [52]14:10
[53]14:13 [54]14:13 [55]14:21 [56]14:27 [57]15:8 [58]15:26
[59]15:27 [60]16:13 [61]16:33 [62]17:4 [63]17:8 [64]17:24
[65]17:24
Acts
[66]3:19 [67]3:20 [68]3:21 [69]4:18 [70]4:25 [71]4:27 [72]4:28
[73]4:29 [74]4:30 [75]4:31 [76]4:31 [77]4:33
Romans
[78]8:27 [79]8:31 [80]8:32 [81]11:33
1 Corinthians
[82]2:9 [83]2:10 [84]15:24-26
2 Corinthians
[85]3:5 [86]4:18 [87]5:4 [88]6:16
Philippians
[89]2:13 [90]3:7 [91]3:8 [92]4:5 [93]4:6 [94]4:6 [95]4:6
[96]4:6 [97]4:6 [98]4:6 [99]4:7 [100]4:7 [101]4:9 [102]4:19
Colossians
[103]1:9-17 [104]1:22 [105]3:1 [106]3:2 [107]4:12
1 Thessalonians
[108]1:8
Hebrews
[109]1:10-12 [110]11:6
James
[111]5:16
1 Peter
[112]2:21-23
1 John
[113]5:14 [114]5:15
Revelation
[115]1:9 [116]1:17 [117]3:8 [118]5:8 [119]5:8
_________________________________________________________________
This document is from the Christian Classics Ethereal
Library at Calvin College, http://www.ccel.org,
generated on demand from ThML source.
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