The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1922-11-30

aSA prayer, but tho
teacher In prayer
EX XWA " #a sssssE that moved then,
to their petition, Lord, teach lis to
pray"
He prayed as he was being baptized.
and 1t came to pass that Jesus, also
oeing baptized and praying, the heaven
was opened and the Holy Spirit de-
scended upon him." Baptism Is a
sacred sacrament. but 1t was not so
much the water that John admins
tered as the prayer that Jesus uttered
tiIat opened the heavens and brought
down the gift of the Holy Spirit.
| lie prayed rs He chose His disc,-
pies. lie went up into mountain to
pray and continued all night, and
when 1t was day He called unto Him
His disciples and Of them He chose
twelve" Whom shall He honor?
Shall He choose Matthew, the unpOpu.
lar publican? Shall He choose Thomas7
Thomas will doubt Him. Shall He
choose Peter, that ignorant, swearing
fisherman who will deny Him? Oh,
what agony Of heart He must have
suffered as He prayed over Judas.
whom lie knew must betray Him!
He prayed at the hour Of His great
est popularity. He had gained great
prestige when He fed the five thou
sand. But "when Jesus perceived that
they would come and take Him by
force and make Him king, nc departed
again into mountain himself alone"
Alone on His knees he struggled to es-
cape the tattering temptation of the
multitude.
He prayed at the time of His great
est unponularity. He had IN unpleas-
ant announcement to make to His dis
ciples. They had left all to follow
Him, with tho hopes tl,at eventually
He would proclaim himself as king
and sit on His throne in Jerusalem.
But the time had come for Him to pre-
dict that "the Son of Man must suffer
many things md be rejected and
slain" How would the disciples ne
cept such an announcement? Would
they then and there foi sake Him? AND
so, when that fatal day arrived. VIZ
read that "us He was praying His dis
cipes we're with Him." They must
have witnessed the struggle going on
within His breast. Prayer was to pre-.
pare them for tiut most undcsired an.
nOuncemcnt.
He prayed at the hour of His great.
est glory. "As He prayed the fashion
Of His countenance was changed and
His rniment was white and glistening,"
He prayed himself into His trnnsfig-
uratlon. 1t was prayer that revealed
to the discouraged disciples the trans.
G3urcd Lord as prophet, priest ar<,
king.
He prayed at the time Of His great.
est agony. 1t wns tho night before the
great tragedy. Alone He must face IT..
Men would forsake Him. Angels would
desert Him. God would hide His face.
But lie went through this hour Of
agony upon His knees and by prayer
lie was strengthened for the trying
ordeal
He prayed In the hour OF greatest
pain. 1t was when they were mailing
His hands and feet to the cross and
putting it In place with q jolt that or
dinarlly made the victim scream with
pain. BIZ 20 the astonishmcnt of all.
the su' Saviour prnyS! Was It
FIR hil No. He prayed for His
murdcrr "Fnther, forgive them for
'.,v know not what they do" No
!. .der the unbiased Roman centurion
!s moved to comment, Truly this was
Il righteous man."
He prayed at the time of His death
His last words were, "Fn ther. into Thy
hands + commit my spirit" a thou
sand years before. the Inspired psalm.
ist had propl.csicd that these words
would be on the dying Sawor'S lips.
a few years later they we're to consti.
tutc the last prayer Of the martyred
Stephen.
He prayed at the time of Ills astpn.
sion. 'FIe led them out as far rs
Bethany and He lifted up His hands
ind blessed them" No !sAlgcr need He
pray for himself His mission was &C.
complshed. Glor? and honor awaited
Him. But, praying to the last. He
spreads out His hands in loving bcnc.
diction upon His disciples as He Is
parted from them.
DO you think t;.ose disciples who
had seen their Lord 80 mucn In prayer
and even thus engaged at their parting
glimpse could ever forget &he imp0r.
tuncc OF prayer7 No wonder they
| prayed. And what they did we can do,
we must do, If we follow tie praying
| Christ.