Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-22

Prayer is an absolute necessity for
every believer. 1t is the greatest
privilege ever given to man, and the
use of communion with God is essen
tial to the maintaining of ones spir
itual vitality and power. Our Lord
believed in prayer, taught His dis
ciples to pray and prayed Himself.
Our Masters practice of comforting
with the Father is emphasized in the
Gospels and in Hebrews, where we
learn of His strong crying and tears"
in prayer. He has told us that His
work was done by the power of Gods
spirit, and it was His habit to seek
the needed spiritual strength for serv-
ice through prayer. His impressive
example and earnest teaching has
made it clear that every Christian
ought to recognize an individual and
personal dependence upon "Our
Father in heaven" for help to live
the Christian life. Prayer furnishes
the opportunity for one to definitely
relate his soul to Gods life, love, and
labor.
Christ's revelation of the Father
hood of God should encourage us to
draw near with a true heart of full
assurance of faith" in His desire to
share with us all of His richest bless.
ings. Our fellowship and relation
ship with Him is such that we ought
to be anxious to confer with Him
about all the problems relating to our
own life and His kingdom. He has
spoken unto us in the Bible; in prayer
we can talk with Him. We should
not go to our Lord, seeking like beg
CARS gifts for ourselves, without tax.
ing time to permit Him to talk with
US concerning the advancement of His
Church and cause among men. The
greatest blessings in PRAYER come
from allowing God to speak with us
IN the silent moments of spiritual fell
lowship.
The Masters Example.
We have the Masters example for
the morning watch. After a siren
uous day of ministry unto men. Jesus
early in the following morning, with.
drew to the desert to find in secret
prayer power for service. There is no
better hour for one to confer with
God than the early morning, when no
outside disturbance can interfere with
the souls communion with the Lord.
We have an example Of His larry
ing upon the mountain late at night
in order that He might, free from the
His soul in prayer. Preceding every
important event in His life Jesus
sought guidance from the Father. He
prayed before He selected the -.
Prayer is associated with the confess
sion of Caesarea Philippi Upon the
return of the 20 from their missionary
journey, the Master gave thanks for
their victories. While He was pray
ing upon the mount and comforting
with Moses and Elijah He was trans
figured. The weakness of our spir-
itual life can be traced to the neglect
of the privilege of prayer Power de-
ponds upon our life of intercession.
The night Jesus spent on the noun
tain praying should teach us that
there are hours, when we should be
persistent in our pleadings with God.
The last night that Jesus spent on
earth in the flesh He agonized in
prayer to learn the Fathers will and
to obtain His help for the great sac
rifice that He was called to make
upon the cross. Calvary was deter
mined in Gethsemane, where His
apostles failed to watch with Him
while He prayed. The cross was the
outcome of His prayer life.
Social Prayer.
II lS INSTRUCTIVE III IIlctIl W LulIl "
God for aid in emergencies. Jesus
left the upper room to face the great
est crisis in human history in Geth-
semane, where He was accustomed to
spend hours in prayer. The disciples
knew His practice and the place; if
not, Judas could not have betrayed
his Lord. When the Master ap-
preached the old olive grove He
sought seclusion by approaching eight
of the apostles, watchmen to warn
Him of any approaching danger. He
selected three to be companions with
Him in prayer, requesting them to
watch with Him while He went a
step away in the grove to pray. Flee
ing away from human society, it is
evident that Jesus longed for His
disciples to share with Him the last
hours of His ministry. He had fire.
quently opened up His soul to them
and expounded to them the message
of His Gospel in that garden, but they
failed Him, even after they had been
warned of His approaching danger.
There is something about the
Masters request that they share the
with Him that indicates His feeling
of the need of human sympathy when
He prayed for Divine aid. He must
brace His body, nerve His soul, and
calm His spirit for the trial" He
knew that His physical strength was
being slapped by the intense rate at
which He was going in His efforts to
help humanity. He felt keenly the
apostacy of Judas. and He had a
right to question whether His heart
could hold out through the coming
and trial. He may have
felt that He was dying there in the
garden without completing His task of
saving man.
He was fighting for His soul, and
praying for His life, that He would
be able to finish the work of redemp-
ton. In His agony Christ revealed
His habitual prayer, that not His
own. but that the Fathers will
might be done. He did not pray that
He should be spared from making the
sacrifice of the cross. He plead for
power to do His Fathers will. He
did not seek release from duty or
from His responsibility. He needed
help to master His physical weakness,
and He sought victory over Himself,
so that He could complete His APP
pointed suffering and sacrifice. His
prayer was answered. An angel drew
near To strengthen Him, when the
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