The citizen., 1919-12-25

l|<.|( w. stroyed the in
i E&4Hzx stinct for prayer
Never has ma.
tion existed so low and degraded that
1t did not worship the Supreme Being
In some form.
Instinct Must Be Trained.
Prayer is an instinct, but Il requires
proper training or it may lead to dis
astrous consequences-as II leads the
Hindu woman to throw her child into
the Ganges to appease the wrath of
the gods.
The first lesson In prayer which our
Savior gave to his disciples is pre-
served in Mathew III. "Ask, and We
shall receive; seek and We shall find
knock and II shall be opened unto
you" Here the Lord teaches us that
IL is our privilege to ask things of
God. He does not promise us that we
viii receive what we ask for, but he
encourages us to ask and to make that
the habit of our lives. Our attitude
should be that Of a child, who might
say, II do not always obtain what i
ask my father for, but l always get
something. and he gives me good
things" So IL Is with the soul who
turns to God in extremity or graft
tude; II is sure to receive some bene-
fit. Perhaps II will be the benefit of
acquaintance with God, or perhaps we
will see our own -haarts more truly IN
the light of his countenance, and thus
realize our own sinfulness and self
ishness.
Not a Substitute for Work.
Our Savior further teaches us that
prayer is never to be regarded as a
substitute for work, but rather as a
supplement to our normal activities.
II child asks his mother to pick up
his playthings a wise parent will re-
fuse. What the child can do, he must
do; but what the child needs to have
done and cannot accomplish himself,
that the mother will gladly do.
. In John 1857 our Savior gives us o
lesson in prevailing prayer, by which ]
mean prayer which prevails with God
and secures the very thing for which
II asks. There Christ says: "f ye
abide In me. and my words abide In
you. ye shall ask what ye will and II
shall be done unto you" This prom
lses that II we fulfill certain condi-
tons God will give us our desire.
Appeal Sets Even Law Aside.
The place Of prayer may be Illus
trated by an appeal which Senator
George Hoar Of Massachusetts carried
10 Theodore Roosevelt when the latter
was president OF the United States
An Armenian who lived in the SEN
ator's home city had earned enough
money to send to his native country
for his wife and two children. When
they arrived at New York IL was dis
covered that the children had an In
curable disease Of the eyes which, I'M
der the laws Of the United States,
made them Ineligible 10 land In this
country. The Armenian engaged law
yer, who went from one immigration
offscer 10 another seeking permission
for the affieted children TO land
Meeting failure on every hand. the
lawyer enlisted Senator Hoars infiu-
snce The senator came 10 New York,
but found the Immigration officials I'm
movable He then wired the facts IN
the case TO President Roosevelt. and
concluded his telegram by saying:
III this Is the law. then the law ought
TO be changed. and you are the man to
start the revolution" Twenty minutes
later the ofncials IN New York were
directed to allow the children to land.
what the parents. the lawyer and
senator Hoar could not DO. President
Roosevelt could and did do Even so,
what we cannot do for ourselves and
what our friends cannot do for US.
Jesus Christ can and will do He Is
the one to whom we are hidden to
come at stl times for all things that
pertain 10 cur own. or our friends well
fare The Savior who sits upon the
throne Of the universe and who has
the ear Of the Father. Is able to do all
things ior Us