Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-11-13
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which always passed current in the
heavenly kingdom. It is surprising to
see number of people who question
the philosophy of prayer from the
standpoint Of science and philosophy,
II have heard men say that there is
nothing in prayer that at least it is
the merest superstition. Such per-
son has as little knowledge of science
as they have Of prayer. The science
Of psychology Is based upon one state
ment Of scripture. namely: LAS man
thinketh in his heart, so Is he.' TAX
ing that as basic fact. there is no
better remonstrable science in the
world than the science of prayer Leav-
ing the religious element out of the
discussion for moment-you may
eliminate the spiritual for the time be-
ing and find prayer to be the greater
character builder in all the world.
Take the ideals morally from the
Christian religion and consider them
for a moment. Truth Is eternal; Pur-
ity is eternal: righteousness Is the def
mite article. righteousness or being
right. Enthrone purity as an ideal,
concentrate your mind upon being pure
suppose there Is no God, suppose Je-
sls of Nazareth to be mere Pigment
OF the imagination, and if you concen-
trate your mind upon the ideals and
earnestly desire to be like Christ In
character, the time you spend In pray
err brings it's reflex blessing into the
mind. purifying the thoughts, ennob-
ling the desires, stimulating the aspira-
tions, until the channel of life pours
forth it's fruition of purity, truth.
honesty, righteousness: for. "as a man
thinketh in his heart, so is he." Add
TO the psychological aspect of the
philosophy of prayer the spiritual ele-
ment and you have the power OF the
HOLY Spirit energizing your desires.
waiting your petitions through the
yaulted skies to the third heaven.
where Jesus hears and answers pray
er. and you have the science and phil
osophy and spirituality Of prayer all
united and related one to the other.
But to prove the philosophy Of pray.
err to be simple vet an universal fact
can start with the vegetable kingdom
and take you through the qualifications
of nature to the spiritual realm. and It
is the same law based upon the simp-
lest analogies In my imagination.
look upon the fields carpeted with
green, on the prairies of the middle
west; all nature seems iublilant and
gay with bird song and blooming flow.
ers. but in fancy I see the SUN and the
hot blasts from the desert arrange In
subtle compact to destroy the beauty
OF the fields. the grass and flowers Az
ter a day Of the hot winds, the grass
blades wither. the corn tons present
an abject humility, the flowers fade,
the ground is parched On every hand
a mute petition seems evident. All
admit the necessity Of moisture to re-
store life to the devitalized vegeta-
ton. and after a while the storm king
assemblies his black souadrons while
bifurcated lightnings fash and cut
the condensing vapors. and believing
thunder rolls along the vaulted skies,
while Pluvial foods descend and vital
ize and invigorate the fading, whiting
vegetation and when the sun smiles
upon the earth when the storm king
passes on, see the heads of flowers
and grain waving In gratitude because
Of the answer to the mute petition for
moisture and upon the petals and
leaves the rain drops sparkle like dia-
monds in the sunlight. Prayer is thus
typified in the natural world :
The perfection of the modes of tran
sportation all indicate the philosophy
of prayer. There was a time when
your grandmother and mine sat at the
spinning wheel and laboriously yet pa
tiently made the cloth from the new