Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1916-09-20
ANSWER TO PRAYER
Conditions That Must Accom-
pany a Real Revival of
Religion.

PRAYER in It's relation to revival OF
religion concerns, in the first place, the
one who prays. No matter how 1ar
the river flows, it must have foun-
tain. Unless the heart of the petit
toner at the throne Of grace is moved
to a revived condition the prayer itself
will lose power over the community.
AS rule God answers through human
agency, though not always by means
of the one who kneels before his mercy
seat. The prayer may be for the bap-
tism of the Holy Spirit upon the
preacher or the evangelist who Is car
rying on q distinctively religious work {;
but it must be also borne in mind that
large part Of the evangelist's sue
cess is through those who are his CO.
workers and who themselves have
been brought into newness Of life
through frequent visits at the throne
of grace. In other words, without q
praying constituency the evangelist is
handicapped. If the hearts Of the
people are prayerless, they will be un-
responsive to his message. Given q
praying community, one that has been
much on it's knees, and the soil is in
large measure prepared for the seed Of
the Gospel. 1t is largely the reflex
action of individual prayer upon a
neighborhood that brings about the
wonderful manifestations Of divine
grace, under the preaching Of certain
evangelistS.
It is not possible for one to feel the
blessing of God in his own heart and
life without in some way communicate
ing some portion Of that blessing to
others. The full measure that he has
received he will not impart, any more
than the fountain car empty itself to
him who stoops to drink. But the in
fluence for good is there, and that in
fluence. like the brook from the foun-
tain, will invigorate all that it touches.
The first necessity is to make sure that
the fountain is not only not dry but
filled to overfowing.
Time for a Revival.
Just as soon as we can have pray
ing community we can have revival,
and without that the abiding results
will be small. It is admitted that all
blessing is from God. Whatever power
the evangelist may have it is the bless
ing of God upon his labors that ac-
compliSheS the reformation Of indi-
vidual lives. If we look no farther
than the preacher, we will fail. We
may be instructed, we may be enter
tained, and great throngs may for q
while listen to the powerful words Of
q gifted speaker, but no great blessing
will come unless we are looking away
beyond him to that divine One who
Z only can change the heart. Els grace
is sufficient, and his grace alone. And
we know upon his own testimony that
if we "prove him" he will "open the
windows Of heaven and pour out
blessing" 1t is not the preacher that
does 1t. The preacher is simply one
avenue through which the Spirit Of
God comes to the people. If there had
been no praying In that upper room
IN Jerusalem there would have been
no revival Of religion when the dis
cipleS came down the stairs, their
hearts all warmed, and their brows all
aglow with the tongues Of fire. 1t
must never be forgotten that Pente-
cost began ut the top Of the stairs, not
at the foot. If prayerful lips had not
invoked those mysterious influences In
the prayer chamber, there would have
been no gift Of tongues before the
mighty multitude; and those strangers
from different parts Of the world
would not have heard those unlearned
men speaking in their respective
tongues the mighty works Of Cod"
But this praying must not be solely
for the transformation of oneself. To
pray for ones neighbor creates at
once q sympathy for ones neighbor.
We are interested In those we pray
for. There is triumvirate consisting
Of yourself, your neighbor and your
God. You are at one point Of the
triangle, your neighbor at another, and
God at the third. You have direct
contact with God and your neighbor,
and God has direct contact with your
neighbor and you. Whatever other in
fuences may come In, you three hold
the points Of the triangle.-United
Presbyterian.