Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1921-04-20

ANN EWW er Of God mani
tested for the de.
iiVerance Of his people. Prayer changed
things, and the humanity Impossible
was accomplished
Ihe promise Of Jeremiah 33 :3 was
fulfilled many times before the words
were written, as we'll as many times
since. Call unto me and l viii answer
thee and show thee great and mighty
things, which thou knowest not" This
Is GODS cnll and challenge to faith.
Some of His people have always be-
neVed and acted on this; others are
now being aroused to Its trunSccndent
Importance.
Expecting God to Answer.
There is Il growing spirit of faith
ana expectation that God will mani
fest His saving and transforming pow
er III answer to prayer. Not for
naught have Gods people gathered to-
gether In watch-night services not In
vain have faithful men held on In
prayer these past years in spite Of
spiritual darkness; not without fruit
age can the labOrs of the Great Com
mission Prayer League and kindred as
sociations be.
Faith sees the cloud that is yet to
break in blessing on the heads of
GODS people. 1t may not, ut present,
he larger than a mans hand" but II
Is seen on the horizon Of spiritual
vision by those who pray. The call of
the hour Is for more recruits In tire
prayer warfare. and an advance into
the front trenches with the continual
cry, Lord teach us to pray"
Bible teaching concerning prayer,
like every other doctrine Of Scripture,
is progressive. There is "first the
blade, then the ear, then the full corn
In the ear"
In the Old Testament prevailing
prayer Is linked with the quality of
Righteousness IN the one who prays.
elijah IS striking example of this.
He Is presented rs n man Jealous for
God and righteousness.
Conditions for Prevailing Prayer.
In the synOptic Gospels the domi.
nant note for the prayer life is that of
faith. Righteousness is not ignored,
but to 1t faith is added. "All things
whatsoever We shall ask In prayer be.
lleVing, We shall receive" And again,
What things soever We desire when yo
pray, believe that We receive them and
ye Shall have them"
This, Of course, implies yieldedness
to God and life approved OF God, and
must be considered in the light Of such
a Scripture rs 1 John 3 %, "Whatso-
ever we ask We receive Of Him be-
cause We keep His coiiini1 ntlments, and
do those things that are pleasing in
His sight"
In the Gospel by John, we are told
to pray "in His name": whatsoever
ye shall ask the Father in my name
He will give 1t you. If ye shall ask
anything in my name I will do It." We
are one with Christ In vital Spiritual
union. We are called by His name.
AS woman does business in the name
of her husband, SO the Christian Is to
do business in the name Of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Prayer is more than
communion, 1t is service Of the high.
est kind. 1t is doing business in tho
name OF Christ.
The New Testament Epistles add
yet another condition for prevailing
prayer to those of righteousness faith
and spiritual union with Christ. It Is
seen in our text, "Praying always with
all prayer and supplication in the
Spirit"
Praying In the Spirit Is the addl.
tional condition here named. A Chris.
tlan must learn to walk in the Spirit,
that Is, to walk by the help Of the
Spirit. Apart from this, his life will
be partial failure. So is it in tho
matter of prayer. TO pray in the
Spirit Is simply to pray through the
help Of the Spirit.
Helped BY tho Holy Spirit.
"1'he Spirit helpeth our infirmities."
These inflrmities are more obvious In
the matter OF prayer thar in any other
spiritual exercise. We have henn
"madc nigh by the blood Of Christ"
but our access to the Father Is made
real to us by the operation of the
Holy Spirit within our hearts. It IS
only by His Illuminating and energiz.
Ing presence that we enter the battle
ground Of prayer; or, in other words,
the place Of real intcrcession, which
becomes n battle ground against tho
principalities and powers and the
rulers of the darkness Of this world
",Tho strong man" must be bound be.
fore we can enter in and spoil his
goods by liberating those who are held
captive by him. This binding power
can bo exercised by us only as we
pray IN righteousness, in faith in His
name, and in the Spirit. This Is the
need Of the hour, "Lord, teach US to
prpvn