The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1895-05-17
Right View Of Prayer.

New YorksIlerald,
Ihave prayed for thee, that thy faith fail
xii, 30.
Prayer Is either an expression OF
gratitude or a call for help. If you
have nothing to be grateful for and
never stand in need of assistance, it
would be foolish to pray; but if you
require a helping hand, you do well
to ask for it and if in your life there
are good things which are not wholly
the result Of your own endeavors,
there is no reason why you should not
be thankful therefor and say so to the
lord.
1t is useless to pray unless you wish
to do so, for prayer with no heart IN
IL cannot reach any great distance
from the earth. Vho Lord may know
that you are uttering a few words,
but II you merely 20 through the form
of the service and do not thoroughly
mean what yMh say you may as well
keep silence, for He pays no heed. II
you really want something He gives
you the privilege of asking for it, and
If your soul is ycarning TO possess 1t
lie not only listens with sympathy,
but answers the petition in His own
time and in His own way.
The true idea uf prayer is that
there Is a kind Of community OF inter-
est between you and God. You wish
to do what is best for yourself, and
lie is ready to do what is best for you.
But being a creature with many limi-
tations, many impulses, and judg-
ment not always sound, you are
neither certain as to what Is best for
you at all times, nor is it possible for
you to find out You are sure Of only
this much-namely, you want all
things to be agreeable and pleasant,
and that you shrink from experiences
which give you pain. When, there
fore, you petition the Almighty you
very naturally ask Him to exempt
you from what is burdensomc and tC
give you what will make you comfort.
able and happy. You never ask Hin
to make you poor or to lay you on q
bed of sickness or to take away from
you the dear ones In your home. il
you knew everything you might dt
this, but knowing very little you pra!
that He will not atflict you.
The other factor in the problem o
prayer is God the Father. II you d.
not know what In the long run vii
produce the hest spiritual results, H
does. You are finite and without ful
knowledge, while He, being infinite
must needs see the end from the be
y ginning. When your petition lie
before Him, what ought He-we sa
1t reverently-wliat ought He to do
II His fatherly heart is touched b
D sympathy for you, as you believe IL II
;, will He grant what would be an ev
because you have asked for it, bu
t honestly thinking It will be q good
r Should your partial knowledge decid
the matter, or will you trust to HI
perfect knowledge? Being small, 20
: sometimes think Him almost cruel !
: His dcnials, whereas ifyou were large
you would see that His way Is bes
and your way is worst.
:" You cannot help asking for GOO
). fortune. You would hardly be huma
II you did not, since these thing
!. viewed from our standpoint, sceI
c very desirable, and since you belle,
I, they will subserye your interest be
ter than III health and bad forum
It you can scarcely petition for anythiu
II else. And when a loved one ho
II ers between life and death, with
the uncertainties Of the occasio
o Pickering like the flame Of a candl
. you would be strange father
% mother II your fearful petitions coul
y possibly represent anything excel
the return Of the child to your Gu
! braces Neither heaven nor earth Gu
). ask you 10 pray In any other fashio
! Hearts are human, love is might
!, the severlng Of ties Is awful, Gethser
4 ane is q garden uuder whose shad0y
20 snc ,.vslAs gladly and dcash Ia
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