Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-01-09
SECRET DEVOTION IN
MORNINGS IS URGED
'Day Begun With God in Prayer
Blocks Way Effectually
Against Devil

The Importance of morning secret
devotion is urged In an article in tho
Evangelical Messenger by IL. L. Zach
man. So important is the topic con-
sidered that the Church Advocate re-
prints il In full. Here are extracts
from II:
"A faithful devotion of the first hour
of the day to private prayer is i'm
perative and necessary. 1t is not only
the most favorable period of the day
for the exercise of prayer. but such
an observation of It sets ones self
above all the events of the day and
enables one to triumph over them
with perfect mastery and ease. The
day begun with God in prayer blocks
the way strongly against the devil on
the one hand, and on the other, paves
1t for higher things and success as the
hours pass. To neglect, or even hur-
riedly pass the prayer altar at the
opening of the day, proves disastrous
to say the least about ii. All the
later periods in the day are usually
so preoccupied with other interests
which clamor for attention that there
waiting before God. As a natural
consequence then, the matter of secret
prayer is entirely neglected and piety
is made to wither. The Spirit also is
lost and the life lapses into cere-
monialism asd becomes mechanical
and perfunctory.
A matter tnat is as important to the
Christian life as this is about which 1
am writing, the devil does not pass by.
He hates prayer more than anything
else in the world. Nothing is so ef-
fective in working the destruction OF
his kingdom as is prayer. Hence,
every effort you put forth to devote
the first hour of the day to prayer. he
will vehemently oppose and keep you
from II If he can. In his approach on
this particular mission, he is not at all
.mpertinent or abrupt but extremely
subtle. You will scarcely recognize
that the suggestions that come are
from him. You have never dropped
to your knees but that he has tried to
keep you on your feet by suggesting
TO you at the time that there are in
terests of greater Importance and that
now need your immediate attention.
Upon little thought, though, you
discovered that the matters to which
you were directed were mere tribes as
compared with prayer. Then, you
recognized his cloVen foot.
Then, again, he says that there is
too much that you must do to-day to
give any of the time for prayer. At
first thought, this suggestion seems
plausible, but upon investigation you
find it TO be Groundless. If the day
is crowded with much and special re-
sponsibility it is all the more necessary
that you should receive help from
God at the opening of the day. Mar
tin Luther used to say to his wife:
We'll, wife, this will be "a busy day;
I cannot think of entering it without
five hours of communion with God.
II. w. Beecher said: Let teh day
have blessed baptism by giving your
first waking thoughts to God. The
first hour of the morning is the rudder
of the day. During the morning
hour we so much need to pray. 1t is
the time when its refreshing will put
fresh dew on our spirits. Do not
yield to the enemy at any point Go
to your knees each morning ana stay
there until spiritual victory for the
day is secured.