Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1910-08-26
Theme:
PRAYER
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Text: "He II c. meth to God must
Believe that r. is, and that He is a
rewarder of al them that diligently
seek Him."-Fiobrews, 1876.
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The Billie teaching on prayer is
very SIM -. We are concerned to-
day with o2e or two texts which are
full of Instruction and comfort:
The fir, IS Hebrews 11:6-"He that
cometh t. God must believe that He
is, and t n Re is a rewarder of all
them that liieantly seek Him."
oh" yo So, every non-atheistic
one believe that" Does he? Really,
solemnly, Gees he2 There are differ
ent ways C believing such thing. l
believe thai the Green Mountains are
in Vermont. that Yellowstone Park is
in the United States; but this belief
does not sf.ect I1y life. The believing
suggested y Tho text is very different.
God is c, tile Heavenly One who
lit the ST 5, Id dug tie ocean beds,
and bull, 5tc mountains, and made
me.
The Cod of the Universe ah, how
l must realize my small and in
ability 10 come to Him unalded-yet
God who made the lily grow, and the
bird to sing, and who reveals Himself
to me as caring for my individual
soul, my interests, my eternity, God
isl Christ teaches US to call Him
Father.
The demons believe in a God, and
acknowledge the true One. But their
belief is not of the sort that affects
conduct or makes character. A be-
levers faith in God must!
Does God reward the praying soul?
All! there is such difference between
asking and praying. Prayer is not 60
ing to a bargain counter to get things
cheap. Rather, prayer is a sort Of
telephone communication, wherein
you listen to hear what God is sayinG
to you, and respond in accordance
with that saying.
Two plead for US, in every true
prayer One, the Holy Spirit in US
(Rom. 1920; the other, the Divine
Son of God upon the Throne. (Heb.
1920 One tells us the will of God
for us, and teaches us to pray Alright;
the other presents our prayer,
cleansed, sanctifed and re-uttered by
Himself, to His loving Father and
ours who waits to be gracious
Let US interpret Scripture by Scrip
ture. There is no promise in the
Bible where it is not assumed that
the petitioner asks Alright. John IA:
10, 14.)
'In my Name" This is a wonder
ful word implying oneness with the
Divine wish and purpose of Him who
said it. Now, read Mark 11:12, and
then go into your closet and pray that
some mountain be removed, without
any regard to whether it would honor
God or really bless you or not, and
believe, if you can, tnat it will come
to pass.
One thing is sure. If this Bible is
Atrue, God wishes to do the best for
y. We have no right consciously to
k for anything less than the best.
yETe may talk over all our needs with
our feelings and desires in any mat
ter, but when it comes to demanding
n hC1
before God in Christ's name and first
settle that it is worthy OF our plead
ing, and therefore is His will.
How this method will expurgate
selfish, silly, unnecessary things from
our prayingl Oh, how patient God
has been with our demands! Bring
ing our petitions down to this sim
plicity, what holy things for ourselves
and others we shall seek, and how
definite we shall learn to be! Yes,
let US win now our petitions and mean
what we say to God. In the Balearic
Isles the mothers teach their little
ones to shoot with bow and arrow, by
tying their lunches up in packages
and fastening them to a tree twig. The
arrow must hit the twig and sever it
from the tree ere the package falls
for the hungry lad. Get at something
in your praying.
The Devils master stroke to-day is
not the card table, the dance, the the
atre, or strong drink. 1t is that sub
tie influence which permeates much
preaching and more practice, the IeaV-
en- Of spiritual corruption which works
it's way through children of praying
mothers and Christian professors
everywhere, that God is only mighty
lawgiver, with no personal, affection
ate yearnings towards His individual
child and that prayer is simply an
ethical habit worth cultivating, as one
might gaze at the moon, or enjoy a
glowing sunset, and be uplifted there
by. Christians, wake up! Take your
Bibles and learn that it's teachings on
prayer are simple and clear and that
tie God who answered Jonah and
Daniel and your mother and mine is
the same yesterday, today and for
ever
Plant your feet on promise, and
obey the conditions of prayer made so
plain in the Bible, and go to praying
as never before. The time is short
! Commune with God, though the club
or the dainty salad, or the fancy-worlz
go, all of which are we'll enough if
they do not crowd out your Lord.
Even fifteen minutes Of real prayer
will make new men and women OF all
who practice it.
premature Blast Fz:=:.
New Orleans a Snnninl frn,,, Ioons