The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1920-01-01
Instinct Must Be Trained.

in some form.
Instinct Must Be Trained.
Prayer is an instinct, but it requires
proper training or it may lead to dis
astrous c0nsequences-as it leads the
Hindu woman TO throw her child into
the Gauges to appease the wrath of
the gods.
The first lesson III prayer which our
Savior gave to his disciples is pre-
served in Mathew TT. task, and We
shall receive; seek and We shall find
knock and it shall be opened unto
you" Here the Lord teaches us that
1t is our privilege to ask things Of
God. He does not promise us that we
will 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 child, who might
say, II do not always obtain what ]
ask my father for, but ! always get
something, and he gives me good
things" So it is with the soul who
turns to God n extremity or graft
tude; it is sure. receive some bene-
fit. Perhaps it will be the benefit Of
acquaintance with God, or perhaps we
will see our own hearts more truly in
the light of his countenance, and thus
realize our own sinfulness and self
ishness.
Not Substitute for Work.
Our Savior further teaches &c that
prayer is never to be regarded as a
substitute for work, but rather as a
supplement to our normal activities.
If child asks his mother to pick up
his playthings 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 1877 our Savior gives as a
lesson in prevailing prayer, by which
mean prayer which prevails with God
and secures the very thing for which
it asks. There Christ says: "If We
abide in me, and my words abide in
you, we shall ask what We will and it
shall be done unto you" This prom
Uses that if 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
to Theodore Roosevelt when the latter
was president Of the United States.
An Armenian who lived in the SEN
r4~,.,e. Io,,oo o;%xv had oory1oa or0iIph
money to send to his native country
for his wife and two children. When
they arrived at New York it was dis
covered that the children had an in
durable disease Of the eyes which. un-
der the laws of the United States,
made them ineligible to land in this
country. The Armenian engaged law
yer, who went from one immigration
officer to another seeking permission
for the afflicted children to land.
Meeting failure on every hand, the
lawyer enlisted Senator Hoars infiu-
ence. The senator came to 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:
IF this is the law, then the law ought
to be changed, and you gre the man to
start the revolution" Twenty minutes
later the officials 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 all times for all things that
pertain to our own, or our friends wei
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 for US.