Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-11-22

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lpany returned to Jerusalem, Nehemiah |
went thither with al. escort and fun |
authority from the king of Persia to
rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and to
Irestore it's gatGs 1T would appear
THAT Ezra's reformation. while very
helpful to the people, brought against
Them the violent opposition of their
lneighbors as was To have been expect
led The Jews, nov considerable in
lnumbers, were despised by their
lneighbors, who wished to drive them
Tout of the land The wall Of the city
was poor and did not Withstand the
lattack.
Josephus says that Nehemiah,
: wealthy and favored of the king of
Persia. resided in the kings palace at
Shushan He was a pious man and
deeply interested in the land of his
fathers While walking one day he
overheard two men talking in the He
brew tongue. and accosted them. They
had been 10 Jerusalem and had re-
turned. One of them proved to be his
Town relative He gladly inquired re-
Ispecting the holy land, the holy city,
foods temple and concerning the Jews
lWho had returned from Babylon. The
sad story of their trials and the desc
llation of the city and its exposure to
tenemies touched his heart and led him
Ito prayer. That prayer is the subject
lof this lesson.
Undoubtedly the recorded prayer of
nehemiah is merely an epitomiZed
lstatement, for we read that he made
1.-The matter subject of earnest prayer
flor four months. before he reached the
I - III in,
line fuldlment of his own petition.
iThis reminds us OF how our Lord in
fstrucfed His disciples. saying, Pray
We the Lord of the Harvest that He
would send forth more laborers into
his Harvest While the disciples
ithus prayed it would imply that they
would be laboriag il. accordance with
their pra vers. that they would be do
ling all in their owr power to forward
the Harvest work as we'll as to inter-
est other laboreTs ia the same. Thus
liz must always bs-that earnest effort
win accompany PRAYER. Prayers not
Recommended b. efforts brand them
tselves as insineere. The prayer which
/ f. not of faith is iIl-Unseriptural, sac
religious.
The Souls sircerc Desire.
The Poet has well defined PRAYER as
being the souls sincere desire, ut
TERED or unexproased Another has
well declared tia. it lis the Christians
Vital breath" that Is to say. Christian
Ieharaeter cannot - maintained with
cut praver any NOR, than human life
leould be maintained without breath
ling. who has mol no;ieed that all the
lereat Bihle characters used of the Al
mighty were accustomed to go to Him
Regularly in prayer and To seek fer
lguiaance fron Him IL respect TO every
matter? Even the great Redeemer.
holy. harmless, uaaefiled ana separate
from sinners. needed TO pray to the
Father-needed Ils fellowship and
eomrnuninn- to he in touch
with the Infinite Ol.e. Several of His
ipravers are recortlAl and we are told
THAT lie spent the entire night in pray
Ter on more than on- occasion.
| Some may ask. Mould tho Almighty
lchange His pl,hs IL answer To. our
petitions AssurtIilF He world not.
Indeed. on the contrary. we are eau
toned in tn, Scriptures 10 ask only
laccording o. His sid. We are warned
that if we ask anti.ss our petitions will
mot be answered. Hcnce the necessi-
ltv for sftdving Gods Word aud being
Ienlightened ther2ht respecting the Dt-
!. vine program that Ne may ask in har-
4 mony Herewith and receive strength
4 and encouragement through the an
4 swer to our petitions.
/ The Redeemer gave us the keynote
| To this. saying. III ye abide in Me and
Nv words abide II You, We may ask
1 what We will and II shall lie done unto
/ YOU" tJohn XIV. ID Alas, how few
A seem 10 note the I've limitations of
this promise:
II On The one asking must be in |
H christ-abiding in Him. This means |
H that the petitioner has turned from |
/ sin. has accepted Christ and the terms |
| OF discipleship. 1t implies that he has |
/ made a full conservation of his life to |
H The Lord and become new creature |
H in Christ Jesus. Such, abiding in
i Christ, may pray 10 the Father
H 90 After having come into mem
4 bership and fellowship with the Head,
Il the Messiah, these must ask in har-
mony with Gods Word and promises;
/ in order to know what things to ask
/ for they must search the Scriptures.
which are sufficient, that the man of
God may be thoroughly furnished"
| So far as the world is concerned,
many of its affairs are purely of
chance, under the permission of nat
ural laws with which God does not
generally interfere. 1t is in the affairs
of His consscrated people that God
assures us He takes special interest |
These are so supervised by His Prov
depce that He guars. ntees His chill
dren that all things shall work togeth-
err for good to thens.
God is pleased to make use of the
little talents possessed by His eonse-
Grated people, ami their usefulness as
ambassadors for GOD in their own fa-
miles and own cities, will depend very
much upon the earnestness of their
prayers and endeavors. Those who
pray for opportunities to serve the
Lord and His cause and who watch
for the fulfilment Of their prayers IN
the open doors of opportunity VIII
, hat COO