The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-05-06


also reap"
Hence the leader should prepare
carefully. The hymns can be select
ed; one person can be asked to pray
for the sick, another for the absent,
and SO on. Attention to details helps
immensely. But especially should the
leader wait upon God in prayer until
his heart burns with love, and his soul
is sensitive to the faintest whisper
for a boat race or a ball game, simply
to secure the applause of people, sure
ly the Christian can afford to train for
a spiritual conflict where all the forces
of heaven and hell are arrayed against
each other, where eternal destinies are
at stake, and where every part of the
service is watched with keenest So
licitude by so great a cloud of wit
neSSeS."
Not only the leader, but all the mem
bers should prepare. Let them read,
think and pray yer the subject. Let
them deny themselves daily, for a
godly life Is the best preparation for
an ideal meeting. Let them gather up
| spiritual strength all the week and
concentrate it upon this service, max
ing 1t the supreme hour of the week,
the hour
When heaven comes down our souls to
greet,
And glory crowns the mercy-seat.
II. The ideal prayer meeting has an
object as well as a subject-a definite
object, never to be forgotten by the
leader OF the workers.
What is that subject? It is not
A service may be interesting, and yet
be SO devoid of spirituality as to sug.
gest only, sounding brass and tinkling
cymbals." The real object is to
awaken spiritual emotion, to bring the
soul face to face with God, to kindle
fires of devotion until the altar is all
ablaze with the sacrifice of willing
hearts, and there comes over the audi
ence that indescribable thrill and holy
hush which betokens the presence of
God, and which makes every heart
ready to say, 20 God, thy will be
DONE"
This is the true object of a prayer
meeting-to bring every soul to the
point where it Is willing to do its duty,
so hat decisions may be made and re-
suits may be secured, right then and
there. At the close of a meeting
where the theme was temperance the
tide of feeling rose so high that ga
young men and women signed a total
abstinence pledge and thereby com
pletely revolutionized the temperance
sentiment of that church.
Whatever the subject of the meet
ing, never lose sight of the object.
Feeling which does not lead to action
is of questionable value.
III. The ideal meeting is cheerful,
social and hearty. Have a bright car.
pet on the floor, appropriate pictures
on the wall, flowers on the table, and
the room seated with chairs. Make it
look as little like a church, and IS
much like a home as possible. Lay
off hats, wraps and overshoes.
Have a "~smile'em-up committee" at
the door to welcome strangers and to
distribute the audience widely-the
small boys apart from each other, the
workers near the unconverted, and the
timid ones near the more spiritual.
Into this rest for the weary" CONE
with your thanksgiving and rejoicing
Make the welkin ring with song. Let
the most spiritual members lead in
prayer until a strong devotional at.
mosphere has been created, which will
make it easy for anyone to confess
Christ.
Be cheerful. Paul had his discour.
agements, but he kept them to him.
self. Cultivate the habit of handshak
ing, and do not wait for IN introduc
ton. In short, strive to be
One of the spirit chosen by heaven tc
The s~unnyside of things to human eyes
w. The ideal meeting is one in
which all take part. There are some
things that lie within the reach of all
You can fill up the front seats, and
thus support the leader. You can
speak early in the meeting, and one
sentence then is worth a dozen later
on.
Anyone can repeat a verse of Scrip
ture, and if it is selected with care
and prayer, God will use it to strength
en- the saints and to carry conviction