Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-09-19
Time spent in
some to be wasted.

that ,prison-house which to human rea.
son was his tomb. The promise is
found in Psa. 50:15, "Can upon me In
the day of trouble and I will deliver
you"
Second, prayer gives protection
from temptation. When the people
under Joshua made the mistake of ac
cepting the Gibeonites, it was because
they 'asked not counsel at the mouth
of the Lord" Josh. 9:14. What ap
peared the reasonable thing to do was
like a snare cleverly disguised anc
unseen to sight. But no disguise Oh
hiding could veil the sight of the
Lord. Inquiry of Him would have
given them to see the unseen and pro-
tected them from this temptation.
Little wonder we are told to "watch
and pray lest We enter into tempta
tfOn." Luke % 40.
Third, prayer brings wisdom in per
pleXity. How often perplexing, prob
lens arise which must be solved and
how often the solution we come to
proves to be wrong. We frequently
come to where decisions on important
matters must be made quickly. OF
what untold value then it is to have
divine wisdom. When Nehemiah
found himself in such case the un-
recorded prayer went up and wisdom
came to him as ne says in Neh. IA
said to the king" the right word. II
is still true that eff any man lack
wisdom let him ask of God who Civ.
eth to all-and it shall be given him. >
| Jas. 1:5.
Fourth, prayer brings provision fol
every need. Luke IL g, 10 reads, "Ash
and ye shall receive-for every one
that asketh receiveth." We know
from experience how this promise is
overlooked and we get into the state
of perturbation described in Jas. 4 2
"Ye lust and have not; ye envy and
desire to have, and cannot obtain; "
fight and war, yet ye have not."l The
passage goes on to declare that the
reason we shave not" is because W.
ask not" How much futile struggling
and fighting would be saved US if va
would believe Christ's promise ant
ask, "Ask and We shall receive"
Fifth, prayer brings revelations O.
hidden things as the marginal reading
of Jer. 33 :3 points out: "Can upon M
and I will answer thee, and shoy
thee great and hidden things whicl
thou knowest not" Many who ar
confused by the book of Daniel woult
find confusion giving place to orde
if they but studied it on their knees
Daniel himself is an illustration O
this. for he declares, 81 prayed unit
the Lord my God, and whilst I wa
speaking and praying, yea whilst I wa
speaking in prayer, even the ma
Gabriel said, 'Oh Daniel, I am nov
come to give thee understanding
Dan. ga, 20, q. 1t was while DAME
was in prayer that the deep and hid
den things were made known to hin
Sixth, prayer enables us to hel
others. When Peter was locked u
in the prison there was little that hi
friends could do for him except pra
for him. But they could pray and di
pray as recorded in Acts u :5, "praye
was made without ceasing of th
church unto God for him." The col
sequence was that what they coul
not do personally, they did do by wa
of the throne from whence an ang'
came and brought Peter forth /
them. Paul knew of the help
prayer when he wrote in Thess., 5 q
"pray for u.s." The exhortation {
Jas. 5:16 is, "Pray for one another
Finally, prayer brings peace in a
circumstances. Daniel seems to hay
found this so when the lions den ws
opening to receive him. He went
that den with a quiet confidence ar
deep peace of heart and mind whiC
was wholly lacking in the king who:
law was sending him there. The S
cret is found in Dan.< 6:10: mo
when Daniel knew that the writi1
was signed, he went into his houi
and kneeled upon his knees thr,
times a day and prayed and ga,
thanks before his God as he did afor
time" This is a striking fulfllmel
of the promise found in Phil. 4:6,
''Be anxious for nothing, but in ever
thing, by prayer and supplicati;
with thanksgiving, let your reque
be made known unto God, and t
. peace of God which passeth all u
. derstanding shall keep your hear
and minds through Christ Jesus"
Not by Our Flaws.