Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-01-04
Prayer Week.

q criticism of an eminent divine, TO
give both an impartial hearing, re.
serving our own views on the sub.
ject until we ascertain what need be
said to insnre a proper understand.
ing of the subject. If the knights
use their lances s@jilfully, we may
not enter the lis al all:
The Evangelical Alliance has, as
usual, appointed the first week in
the year as week of prayer, divid.
ing up the general subjects of peti.
tion to fit the days of the week; and
our local clergymen have divided I'D
the time so as to allow each church
part of the meetings. There is
something in this yearly repeated
performance that strikes us as almost
ludicrous--it reminds us of the boy
who asked his father why he could
not say grace over the pork and
-four barrels and save the time lost
in saying it three times a day over
small cooked portions. There is a
suggestion in this prayer week of do
ing up all the necessary prayer of
the whole year in the first week, and
so saving time. We have mislaid
the programme or lesson paper which
instructs these good evangelical peo-
pie from evangelical headquarters
just how to guide their prayers, so
that we cannot print it accurately,
but the following is the gist of it
according to our memory and judg-
ment.
' Sunday - Pray for the church,
that her borders may be enlarged to
include the whole world and that all
within shall cease to think freely,
and cease to learn anything, and al
ways look through smoked glass at
the sun instead of trying to. be use
full.
Monday-Pray for the churches,
that they may be outwardly glorious
land inwardly dark), that they may
get in debt as far as anybody will
trust them, and then manage to
make outsiders Especially saloon
keepers and such people, pay the
bills.
Tuesday-Pray for the people who
20 to church, that the men rnay all
be rich the women all beautiful, and
that they may cease entirely from
trusting in the filthy rags of mere
morality for their salvation.
Wednesday-Pray for the people
who don't go to church, that those
who go hunting may never see any
game, that those who go skating
may fall and break the ice, that those
who go sailing may upset their boats,
that those who keep open stores may
sell to men who will never pay them
etc. etc.
Thursday-Pray for the heather,
especially the Heather Chinee, that
he may leave the country before he
utterly ruins the foreign missionary.
business by exhibiting himself among
| us.
Friday--Pray for the spread Of
the gospel and revival of religion,
but carefully stipulate that the Cos
pei shall be of true evangelical
type and that the religion shall be
emotional"
Saturday - Pray, each one for
himself that he may be especially
blessed in this life above all the rest
of mankind and that in the life to
come he may be made happy wheth-
err he deserves it or not.
Sunday-Pray for converts, pray
loudly and sing loudly, and do your
utmost to start the revival by having
" Union" meeting, but be careful,
for the union" part is easily over
done.
The above is written with no in
tention of ridiculins sincere and
true prayer, but to show in its true
light something that certainly is in
trinsically absurd. True, sincere
prayer, or holy and sanctified desire,
arises In the heart naturally and not
at the bidding of any man or body
of men. Forms of prayer may be
put into our mouths, but the prayers
cannot be put into our hearts, they
must grow there, or arise spontane-
ously. If we would teach men to
pray we must teach them first right
conduct and right desires in regard
to all things; and then it is no matter
whether the prayer is expressed or
left unuttered.
EDITOR EXPERIMENT:
The editor of the Unitarian AdrO-
cate grinds out of the last issue
that organ a most remarkable tune,
considering the composer and the
subject. In brief space he at
tempts to be funny, and the mark at
which he fires bis fun is no less than
the Week of Prayer of the whole
Evangelical Christian world. Your
readers ought TO read and draw their