The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-26
MEN MUST BELIEVE N
PRAYERS EFFICIENCY.
DIR. Lloyd Y. Wilson Tells Tabernacle
Congregation How to Succeed In
Prayer.
MUST GET \ GRm' ON GOD.
II IL Event In Any Mans Life When
He Has An Audience With God and
Gets the Desire of His Heart-We
should BE Patient.

the subject of the sermon preached
Sunday morning at Tabernacle Bap-
fist church by Rev. Lloyd 7. Wilson,
pastor of Grace-Street Baptist
church.
THE istories of men are like
countries: some of them have much
in them that Is interesting. while
others have very little that attracts
attention. The life of Jacob is one
Of the most interesting of ancient
stories. There are in II scenes amid
which the painter and the poet have
often stood enwrapped But that
scene above all others that arrests
the attention Of the thinker. and has
for thirty-fve centuries stirred the
imagination of men. n the one my
text brings TO our attention. ! de-
sire Ia have you study il with me at
this hour. would that had the
power to depict the scene for you,
but that were Impossible, SO We can
only contemplate it that we may
have impressed upon us anew how a
man may succeed with God in prayer
For. after all, there Is no success
comparable TO this. Some OF ms may
not realize this now, but there will
come time when we will. That
time may come more than once. but
I am reminded of this scene a short
while before the death OF President
Grant he was visited by a lifelong
friend This friend seeing that the
dying man was much discoura ged.
undertook to comfort him by telling
him of the place he held in the az
fections of the American people. He
talked long and enthusia sticalIy while
General Grant listened. After n while.
when he had paused for a moment,
the sick men opened his eyes and
looked into his friends face and ask
ed with deep earnestness, What do
YOU know about prayer? The worlds
honors were nothing now. The ons
important thing was how 10 have an
audience with God Now II seems tn
me that there is no place in all tho
dear, old Book OF God where we cep
find more clearly outlined a definite
way TO the throne OF God than yve
have here before us this morning. As
view the incident four things are
suggested to me and IT is 10 these
] invite your very prayerful attention
for a few moments.
Believe In Efficiency
First OF all. v'e learn that in order
10 success in prayer, we must believe
IN prayers efficiency. There is no
NiSuo"i III u lttaH opllS u uS"'"sS
thing, The Word says, He ttat
cometh to God must believe that He
is and that fle is a rewarder OF them
that diligently seek Him We may
be sure that Jacob had no misgivines
aS TO the efficiency OF prayer He
believed in personal God, who
heard and answered prayer. He be
l"ved that God was ever near at
mana ana vas deeply concerned ABOUT
'he needs OF his creatures. That ne
could DE approaches ny All VINO
would come unto Him IN fsith, no'h-
ing doubling. Jacob. like others or
ms day. had high notions of Gof'S
glory. TO MN Goo was terrible in
majesty yet ne believed that all men
IN need might approach Him and
gam His attention and help.
we know 50 much in our day that
10 many God is bound by His own
laws and Tor that reason He cannot
come TO the help of His needy child
even when he cries for help. But /
thank God that In the clear light OF
the teachng OF Jesus We learn that
600 Ii our Father and that He is
aoie TO nelp us and that He Is anxious
70 nave as call upon Him FOR the
things we need II we do not be
liefe TINS 1t is useless to pray, This
IN the hrst thing about prayer. I be-
iieVe IN its efficiency with all my
heart have reason to believe. God
mas answered my prayers and He has
answered the prayers OF millions of
others. He Will answer your pray
ers wnen they are offered in the right
way. ana this Is the first condition OF
successful prayer.
Definite In Petition.
NOW secondly. we learn that we
must be definite In petition, In order
to succeed in prayer we must have
an audience with God; and such We
may be sure TO nave II rightly de-
sired what would king think OF a
subject who asked an audience when
ne mad no special business? Jacob
was nor that KIND or an intruder. He
mad important business with God.
there was one great desire in hts
soul: he desired salvation from his
nrotners wrath From the wrath of
one ne mad wronged. Have you no.
uced that Jacob had done all that
ms wisdom taught him and now hav-
ing reached the end OF his own wis
oom and strength he goes to wait
on Goo Tor help, The night was dark.
but whlle ne prayed. out of its sill
enee came hands that seized him.
strange was their grasp: his soul felt
its influence and he became confident