Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-02

Dwight w. Wyiie OF the st. Paul
Presbyterian Church. Philadelphia, Pa.
A privilege il an exemption from
some burden, or from some task. 1t is the
possession of an opportunity 10 do that
which we can do when our powers are free
A right is the discovery and the acceptance
of responsibility--an as we grow in
strength from day to day, the rights Of
mind, body and heart are to be maintain
ed. And go with the duties of lifefor
| duty is simply our consciousness of our
own power IL is the revelation TO a man
of his own self-respect, and his conception
Of duty depends upon the consciousness of
his manhood So the size of manhood
determines the size OF our duties. A
little, selfish man has little conception Of
duty, but a great, unselfish man finds that
his life is related to the whole world, and
from day to day discovers that It is related
more and more unto God. Such man is
changed from glory TO glory, for we re-
member that il ~ the glory Of u man to
serve "a servant is not greater than his
master" and Christ came mot TO be
nnistered unto, but To minister
Prayer is your way tn God, and His
wav TO YOU In prayer we speak To- God,
and in prayer God speaks to US. When
n man prays, he tells tiod what he thinks
of himself and if q man truly prays, he
sees first Of all Gods relation to his own
life. and then what relation this life may
bear 10 God and To the whole world The
difficulty Of prayer does not lie IN the being
OF God, nor does IL lie in the constitution
of the world The difficulty of prayer
comes because we who pray refuse 30 take
the answers which come. God always
answers PRAYER, but we are quite deter
mined in our own minds that the answer
must be Yes The power Of prayer
must lie first in our own hearts. II prayer
is To he ceptable 10 God, certainly il
must change our own lives first II God is
expected to do things for us, surely
lie will expect us 10 do things for Him.
Christ said, III We ask anything in Ny
name. and the name of Christ certainly
means complete sclf-surrendcr to the will
nf God. and life given wholly 10 service
IN Gods name.
so VIC must ask ourselves in praying to
God whether we arc willing that ottr
prayer shall change our own lives The
Master has told us that IT is the work
nf God 20 believe Jesus blessed AZ faith,
the word Of the man coming of old, say
ing, u SAY unto this man, Go, and he
goeth So we must believe God, and be-
licvc that He il rcwarder Of those who
seek Him, and to seek God means, first
Of all. to obey Him
Christ had complete faith IN prayer.
All that He said and did was sourced in
prayer The miracles were FIRST performed |
upon his knees IN prayer Calvary was
first IN His heart IN the garden, before 1t !
was the cross without the gate Jesus
tells us that obedience which IS simply |
u duty. makes servants, but that obedience |
which is the result Of love, makes friends, |
and prayer IL simply the fulfllment Of !
His word, when He says have not call |
cd YOU servants, have colled you frends.'
Prayer Is the making OF plans and |
specifications for the hourly or daily |
work. The decision concerning temptation |
must bc made upon our knees 1t has |
been often said that the battle ground OF |
the soul Is prayer, and the power Of temp |
tatIon IS always in proportion 10 our lack |
OF prayer. We know that we are the chill |
dren OF God when we pray, and We know /
that God Is our Father when we accept /
His answer. Gods mercy and love are not /
less III evidence when He says, No |
than when He says, Yes" II has been /
said that God trusts everything To prayer. |
1t is the only thing that Christ did TO |
rouse the desire of the disciples, for when /
they found Him praying, they said, |
Lord, teach us to pray
Perhaps it is not saying too much to |
affirm that the most important duty, |
and the highest privilege of the Christian, |
is prayer