The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-09-10

Moses, again and again, oherS proyeS
In behalf OF Israel and obtains for them
forgiveness and blessing, where the
wrath of God was about to consume
them for their disobedience. Joshua
and the long line of judges were men
of prayer, and through their prayers
of faith God was able to send deliver
ance from enemies and to bless. David.
In his prayerless moments, planned to
be a temple builder of God, and the
prophet of God, ere he had talked the
matter over with God In prayer COM
mended the king for his worthy
ambition, and assured him that he
should realize his hearts desire. But
J the prophet after an interview with
God must endure the humiliation OF
J going to the king and reversing his
judgment and commentator and tell
tho 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 Mes
stah giver.
ITHE prayers or Cody kings time and
i time again stayed the destroying
hand of the enemy and delayed the judy
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. It 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
Jerusalem, even 20 years." Prayerful
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 suppli-
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 Me-
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 fulfllment to this very day.
JAMES 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
men who have wrought with and for
God have been men Of prayer. And ev-
cry Christian in his own experience may
prove that 1t is true; yea, 1t is not only
his privilege, but his duty to do SO. His
Christian life must be barren indeed.
and he must be almost 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 doubt II 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, I 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
because He prayed. and we must not for
get that prayer marks our pathway to
victory; 1t 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 1
prayerless are the lives of many of Gods
children. heard the story, a true story,
Of a little boy Christian and his Joy in
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
II 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
a little Christian who prayed, and when
he got into place where he did not
know what to do he would talk to Jesus
about 1t. So he set his basket down by
the roadside, and kneeling behind some
bushes, asked help to get home. He was
30 absorbed in his little prayer that he