The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1904-09-09

should realize his hearts desire. But
the prophet after an interview with
God must endure the humiliation of
going to the king and reversing his
judgment and commentator and tell
the king that he could not build Gods
temple. And King David must go in
and sit before the Lord, and find as
he communed with Him that instead of
a temple builder he was to be a Mes
?. sfah giver.
THE prayers or Cody kings time and
time again stayed the destroying
hand of the enemy and delayed the judg-
| ments that had been pronounced against
| Israel for her sins. The prophets.
through prayer, were able to shut the
heavens of rain and dew and then to
pray and bring the rain and the dew.
Through their ministry of prayer the
prophecies and purposes of God were
realized. 1t is declared of Daniel that
he understood by the books the number
| of the years whereof the word of Jeho-
yah came to jeremiah, the prophet, for
the accomplishing of the desolations of
| even ~ RAY GIL III
study of Gods word had revealed Gods
purposes concerning Israel, and Daniel
goes on to say: 81 set my face unto the
Lord God, to seek by prayer and suppl
| cations, with Hastings and sackcloth and
ashes" And pleading Gods promises,
| he prayed for the deliverance of Israel
from captivity, and God heard and an
swered that prayer in the wonderful way
recorded in the books of Ezra and Ne
hemiah. Jesus coming was ushered in
by the prayers Of Gods children who
were looking for the consolation of
| Israel" And the devout Simeon in the
temple as he prayed was given the vision
of the coming one and had been assured
that he should see Him ere he died. And
the prayer of faith found its realization
as he took the infant Jesus in his arms
and blessed Him, pronouncing that Won
derful prophecy over Him which is find
ing its fulfillment to this very day.
TAMES declares that ''the effectual,
J fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much" The testimony of Gods
word from Genesis to Revelation proves
the truth Of this declaration. All of the
uSn WuO nave Wrought WIFI anu lOC
God have been men of prayer And ev-.
cry Christian in his own experience may
prove that it is true; yea, it is not only
his privilege, but his duty to 90 so. His
Christian life must be barren indeed.
and he must be almost a stranger to God
and out of fellowship with Him, II the
prayer of faith is not rising to the Fa-
Their and receiving its answer. All men
who have wrought with and for God
have been men of prayer. Jesus was
much given to prayer, whole nights be-
ing thus spent, while the weary disciples
were unconscious in sleep. Repeated
reference is made to Jesus prayers and
seasons of prayer, but l doubt If any
adequate idea can be formed from these
detached references to the utter depend
ence which Jesus placed in these sea-
sons alone with the Father. II
the complete record of every
moment of Jesus three years
ministry were before us, l believe
we should be startled and amazed, yea
and condemned, for our own prayerless
lives, by the large place which prayer
took in His ministry. Christ was vic
torious through prayer. He prevailed
UCCduSS I1S PI GU, anu we IOI IOI-
get that prayer marks our pathway to
victory; it is the way in which we may
prevail with God. One of Jesus most
earnest admonitions to His disciples is
to pray and not to faint.
DUT in spite of the overwhelming testi-
- mony of Scripture and of those to-
day who have proved again and again
the power and efficacy of prayer, how
prayerless are the lives of many of Gods
children. The wicked. Job declares,
ask: What profit shall we have if we
pray unto Him." We do not wonder that
the people of the world can ask such
question, or that they can go through
life utter strangers to the true heart
prayer which reaches God-for there is
much so-called prayer which never gets
any higher than the head or Lne altar
rail or the pulpit or the vaulted ceilings
of the church which echoes the sound
thereof But that there should be those
of Gods children who in their hearts
ask the question, if it is not framed with
the lips: What profit shall we have if
we pray unto Him." seems almost in
credible. l heard the story, a true story,
VI d. 1lIIlc DOJ SdI HIS JOY III
receiving answer to prayer. He was
trudging along with heavy basket on
his arm. 1t was lonely country road
and darkness was falling fast. Home
was yet long way ahead He tugged
at the basket and struggled on until
it seemed to him as though he would
drop What could he do? Well, he
might have done good many things.
He might have sat down and cried. He
might have grown cross and impatient.
All, how many of us would under like
circumstances? But he did not He was
little Christian who prayed, and when |
he got into a place where he did not |
know what to do he would talk to Jesus |
about it. So he set his basket down by |
the roadside. and kneeling behind some |
bushes. asked help to get home He was |
so absorbed in his little prayer that he |
did not hear the carriage on the soft turf |
road draw near the spot and then stop. |
His prayer ended he came out to begin |
again his weary tramp homeward, and |
there before him was a carriage waiting |
The driver had seen the basket and |
stopped in wonder. And as he saw the |
little boy come from the bushes he in |
vited him to ride with his basket into |
town. And the prayer was answered |
Think you it would have happened so.
prayer or no prayer? Perhaps But |
there was prayer and the answer to
Drayer 1t was the Drayer habit that |