SUNDAY READING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1190, 21 December 1894, Page 18

SUNDAY READING.

DOES GOD ANSWER PRAYER ?

By Rev William Birch

The supplication of a righteous man aficth much in its working.—James, v. 16. (R..VV) - Secularists and agnostics say that it. there he., a personal Creator it is impertinent to pray, if Ho knew us like a father his children, ancl certainly that He no more noticed us than we notice mites on a cheese, or microbes in the air. They add that 'itA is ridiculous to suppose that the - prayer, can hold back the rain or change, the, wind; and that the Almighty does not attend tothe supplication of a church full of saintly, any moi'e than to the plaintive cries- or mice in a trap.- - Still, some of thorn observe that prayer is merelly wholesome—it makes the common people reverent, and keeps them in- beneficial restraint; hut X submit that if God has made no provision to answer true prayer, it is wrong to pray, for it is a falsity; a superstitious weakness, and therefore hurtful to the race. It is, however, my aim to prov.o that God hears and answers true prayer. (1) The law of the prayer of faith. We act on certain laws known by unvarying results". The invisible law of gravitation enables us to build yonder tower, and by the law of electricity we' produce sparks' and light, and carry messages tinder the sea. These laws have, never been known to fail- —we only, know them by acting on certain conditions and. unvarying results. ' Likewise, the law of the prayer of faith, which scientific men have not yet discovered," is Hixowii by the results which follow the conditions laid down. They are as certain as that under true conditions of gravitation yonder building stands, this apple falls, and, under true conditions of electricity, the wonderful life-giving fluid goes from my body into yours and gives these sparks. ’ If it b.e granted that there is such a law, then it is neither impertinent before God to pray, nor is it absurd with intense earnestness to cry to Him, “ J will not let Thee go except Thou bless me.” (2) The necessity of prater, (a) As a protection against our tendency to evil. Inherited or acquired evil should never bo our master, but always our imprisoned slave. How painful to hear of one of God’s gospel ministers, 5 falling into the slushy mud with a splash that sounds overall the .earth ! While it brings tears of sorrowful sympathy for him, it drives us to our knees crying, “ Lord, held me, specially andfirmly hold me,: lest I also be cast down! ” Lot us be the first, hereby, to give the hand of Christian love to the American : brother to whom I refer, Rev Dr many of whoso books have greatly blessed me. He is a brokenhearted disciple, and writes; 1 ‘'For lack of watchfulness and prayer, I fell into sin.” .Instead of upbraiding him, I would urge my many friends in the United States once more to lead him to the front, as our Lord restored the penitent apostle . who had publicly denied Him. ’ Lejfe'- us take heed lest we fall! fThe prayerof faith is an absolute necessity to ensile God to keep us from Btumbling. (b)\,As a safeeruard against spiritual foes. / surrounded ;by demons who seek tp enter us to overcome o'Ur' spirit, to lead 1 thg. brain astray from. truth;'and‘'to use cur body for sin. We need therefore to be always in the spirit of prayer as a in a dangerous country walks: with rifle ready on the instant to fire. , ' • ’ .

(3) .The conditions on prater, (a.) In the spirit of righteousness towards God and every other Are wo sincere in our resolve to obey the known will of God ? In our prayet to be saved from a 'besetting sin/ do we m:pur heart . desire .'God to cleanse us from-the defilement ? If so, he will do it, as surely as throjigh gravitation He- makes yonder spire keep* "upright. One youth of old earnestly' prayed; to be saved from a secret fault, and wondered; why God did not answer; the prayer. Some time afterwards, when he looked back, he remembered that His prayer was not perfectly-sincere-—he liked- the darling sin so much as not to really want God to utterly cleanse: it away. .. "■ . Have we an ungodly feeling against any other man ? .* . Have we done someone an injury ? Is it in our power to undo it? By what we have said orr by the shrug of our > shoulder have wo wronged the good name of a fellow-creature ? Have we kept from making restitution because we do not like to humble, ourselves ? If so, then ' in God’s sight .V we are not righteous to our brother man; and because he lo\es that other man equally with ourselves, he cannot hear our prayer—the prayer of an unrighteous believer is like building a tower with a slant of fortyfive degrees and expecting it to stand. If you refuse to try to put; right the wrong you have done,"-your prayer even with groans and tears can no more be heard by our God than a broken wire can carry an electric message through tho air. (b) In the Divinely Appointed Way., The ancient Cain -went before God in effect saying, “ I am> Cain ; I am on a levelwith God; I come to be honoured and blest!” But his speech returned to him like an arrow shot into the sky. On the other hand,*- Abel came humbly, feeling unworthy to stand, before God, confessing that he had evil within him, and pleading the promised Ransom as the righteous reason why God might be merci- — ful and gracious ; -and . his prayer was heard and' answered. It is impertinent to come before God with the plea that we are better or no worse than others. '* The right way is to feel our unworthiness, the evil of our spirit, and to cry, “ God be merciful to me the chief of sinhers!” (4) ENOOtraAdEHBNTS tor Prater, (a) True prayer - is an ' inspiration of God. The Holy Spirit impels, us to pray. As a dumb

man in a crisis groans to utter words of entreaty or alarm, so in the intensity of desire to help us, the Holy Spirit groans to inspire us to utter the prayer of faith unto God. When an impulse to pray comes over one we should yield to it, seek the first opportunity of getting into a place alone with God, kneeling humbly before Him like a very little child before his good father, cry, wait, and say, “Lord, what dost Thou inspire me to pray?” Such prayers move Heaven and produce men and women who turn a mongrel church inside out and an evil world upside down. (&) God calls on all His righteous children to pray. Elijah was not different from us, but a man of like passions, and strong passions, too. As God heard him, He will hear us, if in our degree we are equally righteous, earnest and believing. 'ln the right conditions, God’s answer to uaxwill be as certainly “ Yes ” as when Elijah prayed.for the little child and Paul received.: counterbalancing grace to bear tho'thom. l-. We are exhorted not any account to despair. God’s obedient children are not orphans in their pilgrimage to heaven. Di-vinely reborn, they are as divinely led and inspired as any angel above; and whatever the trouble, pain or loss, we are to be of good cheer for our God is always near to hear our prayer and to manifest His love. Is there any coldness, ill-feeling or strife in the church ? Brothers, pray it away and seek for the holy fire of God s love to be kindled in every heart. As individuals, are we conscious of a darling sin to which we cling ? If the angels could see through the window into our room, shop, office, warehouse or soul, is there one thing we do in thought, word or deed concerning which they would say, “Your God is grieved with your conduct in that thing, and until you come to Him for pardon and" cleansing, He cannot answer your prayer.” Brothers, is there a sand-grit in the inner works ? Is there a clog on the wheel ? Is offensive mud on the face of your immortal spirit ? Let the message, I believe divinely given through me to you, sink into your inner self and inspire you to be of the'righteous whose fervent prayers are effectual before God, and enable him to avail of your medium to bless the world.