The Dolores star., 1905-01-13
RELIGIOUS.
ACCEPTABLE PRAYER.
That Which is Pleasant Is Acceptable

lnat winch Is FIeaSaub Is ACCept0DIe
BY RALEIGH RICHARDSON WHITE.
In praying for revival which we
have promised to do-which in my
absence hope oil christians will not
fail to do = there are qualifications
necessary in order to make prayer
pleasing to God, before it will be
acceptable.
If we have a right to pray for
that for which we do pray 1t is
acceptable, provided we pray in the
right spirit. But if W. can secure un-
der n general providence, by industry,
that which we desire, then we have no
right to expect God to execute special
providence in our behalf. For instance,
a farmer who neglects to prepare his
soil before planting, and also fails to
cultivate correctly his crop has no
right to pray for full fruitage, be-
cause he has not used his mental and
physical strength In order to reach the
desired end. If we think of God in
telligently we will learn that "God is
a strict economist" and that He de-
mands Of us to utilize all Of our re-
sources before we make special prayer
to Him for assistance. But II our own
resources are exhausted then We may
call oil Him for help, remembering
that l'without faith 1t Is impossible to
please him; for he that cometh to God
must believe that he is, and that he is
the rewarder of them that diligently
seek him.
I will illustrate: / was invited dur
ing drOugh, by the christians in and
about Webberville, Texas, to preside
over meeting to pray for rain. The
first speaker said: 1--WE will fail to
make a crop unless we haye rain"
The second speaker called attention to
the fact that "water was very scarce
and that some farmers were hauling it
ten mile, that the grass was dying and
all the stock would perish without
rain." was requested to express my
self. / did SO, stating "that the rea-
sons given why God would give us
rain were all personal and selfish, and
referred alone to human comfort and
prosperity, and were destitute of both
correct motive and spirit in prayer"
/
| bleton, said: 1.-THE reason l want it to
rain is that we robbed God, and want
| it to rain that and all others christians
may be financially able to honor God
with our substance more than we have
ever done before"
told the people that Brother Ham,
bleton had hit the key note to success,
and that if we could pray with the
spirit and pray with the understand
ing" that we wanted rain, because we
really wished to honor God with our
means, that though the heavens looked
like brass, we would have abundance
of rain. After pleading with God to
take all selfishness out of our hearts,
and promising to honor Him with our
money, we closed the meeting at about
A o'clock in the afternoon, and in less
than an hour laundering was heard in
the distance, soon after small cloud
appeared in the southeast that broad
ened and gathered strength, being
waited by southeast winds until the
heavens were dark, and before sunset
a refreshing rain began that continued
until all necessities were satisfied, both
for crops and grass. Who caused it to
rain2 God who can do for us what we
cannot do for ourselves. Why did God
give us rain? Because we prayed with
a right motive and in a right spirit.
Did God destroy any force or obviate
any law? No. God is above His laws,
and uses forces in obedience to His will
in order to accomplish His purposes.
The moral of what have written is
J this: 1.-THE clock strikes when there is
change from hour to hour, but there is
no hammer in the horologe of time to
peal through the universe when there
Is change from era to era" ''God
notes those pivotal periods and uses
them" as He may think best for His
glory.
If, as christians, we stand in the
way Of his purposes to save men, sc
, that our influence deters men from re
penting of their sins, and believing in
His son an personal savior, God will
not hear our prayer In the sinners be
half. But to the contrary God will
place on us hardships to cause us to re
pent. If as christians we expect pro
lection from God, then protection
without question, implies allegiance t.
God. There is such thing as 'punit
} faithn which reveals the absence o
true faith, by which marked disregard
/ ,,1,, s,, kt,o lsx,ne ~ ~ L ,s.