Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1914-12-17

lie 1t fully.
To define prayer
@~ is difficult. Rev
erence, submission to the will of God.
sincerity, the spirit of forgiveness. def
niteness Of supplication, whole.heart-
edness and recognition Of Jesus Christ
must go into 1t. Prayer does net re-
quire definition, and the best prayers
rarely ever fit any mold Of defni-
ton.
Some seem to think that the chief
blessing Of prayer is subjective, that
1t does any one good to get into the
attitude of prayer and to talk to God.
Granting that there Is much benefit
in this, we would make the point that
prayer is petition. 1t is the asking Of
God for things desired. Men do not
get many blessings that they wish
simply because they do not ask God
for them-"Ye have not because ye
ask not"
Prayer does not depend or location,
attitude, or other circumstances. II
the cathedral is not at hand, the open
air will do, : even a street corner;
men pray lying down. standing up.
kneeling or sitting; garb, social stand
ing. favor or opposition Of men has
nothing to do with essential prayer.
It is the real purpose Of the heart
that certifes its ~genuineness.
What VIII Prayer Dor
1t will move the arm that moves the
world, The philosophy of prayer is
as reasonable as that of any problem
Of cause and effect. II man prays as
he should, just what he prays for will
be granted. He stretches his hand
over the sea and prays and the wa
ters part; another man calls for fire
from heaven and it falls; another
prays for the sick and Immediately
health returns; another prays for the
redemption of the drunkard or the
prostitute, and behold the former be-
comes an upright, honest, trustworthy
citizen, and the latter becomes worthy
to stand in any place in refined soci-
ETY. or in the home circle. More
things are done by prayer than man
dreams Of" +
Who Has the Right to Pray? !
There is only one prayer that the
man who is not right with God is
justified in offering. and that is.
God be merciful to me q sinner"
That prayer is really the surrender of
the heart and life to God. The man
who prays must have acquaintance
ship with God, must have the right to
call God Father. and no one can do
this who does not believe in Jesus
Christ. Men living in sin are the
children Of the devil and have no right
to pray, that is, to have communion
with God, except as the publican had.
The desire Of the writer of the text
was the desire that men might get
right with God.
For What Should Men Pray7
Comparatively anything within the
will of God is q proper subject of
prayer, and that will Is readily found
in the Bible. To Pray nilly-willy or
without regard to the great moral and
spiritual issues that may be at stake
may possibly be very sinful.
How to Get to Praying.
After the Civil war closed the ques.
ton arose as to how to resume specie
payments, and a wise statesman an.
swered by saying THE way to re-
sumo is to resume" So we say, the
way to pray is to pray. II a man
has reason to believe he is a child
Of God, he has a right to pray. and
the obligation sighted brings guilt
on him. God is the only one who can
supply his need, and the thing to do
is simply to ask God to supply 1t.
Men could have the dearest objects
of life met IL they would ask God for
them, even the salvation OF. their dear
est friends, even their own children
The Challenge to Prayer.
When the devil was sick. the devil a mons
would be:
When the devil was well, the devil q
monk was he.
So truthfully wrote an old English
satirist. That principle applies all
through history. When men are pros
porous everywhere they do not pray.
When they fall into trouble they pray
and do It with an earnestness that ig-
nores propriety and circumstance.
Was there " q time in this genera
ton when the world as a whole was
In greater distress than now? Mems
hearts = failing them for fear. Az
ever. God is a present help in time of
trouble and the call Of the day 10
to pray. Man has failed, civilization
has failed, half-skeptical and half
hearted Christianity Is threatened
with failure. God 10 the only refuge
and in God alone Is the strength OF
man. And shall he not ask for It!