The Washington herald., 1918-02-10

a talk between two persons, the hu-
man and the divine.
1t is not enough, then, to heed the
common saying. Just leave 1t all with
the Lord, and he will take care Of
you" Nor is 1t sufficient to heed the
friendly advice of those who say, 20,
just pray about It," and then expect
some marvellous event to take place
Prayer is law and we must operate
the law. You may as web say to me,
Here is a magnificent pipe organ,
play 1t and bring out the music"
But 1 say, 20, no." / could thump
the keys from morning till evening.
but no music would be forthcoming.
1t must be played according to certain
laws. There are the stops, the man
uals and the pedal, and they must
be operated according to the laws Of
music, IL music Is to be heard.
There are just as many stops to pull
and as many keys to touch in bringing
forth the beautiful music Of prayer.
l refer not to the form and language,
but TO the spirit Of prayer. What a
discord l should make, should / touch
the keys OF intercession and intreaty,
when my condition is such that /
should sound the notes of praise and
THANKSGIVING What an awful sound
/ should make. should / pray that God
bless me and my family, that he make
II possible for me to acquire more
wealth and 10 have more ease and
pleasure when I see lying at my door
a poor unfortunate cripple who needs
the healing touch Of both the human
and the divine physician,
What a nerve-racking tone / should
make in tie song of prayer. should I
pray that God relieve me of my bur
den when / really should pray that he
give me strength and courage TO bear
my burden! 1t is not so easy to pray
as God would have US pray.
The poet tells US that,
Prayer is the burden Of a sigh,
The falling OF a tear.
The upward glancing Of an eye
When none but God is near.
Prayer is the simplest form OF speech
That infant lips can try.
Those are beautiful words. and true:
but they are true only on special oc-
casions. When doing our best in the
midst of toll and hardship We sud
denly md ourselves between the
horns OF a dilemma, not knowing
which way to turn nor what TO say,
then 1t is that prayer is the burden
OF sigh" When some heartrending
experience suddenly becomes ours,
when our feelings get the best of us,
when our hearts throb faster than
our heads can think, and we want to
talk to God about it, then it is that
prayer is the falling of a tear"
When We are far away from home
and friends, lonely, homesick. spend
r1Nn -,
thought, desiring to draw near 10 God,
then 1t is that prayer is the upward
glancing of an eye when none but
God is near" When a newly born
convert enters into the joys of the
Christian life and desires to speak
with God, or when a child begins to
think about the higher things and
longs to ask God about them. then 1t
is that prayer is the simplest form
of speech that infant lips can try"
But for the strong well trained
Christian. long in the service OF God.
praper is more than that. it is more
difficult than that God expects one
OF such training and experience to
come to him like a man and present
his case clearly and forcibly. From
the man of intelligence and ability.
enjoying sound spiritual health. God
does not want a sigh, or a tear, or an
upward glance. or an infants prattle.
He wants man of that spiritual
caliber TO he just as businesslike.
logical and convincing as II he were
presenting to fellow man an exceed
ingly important proposition. No.
prayer Is not a matter of little con-
Germ. II calls forth the best and the
highest that is in US 10 talk with God
after. the fashion OF Jesus. mot my
will, but thine, be done" Lord. teach
us to pray.