The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-12-20
NO. 43.

ters. There is nothing that pays 50
well as prayer, and the more dihculs
the prayer to make the greater the re-
ward for making it.
Prayer is what some one has called
athe slender nerve that moyeth the
muscles Of omnipotence." Prayer is the
respiration Of the SOUL Iti
the whisper of helplessness in \ the ear
Of help. It is laying hold Of almighti-
ness, omniscience and omnipresence ct
one and the same time. Prayer enlists
all Divine and angelic Reinforcement.
Prayer is laying hold OF q pulley fas-
tened to the Heavenly throne. Prayer
is the first breath of q newborn soul.
and it is heard in the last gasp OF
earthly Christian experiences. Prayer!
In an instant it mounts the highest
heavens. Neither seraph nor arch
angel ever few swifter or higher than
the infants petition at her mothers
knee. What an opportunity is prayer!
Why not oftener use it praying tor
ourselves? What better work would
we do, what better lives would we
live, what better hopes would we An~
tertain, il we multiplied and intenst-
fed our prayers!
Some one asked q soldier of Stone
wall jackson the secret Of the great
generals influence over his men. Does
your general abuse you, swear at you,
to make you march?" "Swearl" re-
piled the soldier. mol" Ewell does
the swearing. Stonewall does the
praying. When Stonewall wants NJ
to march, he looks at us soberly. just
as IL he were sorry for us, and says:
Men, we have got to make . long
march, We always know when there
is going to be long march and right
smart fighting, for Stonewall is pow
erful on prayer just before : big
fight"
In all the tossing Of this life lay hold
Of the rope Of prayer mentioned by
John Newton, who was converted on
shipboard from being blasphemous
sailor to become great preacher of
righteousness, and who said: when 1
first amused myself with going to ser.
when the winds rose and the waves be-
came rough, / tumbled and tossed
about like . porpoise in the water. AT
last / caught hold Of rope that was
! floating about, and then was enabled
to stand upright. So when in prayer
multitude Of troublous thoughts in
wade your peace, or when the winds and
waves Of temptation arise, look out
for the rope and stay yourselves on tho
faithfulness Of God keeping His prom
ises."
My hearer, win tell you the Tins
when you can afford to cease praying.
It will be when you have no sins u be
lpardoned, no SORROWS to Be comforted.
no more friends or foes who need pour
intercessions. Queen Elizabeth sAid "a.
Walter Raleigh: Raleigh, when will
You stop begging? Raleigh replied:
when your majesty leaves Oh giving.
And your time, my hearer, to stop
prayer will be when God has no rnors
pardon and mercy and strength to be-
stow and the resources Of the infinite
are exhausted. Havelock knew the
value Of prayer when he arose st four
o'clock in the morning for his devo-
tions. The soldiers Of the Fourteenth
Massachusetts, regiment showed <het
lthev knew the iov al worship when
ithey took 4 delegate of the Chrixtinr,
conm;s;son - see what thew calIed
their ..nravinp Mace"
4 Now 4 God 10. drr;rc th~.. =.
m.rL. .howr :. TIA n.e. IN IN.
ra-tar.. ~. M hle..edre.. - rraver
s.r,,o.. -. ~ - n ~ q Ian si5
,rhar !. rr.vsd sor III. 8. .nerstor
Manv q NJ at the beoinnino 81 this
, s,h tat f.lt that v1,;le We could nr.v
for ourselves and nrav for those who
were lind = =. We never could re.eh
n. h;gb noint 81 religion. exnerience
, = which ~ could nrsv for tho.e WIN
annoy and make us feel worse instead
a feeling better. That wa. Matter.
horn that was IN Ain. 3 the IN, 81
, which We feared we could never Climb
! but we thank God that by his omnipo.
j tent grace we have reached that heich1
. q last. Let us prayl q Christ. vhc
didst pray for thine assassins. W nov
, rrav for fbnse uho desnitefullv nae =