The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1921-03-03

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liNerance of his people. Prayer changed
things, and the humanity impossible
VAS accomplished.
The promise Of jeremiah 1873 was
! lulflled many times before the words
We're written, as well as many times
since. Call unto me and will answer
thee and show thee great and mighty
things, which thou knowest not" This
is Gods call and challenge 10 faith.
Some of His people have always be-
lieNed and acted on this; others are
how being aroused TO its transcendent
! importance.
Expecting God to Answer
There Is Il growing spirit of faith
and expectation that God will mani
| fest His saving and transforming pow
! or In answer To PRAYER. Not for
naught have'God's 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, at present,
he '"larger than mans hand" but 1t
! is seen on the horizon of spiritual
vision by those who pray. The call OF
the hour is for more recruits in the
| 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 i'm the one who prays
Elijah is Il striking example of this.
He is presented as 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 it faith is added. "All things
whatsoever We shall ask in prayer be-
lieving, ,ye shall receive" And again.
"What things soever We desire when We
pray. believe that We receive them and
We shall have them"
This of course, implies yieldedness
to God and life approved of God, and
must be considered i'm the light of such
q Scripture as l John 300, "Whatso-
ever we ask we receive of Him be-
cause we keep His commandments, and
do those things that are pleasing in
| His sight"
| In the Gospel by John. we are told
to pray sin His name: whatsoever
We shall ask the Father in my name
| He will give it you. If We Shall ask
anything in my name will do It," We
are one with Christ in a 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, ii is a service Of the high
est kind. 1t Is doing business In the
name of Christ.
The New Testament Epistles add
yet another condition for prevailing
prayer to those of righteousness. faith
and spiritual union with Christ. II is
seen in our text. praying always with
all prayer and suppllcation in the
Spirit"
Praying I'm the Spirit Is the addi-
tional condition here named. A Chris
| tian must learn to walk In the Spirit,
that is. TO walk by the help OF the
Spirit. Apart from this, his life will
be a partial failure. So is 1t in the
matter of prayer. To pray in the
Spirit is simply to pray through the
help of the Spirit.
Helped BY the Holy Spirit.
"lhe Spirit helpeth our infirmities."
These infirmities are more obvious in
the matter OF prayer that in any other
| spiritual exercise. We have been
made 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 intercession, which
becomes a battle ground against the
principalities and powers and the
rulers OF the darkness of this world.
1.-THE 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 be 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
pray"