The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-04-17

&8e me pray or I die"
says the Chris
tian. Prayer Is the native air OF the
child OF God.
What is Prayerf
Prayer has been defined as IAN or
fering up of our desires unto God for
things agreeable to his will, IN the
name Of Christ, with the confession OF
our sins and thankful acknoWledg'
ment Of his mercies." Yet prayer Is
more than this; 1t is q dialogue, not q
monologue; it Is a vision as well as
q voice; It is a revelation as well as
q supplication. Prayer Is not a mere
venture and a voice OF mine, but q
vision and q voice divine.
In the heart Of every n prayer Is a
sense of need, but a ems of need
Is not prayer. Prayer Is asking for a
felt need and asking God, not the uni
verse, for 1t. Prayer is more than an
asking, It is a receiving, a hearing, a
learning Of God, a converse and COM
munibn In which he has much to say
and we have much to hear and learn.
The day in which we live Is 30 full
Of possibilities that an Intelligent man
will not consider anything impossible.
Years ago Morse was considered q
fool because he asserted the possibii
ty Of communication between Wash
ington and New York Likewise Mar
conf was laughed at when he first ad'
vocated the idea Of wireless teleg-
raphy. Time and experience, how
ever, have proven that these men
were wise and not 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 un-
derstand the true nature Of God that
prayer becomes possible. This reve-
Iation ia brought to us only through
Christ's 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 & double-faced some
thing-mind and force-which lie be-
hind all natural phenomena
God ls Called Father.
Il 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 ID
called Father. This In itself is an
announcement to prayer, as we'll as
indicating that prayer is a possibility.
It Is expected that a child will ask Its
father for things it you'd not ask a
stranger for. The fatherhood Of God
Is not only a motive to prayer, but at
the same time a thought which makes
prayer both desirable and possible.
Do l find 1t hard to do as some peo-
Die tell me-namely, ITO pray all
night"-let me not be discouraged,
but remember that like as a father"
God deals with his children. I do not
ask Of my own child that he agonize
all night when presenting to me q
request But you may say, II am not
sure that I obey properly" reply,
Like as a father" Does an earthly
parent not grant his child any peti.
ton until he properly obeysf Like
as a father" But, you say, II do not
understand God" Who doesH Shall
a father not grant a child's request
until he is understood by the child?
Then the child's request will v be
granted. Like as a father pitieth his
children, 80 the Lord pitieth them
that fear him."
But the Father to whom We are
to pray is an almighty Father, one
who Is absolutely sovereign and ON
nipotent. There are no difficulties
with God, and we must always re-
member that More things are
wrought by prayer than this world
dreams Of" Whatever may be our
opinion Of the unchangeableness OF
Gods laws, we must never forget
that every promise made to the pray
erful soul shall be fulfilled by q
sovereign God, even though ten thou
sand of what we call Interchangeable
laws need to be $50 called) broken.
Is 1t not true that we ourselves
break laws to supply the needs Of our
children? If my little child Is
dying Of a burning fever in the middle
of August and calls for Ice when the
temperature registers 100 degree, If
I know enough I can make Ice, even
though the temperature stands at 100.
and answer the prayer Of my child. II
nv boy Is falling from a third story
window. and hearing his a%ffrighted
call I rush to his help and catch him
ere he touches the ground I not only
save his life, but I break what may
be called an Interchangeable law
namely, the law Of %grayitation. So
may We believe all things are possible