The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-01-14
HE GREAT POWER OF PRAYER
ermon Preached Last Sunday by Rev. M. H. Sharples
Comment on Prayers of Different Denominations.

prayer is the diyinely appointed mean
rfeiy the soul may obtain Access unit
q. u u the road that leadelh unto th
Of heaven. II Is the rock al whiel
door oi the Kings temple flies opel
admits the supplieani 10 the roya
pts, II Is the chariot Of lire that car
the believer Ia q moment away from
h's distractions aud brings him int,
immediate presence of the King o
pss, II 4 the telephone which carrie
voice Of feeble man far away through
clouds up TO the glorious city Of III,
Jerusalem, Prayer ls spoken need
expression Of sinners wants, tn,
nest duplication for pardon, the fer
d iniene~slon for friend or dear one IN
Pnyer-you don't need the minister Ia
60 you about that. Some OF you old
prch members can ieacn him lesson or
D ia that matter. for you were engaged
this divine art, this divine exercise, long
lore he was born. You ought not, and
hops, are not content with mumbling
J same old petition, whatever the see,
p; whether thanksgiving or a day OF
lnillatlon, or a missionary effort, or q
Cheering for blessing on our own imme.
)te work. You ought 10 know how TO
~ by this time, just ~ men and women
|pw how 10 sing who have studied the
J for long years, and rs men know how
[speak a foreign language well who have
sn using Il habtually a great part OF
Dir lives. You are very likely. however
|nced constantly a gentle reminder about
Ayer. Now il Is interesting To mark the
dcrent types OF prayer which prevail in
herent churches. The Methodist. as
j., IL short, fiery, enthusiastic; the Pres
ferian IL long, ponderous. doctrinal; the
polished and euphemistic
: Episcopal. a monotonons, over'used
nrgy.
Vow. what we want Is not any one OF
sse types OF prayer but combination |
their good features. You complain very |
ely that the prayer.meeting is dull. II |
is. IL is probably your own fault. BE |
re earnest yourselves in prayer, you,
ose voice is seldom heard in public pc.
on. and those who lead you will soon
the warmth of your sympathy inspir.
them to greater fervency and loftier
hts of the soul. Ii is impossible to
y so earnestly in the dead Indifference
n listless open.eyed company as in the
ressed earnestness of gathering of
ristians listening not with critical ear,
with the heart longing 10 bear up the
Ter by the full force of their sympathy,
our PRAYER meetings a man often feels
ertain whether the people are with
!. or whether he is journeying alone up |
hill and having to pull all after him.
ave often thought that our prayer meet a
are far too much a service and too {
e mighty striving with God. Why! Ii
I not fact that many of you come in {
90 out of the meeting, not having had {
depths of your nature stirred by any. {
10 that has been done or saidg | am i
king now of the church generally and il
of any particular case, And shall IN
il? This is why our church's work il
so short. Ii our hearts were all .
ing hearts we would not be so cold Il
stiff toward all the entreaties of a &
ours love.
he men who have done Gods work in 4
world have been uniformly men OF t
er. Prayer gave them strength to do o
great things they did. Outlines men {,
great natural talents have accom- il
led nothing. because they were not Il
,orted by the immense amount of al
which prayer draws down to the
Of the supplicant, whilst men with Il
any special mental gifts have drawn W
Great God down from His throne bI
remember our Lord said II thank in
. O. Father, Lord of heaven and "a
that Thou didst hide these things
the wise and understanding and 7,
reveal them unto babes" Some one
,aid: "The deepest and most precious
.s are accessible to all men equally,
III all men do not accept them" II s.
1 not do. for instance, to make prayer X,
Deuuisite of superior intellectual en- ha
nent, or high position. True, these in
: have value of their own but they IN,
lot the most important by any means Al
aver had to be taught to the world of
e wise and understanding, if the sim fic
ad to learn to address God from that in
e. would we not feel that there was su
hing wrong? Prayer is not so much of
,litv of mind as il is quality of tn
Wise and simple alike have to be- sh
as little child and we feel ii is Just pc
ought to be. Ga
is not as the wise man but as the sol
that even the greatest intellects have Til
I'd the Kingdom of God. A beauti- pr,
lecdote about Phillips Brooks. given ing
Iustrate the delight in communion ING
prayers. was given by DR.. Laws of csc
more at the great worldwide Baptist TIL
ntion held in London, August 1905. alt
lend of mine" said DR.. Laws, "a the
Baptist minister in the states, was we
Phillips Brooks. The great man was Ger
very gentle, very low anc
I'd so he took this obscure young min ms
l. 81 fbn,- fvio
Gone day." says DR.. I
"mv friend wanted to see the bishop den
he sought for him all over the ship. Gee
EN- went down among the steerage Bro
gers. where the great hearted bishop ure
mes used to go on errands OF mercy con
we Finally he went to his state Hal
and knocked gently. There was no asst
:. He turned the knob of the door and str
it open little and there he saw ent
s Brooks lying PROSTATE upon the Mel
IF the little cabin" At first DR.. MOI
friend thought the bishop was i'll. MAJ
haps dead, and he stood for mo- M
All of sudden, how seco
he heard these words coming from rem
os of Phillips Brooks: 20 Lord otht
Thou hast filled my life with peace Foil
ladness. To look into Thy face Past
n most exquisite Joy. 1T. LdWs NJ.
ely adds: "My friend realized in a Sha1
It that he was listening to Phillips turn
in prayer, so he shut the door and rend
lently away" choi
nv brethren. the great apostle ex- were
us here to be in constant prayer. cial
,son and out of season pray with
asing," says the prophet Elijah.
without ceasing," says. Daniel. inc'
without ceasing," says John. The
-ast company of the church triumph Or