Evening star., 1924-01-05
CONCENTRATE PRAYER
FOR BETTER WORLD.
Many Churches Join Movement
This Week in Petitions Along
: Similar Lines.
HOMES ARE ALSO ENLISTED
Possibilities of Appeal Declared to
Be Infinite.

Joining with churches throughout
che world thousands OF American
congregations will observe tho period
from January 8 to IL as a week of
united prayer. The call is being sent
out by tho commission on evangelism
and life service OF the Federal Council
of Churches In cooperation with the
worlds evangelical alliance. It is
aligned by churchmen of many lands.
During the week the churches will
Join in sermons on the same text the
aame Bible readings and the same
prayer topics The program has been
carefully prepared by church leaders.
IN many cities, towns and smaller
communities union services will be
held. In addition, thousands OF
church members will join in the OBJ
eervance with prayers in their own
homes.
This week Of united prayer, which
was established some years ago, has
grown until it's observance Is wide
spread. Churches on every continent
and in most countries will join. Last
year the observance in America was
70 much greater than anticipated that
AoCOnQ esnu tnlTu Oi tHo pIS-
gram had to be issued.
United Effort Urged.
Tho call to prayer says in part:
nations and churches a character OF
IT'S own, 1t is our privilege to In
vfte all Christian people to fellow
ship in prayer.
1T is not demanded Of US that we
ahould devise a formal unity before
we can come together at the throne
Of grace. There is a unity which
is already ours. We are one body
IN Christ. We have not to create
but to enter into the unity which
comes from our common relationship.
in grateful and adoring faith. to the
one Lord. We come by many ways
TO Him. but 1t is to Him that we all
come, and in Him we meet with one
another. We need not wait for other
1--WE shall hope to see the needs.
which we share. more clearly when
we together bring them into the
light Of the one divine purpose. we
know something of our shame and
failure. We are men Of unclean lips
and we dwell in the midst of a peo-
Pile Of unclean lips We shall know
more when we have lifted this our
world into the pure and holy light
We know something of our need of
God, but we shall learn more IN tel
lowship; we shall see with cieansed
vision what il is that can fill human
life with the joy of a great purpose
and the certainty of an eternal
destiny.
Possibilities of Prayer.
"Everywhere we see men seekin g
to fill their days with excitement
In order to escape from thinking. In
the failure -of their merely formal
religion they hope to fill the void with
rev superstitions. They dream that
they are eating, and they will awake
60 fnd their souls empty. This we
know in part, but when we strengthen
each other in the fellowship of prayer
and come with boldness to God. we
know still more surely that nothing
hut faith in the living God can
satisfy the soul of man.
But we shall not only see with
purified eyes: we shall open new ways
through our offering OF ourselves,
whereby the spirit Of God may enter
way open whenever solitary soul
.urns in faith to its Lord. but we have
the assurance of the Saviour Him
self that through fellowship the souls
OF men open another road. Where
two Of three are gathered together
Of them. :. II two Of you
shall agree it shall be done.
It will make a difference whether
We unite in prayer or not. Such a
folloWSHlp III prayer iiedhs way
thrown open powers released, rein
forcements Of courage and hope for
the faithful servants of God.
I'VE cannot limit the range of be-
lieving prayer, the world has still to
learn what may follow upon the fell
iowship in prayer of all the people
OF God. To the discovery Of that
secret In experience we call the
churches for their own sake. for the
sake Of the world and for the sake
OF Him who waits and has waited
long for us to offer Him this road"