River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-03-16
How God
Answers Prayer
By REV. H. PAGE DYER
Rector of Episcopal Church Of
Ascension, Philadelphia


gent people say we should not pray
and they give reasons for so believ-
Ing. But even so, when there comes
into their life some serious illness, or
some approaching disaster, or the
facing of death, almost all Of them
fall to prayer.
Even infidels and agnostics and
atheists have been known to turn to
God at such a time; they have ceased
to rely upon their atheism or agnos-
ticism and have felt the God they had
denied to be their only help in their
time of need. One such in his ex.
tremity. who was not willing to break
wholly with his denial of God, cried
out as he was lying, 20 God, if there
be a God, save my soul, if have
soul"
If one were to ask us why we
should pray we could give many an
Ewers. If we believe in God at all
(and almost everybody does), we
realize his power and our depend
ence, and, therefore, the need Of
prayer. If he can help us (omnipo-
tent) and knows how to help US
(omniscient) and wants to help us
(all-loving), then there is only left
the need of our request or prayer.
Every religion of every kind,
heather, pagan, superstitious, Jewish,
Christian, does pray. If, therefore,
we fail to pray we are putting our
Judgment against every religion past
and present known to man, and also
against the instinct of every race,
black, white, yellow, savage, wild or
civilized.
This seems to be rash position to
take and we would not think of taking
such a stand in any matter other than
our relationship to God. And if there
be an intelligent and loving delay, it
is not very polite or courteous not to
speak to him at times. This speaking
to him should include alteration and
thanks, as we'll as begging. We would
not so neglect merely human friend.
But If we do pray, how does God
answer us? We find men hold two
diverse theories as to this. One is:
That God sends his answer directly
from heaven and not through an
agent. But this is surely contrary to
our universal experience. In our secu-
lar life every good and perfect gift
comes from God alone, but always
through some one else.
Our money comes from God, but
through dealings with men; our cloth
ing comes from God, but through deal
ings with an importer, merchant or
tailor. In our physical life our birth,
development, cure and nourishment
all come from God, but through our
mother, exercise, doctor and food.
said this at a mission and challenged
any one to find an exception. The
only thing they could suggest was a
farmers prayer for rain, which came.
But this involved clouds and baro-
metric pressure and oceans and for
ests and may meteorological agents.
The second and true theory is that
God answers our prayers. He alone
can, but always through some agency.
AS this is true in our secular and ply
steal life, so it is true in our spiritual
life. AS we got our physical life from
God through our mother, so we get
our Christian life from God through
Saptism.
AS we got our physical strength
from God through exercise, SO we get
our spiritual strength from God
through confirmation. AS we get our
spiritual nourishment from God
through bread, meat, etc., SO we get
our spiritual nourishment from God
through holy communion. AS we get
our phyhical cure from God through
the doctor and medicine, so we get
our spiritual cure from God through
penance.
This law is so universal and so sim
pie that we would never think of
doubling it If it were not for our re-
ligious prejudices.
What are some of these agencies
which God uses? The four fundamen,
tai needs of birth, strength, food,
cure are supplied as above. There
are many incidental and subsidiary
needs all supplied by God but through
agencies.