Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-04-26
CHRISTIAN ENDEAYOR.
Prayer Meeting Topic For the Week
Beginning April 80.
BY REV. s. II. DOYLE,


Topic.-Prayer for missions at home and
abroad Tim. II. Is
Prayer should have the suE-eme
place in our religious lives. Pray
without ceasing7 is the Scriptural in
junction concerning prayer in our
private lives. and when Paul was in
structing Timothy how to conduct the
public worship in the church ut
Ephesus he gave prayer the first place:
Fl exhort, therefore, that, first OF al.
supplications, prayers, intercesslons and
giving thanks be made for all men" In
the church, therefore, we are to pray
for all men, and what can we more
suitably pray for those who arewithout
Christ than that they should have the
opportunity of knowing and accepting
Him! The supreme business OF the
church of Christ in this world is to
evangelize it, and in this work we
must have the power of God, and
prayer is the means by which We have
access to God. God has promised to
answer our prayers.
Prayer as the supreme source OF
missionary power and success has al
ways been recognized. The psaimist
prayed. God be merciful unto US and
bless and cause His face to shine upon
US, that Thy way may be known upon
earth, Thy saving health among all
nations" Paul and Barnabas were
set apart to the work Of missionaries
by prayer. And when they had fast
ed and prayed and laid their hands on
them they seiiI taelI away ..i.J N..el
the great apostle was engaged IN his
arduous tolls and llbors he was cfC.'
bearing those for whom lie laCGrcG 70
God in prayer. Without ceaSing |
make mention of you always i'll my
prayers, he wrote to the Romans. and
in his epistics we have the record OF
prayers offered in behalf of the
churches.
The motto of John Eliot. the apostle
to the Indians, written at the end OF
his Indian grammar was. Prayer aal
pains through faith in Jesus Christ Will
do anything
! Prayer was put first, and his convert
ed Indians became known rs 'prd. ing
bands" and Indian praying towns"
All successful missionaries and mis-
sionary workers have given prayer tAe
first place in their la5ors. and we
should follow their example. We may
not have wealth to give, we may not
be able to go to Il foreign Land To
preach the gospel, but we can all pay,
and the "effectuIl, ferveut prayer o. 4
righteous man availeth mUch.' Pray
er for all men is good and acceptable
In the sight of God our Saviour, who
win have all men 10 be saved and to
come unto the knowledge Of the t.u,h.s
The reasonabieness of prayer IN coz
nection with all missionary efforts is
evident from the fact that there is but
zone God and one mediator between
God and man, the man Christ Jesus"
The world has but one God ana one
Saviour; therefore we should earnestly
and constantly pray to our God that
He will bless us in our efforts to send
the knowledge of this one mediator
and Saviour to the world. Without
Him we can do nothing. The void
will never be won for Christ by human
endeavor Not by might nor by pow
er, but by My Spirit. saith the Lord of
Hosts" How truly these words may
be applied to missions! All the human
power in the world cannot convert one
single soul to Christ, much less win
the world for Him. But our God can
do 1t, and He is more than willing tc
crown our missionary efforts with sue
cess. Do we want God to use US in
this work? If so, let US ask Him to
use US, for if we ask we shall receive
TASK of Me, and l shall give thee the
heather for thine inheritance and the
uttermost parts of the earth for thy
possession"
BIBLE READINGS.
Ps. Il, S: xxi, 27-31; xxi, $40; Dan.
VII, u, Il; Matt. vii. Z, s; xxi, %; Luke
xviii, l; John xvii, 20; Rom. X, IA, Is;
Rev. xxi, II.
p. "
Rural Family Endcayor.