Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1905-06-22
TaE pRoBLEM OF PRAYER.

Pray without CeaNlng, Il lhess'
5lT.
To many It Is an open question
whether Il IL worth while or even pos
slble to pray ut all, and therefore out
of the question entirely To pray con-
tinmlly, rau's injunction appears
even To those who believe In prayer
applicable only to the monk and the
recluse Even II 1t were possible to
obey the command IN the ordinary
sense Il is doubtful whether the world
would he any better II life were one
perpetual prayer meeting
II Is not strange that many have
swung away from the practice OF for
NAL prayer when the older conception
OF It's meaning tS contrastrd with the
modern conception Of life, once pray
er meant the sealing or the eyes and
the ears To the scenes and the sounds
of this life that one might gaze upon
ana hold communion with those OF an
other world, 1t meant, TOO, almost OK.
cluSlvely the act ot ardcntly petition.
ing heaven Tor the things that one
could not and often would not get for
himself But life to-day dare not shut
It's eyes; IL counts il sin to ignore
this world of need and sin even for the
sake OF the bliss Of world where
these things are not,
Then, men ask. Il prayer Is no more
than 81 fY,Ant fAnf
without labor or compensation. In
what way does Il differ from begging?
In what way Is the man who says
Heaven owes me Il living" any better
than the one who says "'rhe world
owes me lIvIng'f The product OF
! such prayer Is pAuperIzation. The
logical end OF that theory is savagery;
ali the Inducements 10 toll as well
as the restraints of life would be gone;
one might ask for ralamitics on others
as we'll as for blessings IN oneself
| But practically all the difficulties OF
| prayer arise from the limitation OF its
meaning to II petition. They come
from the point Of view that thinks
| only of answers. of goods sent In re-
sponse to prayer orders. The man who
says | will work for my bread In
stead of begging heaven for 1t may be
still man OF prayer. His work may
| be the nOblest prayer, while his heart
may 90 ont to God In gratitude for
strength and opportunity to labor.
Work is prayer, love Is prayer. graft.
tude is prayer, education Is prayer.
The world needs more men and wO.
men who pray with their hands of
helpfulnesS, their feet that speed on
errands OF kindness, their eyes that
look out In good cheer, their ears that
listen in sympathy.
Prayer is nm attitude rather than
an act. 1t must be without ceasing.
1t Is like love, not an net nor a series
OF acts, but a relationship. 1t is as
much more than words as love Is
greater than It's deeds. Formal prayers
are to prayer itself as the letters of
a friend are to the love Of that friend,
The love goes on without ceaslng; the
prayer. the aspiration, the longing
after the presence Of. the knowledge
Of, the love of God goes on without
ceasng
Prayer Is nm atmosphere, n habit. a
second and higher nature. 1t Is life
that in Itself Is one long unbrOken
pettion for his likeness and his life
1t will find expression in words, but
1t will not be limited to them. II Is
the child living with his father; such
a life will involve the making of re
quests and the granting Of them, but
such things will be only incidental, not
essential 10 it's communion. Living
with such a father we shall tell hin
all our needs, desires fears, but shal
we hide from him our joys, hopes
and aspirations? We shall want hin
to see our work, to rejoice with III
in it. Prayer will not be reciprocal.
The prayer that Is no more thar
petition for provision must be as pain
full to God as It would be to us wht
are parents II our children never ad
dressed us save to beg for their meals
and their clothes. On the other hand
the life Of prayer that found no ex
preston in words, that made no re
o quests and looked for no tangible gifts
would be as strange as If our children
;. were dumb and we were powerless t.
! love them in deed as well as in feel
n ing. The life of prayer Is the reallza
8 ton Of the perfect relations of the Al
a Father with all his children.
r. UNITY VS.. UNIFORMITY.