Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-02-05

deed so close that one might at first
glance consider them identical. Pow
er in prayer implies power in service
and vice versa. The individual Chris
/! tian possessing either one is sure to
possess the other. They cannot be
separated. Yet there is a distinction.
These two phrases present two differ
entl aspects Of the Christians power.
Power in prayer lays emphasis upon
thej source of power, while power in
service lays emphasis upon the effects
or results Of power. The one looks at
the channel through which power is
received, the other looks at the channel
through which power Is exercised. We
see this double aspect Of power rec
ognized by the angel as possessed by
Jacob, which justified the change Of
his name from Jacob, the "supplanter,"
to Israel, the prince Of God." For as
prince hast thou power with God and
with men,"
1. The Scriptures abundantly de-
clare the omnipotence Of prayer.
No less than seventy-three different
passages contain Gods promise to an
swer prayer. In these promises God
encourages His children to ask any
thing they want in the name Of Christ,
John xiv, IA, IF we shall ask anything
in my name will do it." Matt. xviii,
10, 'If two Of you shall agree on earth
as touching any thing that they shall
ask, 1t shall be done for them Of my
Father who Is in heaven" Matt. XXI
%, "And all things whatsoever ye shall
ask in prayer believing, ye shall re-
ceive." Matt. vii, Z, 8, ASK and 1t shall
be given you; seek, and ye shall find,
knock and it shall be opened unto you"
John iii, %, "And whatsoever we ask
we receive Of him." These and ms !
othF Scriptures lay the foundation for
prayer, broad and deep. Every good
thing in Gods universe may be had
for the asking. There Is absolutely no
limit to the power Of prayer except the
limit to the power to pray. AS we con-
template these exceeding great and
precious promises, and then contem-
plate how far we fall short Of their
fullness in answer to our prayers, we
must feel that we lack much yet Of
reaching that power in prayer which
1t Is our privilege in Christ Jesus to
enjoy. Like the disciples Of old, we
are constrained to cry out, Lord, teach
us to pray" When Archimedes was
studying the principles Of the lever,
he was so impressed with its tremen-
dous power that he exclaimed, Give
me fulcrum and place to stand on,
and can move the world" The Chris
tian has that lever in prayer, that full
crum in God, and that standing place
in the promises; and so he may do, yea
he Is doing, what Archimedes could not
do, he is moving the world. Did not
Paul turn the world upside down, his
enemies being Judge? We need to
learn more and more how to use the
power in prayer. When the church has
fully learned that lesson, there will
spring up a new heaven and a new
earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness.
II. The Scriptures recognize and de-
clare prayer to be all essential force in
establishing the kingdom of God on the
earth. There are in the Bible no less
than eighty eight recorded answers TO
prayer. These answered prayers mark
the progress and triumph Of the C. .urch
throughout the Old and New Testament
history. A careful study Of this sub
ject will reveal that God In his In
scrutable wisdom has conditioned the
exercise of his almighty power In es-
tablishing and extending his Kingdom
in the world, on the prayers of his peo-
pie. Having declared, by his prophet
Ezekiel. the rich blessing, both tenn
poral and spiritual, in store for Israel,
he says, II will yet for this be enquired
of by the house Of Israel, to do this
thing for them" This is Gods estab-
lished order. "All the promises Of God
in Christ are yea, and in Him, Amen
yet they lie inefficient and dead until
vitalized by prayer. Every great deliV-
erance from her enemies vouchsafed
the church in all the past has come IN
answer to prayer. In every real revival
in all the history Of the church, prayer
has been the potent factor. The Won
derful revival of interest in missions
in the church today, and the wonderful
success attending that revival, declare
the omnipotence Of prayer.
PRAYER makes the darkened cloud
withdraw,
PRAYER climbs the ladder Jacob saw,
Gives exercise to faith and love,
Brings every blessing from above.
Restraining prayer we cease to fight;
Prayer makes the Christians armor
bright;
And Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees.
From this we can understand why
Christ laid so great emphasis upon the
duty of prayer in His disciples. He
declares that "men ought always to
pray" He has rich blessings Of grace
and power to give, but can bestow
them only on those that ask. His rip
ening harvest is going to loss for the
want Of reapers, yet he waits for the
prayers of the laborers already at work,
to thrust out more laborers into HIS
harvest; and If these prayers are with
held, the laborers are likewise withheld.
without the power of Christ, his peo-
Gle can do nothing; and without the
prayers of his people, Christ will do
nothing ASK, and we shall receive y
1T is more blessed to give than to re-
ceive," but the prayerless soul denies
that blessedness to the yearning, loving
heart Of Jesus. We see from the exam
pies in Scripture that the power In
prayer Is not confined to the spiritual
sphere, but extends to the realm of ma
ture and providence as well. The vio-
lence of fire Is quenched by prayer. BY
it the lions mouth Is shut. Fire comes
down from heaven and consumes Eli
jah's sacrifice in answer to prayer He
prayed and the heaven was shut up so
it rained not on the earth for the space
of three years and six months; and