Smyrna times., 1870-12-28
.MESceI I/u ID z o IS.
Long Prayers Kill Prayer-Meetings.

hOAS L4dyeI5 ALL Idy -neeLIuSS'
A gentleman Of this tswn, prominent mem
Der of one OF our churches, thinks we would
do a.good service both to his congregation and
to some Of its members, who inlict long pray
ers upon the audiences, by publishing the
following article:
The prayermeetng is the most important
institution Of the church. 1t is the engine
roonI-here the power is received to move all
the machinery. Here the shot are cast that are
to hit the enemies Of our God out yOnder.
Here the bolts are forged that are to breach
the walls OF the citadel Of sin.
a church that is worth anything has a live
prayer meeting. Prayer-mectingG are often
killed with prayer. Strange but true. At least
killed by what is called prayer. The prayers
however, would not he SO very killing, if they
we're not 50 long. Ii nothing was ever said
about long prayers, it is hard to tell where
some dear brethren would stop.
Some prayers are systematic enough to kill
meeting, if they had no other destructive
quality.
Ii you can be patient enough to analyze
them, you will notice that they have exordium,
statement Of facts, argument, peroratiOn, &c,
! but no petitions, no supplicatiOn& They arc
speeches, or OrationS, delivered on the knees
or standing with eyes closed.
, Some prayers are a sort of general report to
! the Lord of the state Of things in the Church
! and in the world, with a recommendation to
look alter them as soon as convenient Occa
SiOnally you hear prayer that would do very
well for an eXhOltatlon, if not offered as a
prayer.
Again brother who is not pleased with
70 some one in the church, while OStensibly pray
: ing to the Lord, is praying at some one near
. him.
+ Then you hear the rambling prayer ram
bling here and there and yOnder. The dear
!. brother rambles on eight or ten minutes, and
:, you think he Is putting on the brakes, (excuSe
the exprsS>on) when he brelks out in bshali
of Missionaries. Now he must needs 60 tC
India, China, and of course, to the Isles o
the sea. BY the time he gets back home, ht
+ finds something loose there, that needs atten
tion. So he winds mp after about hfteeI
minutes, with half the congregation NIGEL.
composed to sleep and snoring, and the oth0
half 80 nervous they can hardly keep still
When the Amen comes, several OF the les
godly jump up and rush out, as if they ha
stood it as long as human nature could endur
H. it, and now must have breathing spell.
Of course the minister is resigned. ii
don't find it necessary now to caution the pee
pie about undue excitement and noise. 1t
so still that the silence is almost audible. Her
~ you have the eloquent prayer, sickenng wit
q rhetorical fourishes
I'd. But any OF these styles of prayer might
cal endured if not so long; but the long prayG
wears out and stupe6es the most godly congr'
H. cation.
On the other hand, short singing and sho
praying keep everybody awake. and excite
interest. just feel the need of something, an
. with tho simplicity of q child ask the Loi
II for it.
IA There is no sense in praying for every poss
bic thing in every PRAYER.
With the altar tull of penitentS, and as yC
wn would suppose, all the interest centering
M them, l have known a brother to offer
ted general prayer, just referring, incidentally
one the penitents, at the close. How much,
@ 70 you think, would such prayer further Il
' objects OF the aleeting general, when the me-
+ or OF immortal souls called tor specific prayer.
YES. Suppose that the SyrophenciaB womi
when she came to get the Devil cast out OF h
r. daughter, had commenced her prayer,
= naming all the attributes of the Deity, tht
described the religious or irreligious state
her neighdorhOOd; then spoken OF the geneI
0. prevalence OF paganlsm; then asked the m
oor, lennium might come pretty soon then pray
49, for " the sick and the afflicted" and "all
whom we are in duty bound to pray" for &
"" Missionary Society, Tract cause &C., windi
nc up with few words about her devil-pos1ess
nelly child. Do you imagine :hat Jesus would ha
eat taken any notice of such a string of platitude
But she had 10dnt that was eating up
kind very soul she came to Jesus crying abe
my that her earnest, sincere, natural plesdiu
touched his heart of love, and soon the pray
was answered. In your public prayers, bri
-zr the matter engaging the attention OF the me
"a, ing to the throne, aud then close, allowi
some one else to take up the strain, while y
pray on In secret, YOU can't wear the Lord {
ell. with secret pleadings, though you can SC
= = wear congregation out with long public pr,
Kip ers.
.ose. When ssme good brethren are called on