Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1916-11-29
CHRISTIAN
STEWARDSHIP
A PapeAN,< 'ritten by Miss Laura
Kuntz, A' I at Winneshiek 5. 5.
ConvelS1 at Ridgeway
ST., 18th.
VERY ABLY wRnHAN
ARTICLE ON =. y SUBJECT
To Know How to Speak = God i
Better Than Knowing How to
Speak to Man.

The following article on Chris
= tian Stewardship" was written by
Miss Laura Kuntz, of Ridgeway, and
read by her sister, Miss Mabel Kuntz,
at the Winneshiek County Sunday
School Convention held in Ridgeway
on Sept. IL. 1t is an ably written
4 article and reflects great credit on
its author.
Jesus never taught His disciples
how to preach, but how to pray. To
know how to speak to God is better
than knowing now to speak to man.
Power with God first, then with man.
We must tarry with God first, and
give him time to train us. True pray
er takes hold of Gods strength,
opens Heavens gates, and brings
things to pass. Prayer is lost art.
and the person who can bring the
preachers and the church back to it
again will be one of the greatest
benefactors of the age. Praying is
no small thing to do. 1t takes time
to learn how, and requires diligent
effort. 1t will take all the praying
that we can do, and all We can get
done to meet the fearful responsible
tiles upon us, and live a successful
Spirit filled life. A prayerless spirit
is void of the Holy Ghost. He does
not abide in a prayerless heart. 1t
is not machinery that the church
needs, but men of prayer and the
Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit is not
poured out upon the running gears,
but upon men. God must make the
ha IL lA
pend on him. "Nice" praying in the
church is not what God wants. 1t
is the overfiowing of a spiritual life.
The mightiest weapon the saints
have in this world is prayer. 1t gives
life and force. 1t makes men hero
ic and fearless martyrs. 1t makes
them great in faith, great in love,
great in holiness and great in God.
The prayers of the man who prays
much are forceful because his inner
life is the Sreat highway for the
transmission of Gods message and
Gods power. The prayerless Christian
does not stand before the throne,
'high and lifted up" He does not
hear the seraph's song, or see visions,
or feel the rush of that wonderful
holiness that renews life, touches
and puSges hearts and influences
the lips by a live coal from Gods al
tar. A prayerless church is not an
embattled army It's worship is dead,
life suppressed, its feeble prayers
evidence lost life without JUNCTION
of heart.
Praying is serious work of seri-
Gus years, requiring much time, and
our best time, and there is nothing
that can supply its lack.
Paul lived on his knees that the
Ephesian church might measure up
to the heights and depths and
lengths and breadths, unto perfect
man, unto the measure of the statue
of the fullness of Christ.
The world is full of perishing
millions, with intercession as it's on
ly hope. Thirty millions are passing
every year into outer darkness with
out hope. Churches and missions are
sacrificing lifa and labor, often with
little results for lack of intercession.
God waits and wonders for more in
tercession. He wonders to find min
listers of the gospel, complaining
that their duties do not allow them
to find time for this. He wondere
that the thousands in Y. NJ. C. AS
spend so much time in reading
rooms, and gymnasiums, and so lit
tie time in interceding at a throne
OF Jesus.
He wonders at the Ladies Aid
putting in 60 much time in hard
work and drudgery for the church
and so little time in intercession.
He wonders at the PROCESSING
business men, the merchant, the
farmer and the laborer, who put in
more time than sun shines, for TEN
poral interest and so little in inter
cession.
Real prayer gives JUNCTION. Ear.
nestness may present pleas which
would touch and move with convic
ton, yet be selfish in its motive But
JUNCTION is Heavens distillation IN
answer to real prayer. Let us live
more on our own knees and learn
more from God.
The great apostle declares in
Cor. 3:9, that we are laborers to-
gether with God. Gods fellow work
ers. What a partnership! What al
exalted position for us! 1t is a mir
acle OF the centuries. Gods ordain
ed way to reach the world is thru
human instrumentality. We are his
ambassadors. To us has been com.
mitted the ministry of reconciliation
We are his co7partners. In the grea
work of Christian missions is this es
pecially true. There are those upoI
whom the Lord lays His divine fing
er and sends them forth, and ther
there are those upon whom He puts
the responsibility of being rope hold
ers at home.
What those who are worshipine
at the front would do without thu
prayers, interest, and love of thos,
faithful ones at home I know not.
A certain lady in Michigan
fasts from Sunday evening till Tues