The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-02-23

child Of God.
What lie Prayer7
Prayer naR been defined as An o.
fering up Of our desires unto God i0f
things agreeable to bis will, in he
name Of Christ, Tith the confession 81
our sins and thankful acknOwIedg
ment OF his mercies." Yet prayer ,Sl
more than this; It Ia a dialogue, not d
monolOguc; It Ia a vision AZ well AZ
q voice; It is a revelation AZ well ~
a duplication. Prayer ~ not a mere
venture and r voice OF mine. but "
vision and II voice divine.
In the heart Of every one prayer IF =
sense OF need. bnt a sense Of Deeo
is not prayer, Prayer Is asking for a
felt need and asking God, not the uni
verse, for II. Prayer Is more than an
asking, 1t la a receiving, a hearing, q
learning Of God, a converse and ON
munion in which he has much to say
and we have much 10 hear and learn
The day In which we live 10 so 'ob
Of possibilities that an intelligent mar
will not consider anything Impossible
Years ago Morse was considered il
fool because he asserted the poGHi0hl
ty Of communication between Wash
ington and New York. Likewise Mar
conf was laughed at when he first al
vocated the idea OF wireless toleg
raphy. Time and experience, how
.znr hn,, ,NgtaV, tbpt fhpgg men
were wise and no foolish
Prayer 10 made possible TO the
Christian because OF the revelation
Christ has brought TO the world, Of
the Father. It Is only when we IN
derstand the true nature Of God That
prayer becomes possible. This rcye-
lation Ia brought to ua only through
Christ'G Interpretation Of God. The
god Of science and philosophy does
not furnish any incentive TO pray.
Balm, the scientist. describes the god
Of science as a doubIe-facod some
thing-mind and forCe-which he be-
hind all natural phenomena,
God te Called Father.
II Is a remarkable thing to notice
In almost every instance In the New
Testament that when God Is referred
to In connection with prayer he "
called Father. This in Itself IL an
announcement to prayer. aa web as
indicating that prayer In a possibility
It Ia expected that Il child will ask hH
father for things 1t would not ask a
stranger for. The f~atherhood of Goo
ia not only a motive to prayer, but at
the same time a thought which makes
prayer both desirable and possible
Do I find It hard to do az some peo-
Die tell me-namely, TO pray all
nlght"-let me not be discouraged,
but remember that like as a father
God deals with his children. do not
ask OF my own child that he agorlze
al night when presenting 10 me a
request. But you may say. u am not
sure that obey properly" reply.
Like as a father" Does an earthly
parent not grant his child any petit,
ton until he properly obeys? Like
as a lhtheT Dut' SOu b"'' w ~
understand God" Who does? Shalt
a father not grant q cblld's request
until be Is understood by the child'
Then the chIld'B request will never be
granted. Like szarfatber pltistb mis-
children. so the Lord p'ttetb them
that fear him"
But the Father to whom we ar"
to pray ia an almighty Father. ore
who Is absolutely sovereign and ON
nipotent. There are no difbcuitjee
with God. and we must always re-
mamber that More things are
wrought by prayer than this world
dreams Of" Whatever may be our
ontpion Of the unChangeabIeneBs OF
Gods laws, we must never forgef
that every promise made to the pray
erful soul shall be fulfilled by 4
sovereign God, even though ten thou
sand Of what we call Interchangeable
laws need TO be $50 called) broken.
Is Il not true that We ourselves
break laws 10 supply the needs Of cor
oxr children? II my little child fs
diving Of a burning fever In the middle
NJ August and calls for Ice when the
tonnerature registers 100 degree, "
I know enough ! can make ice. even
though the temperature stands at 1876,
and answer the prayer Of my child. "
nv boy is falling from a third story
window, and hearing his affrighted
call | rush TO his help and catch him
ere he touches the ground not only
save his life. but | break what may
bs called an Interchangeable law
namely. the law Of gravitation. y"
NAV we believe all things are possible
with God.