IN THE CLOSET
In this electric age, most every one is on the run, hands full, head full; on the hurried march from early dawn until late at night answering the many, many calls. One cannot see much time to go to the closet; one can hardly get his eyes open before duty calls strong and loud, and off we hurry to office, business, school, store, shop, without any quiet time before Him. The devil hates prayer, he is aware of the fact that the prayer life is the successful life, hence, he must interrupt some way and if he can get us in a nervous hurry, we will neglect our quiet times and become weaklings and easy to overcome.
In these sad days when all kinds of deviltry are sweeping our land, souls by the tens of thousands being hurried over the Niagara of destruction, it is high time that the watchman upon the walls sound the trumpet loud, calling the children of God to earnest prayer. The soul will grow more in one day in quiet waiting before Him than in a dozen without the quiet time. We cannot work our way into His kingdom, we can not rejoice our way in, He has said, "Ask, and ye shall receive," and the soul which has quiet times will do more in a revival than two dozen who work, work, work, but nothing more. One can work without religion, but he who lingers, waits, gets still, lets the Holy Ghost reveal His secrets, gets anointed and oiled up, will work and there will be less friction, better service, and more fruit. Watch him who goes aside, as did Moses, from the busy cares and toils of daily life, and you will see him fired and sent forth to lead lost men to God.
More prayer, earnest praying, as did Elijah until the cloud was plainly seen; a wrestling all night, as did Jacob, would usher in upon the Church a great revival, sweet peace, deep peace, a continual flow of rich peace. The joy that abides comes when you get quiet before God daily.
A servant dressing one of God's faithful servants, found corns upon the aged man's knees. Asking why, the old soldier, with eyes full of tears, said, "I have waited so much in my closet, had such blessed quiet times in secret devotion, that living mostly upon my knees brought corns." If we had corns upon our knees, no doubt our work would bear more fruit, but few today have corns upon their knees.
A young Asbury student went out to preach over the Sabbath. Joe saw the young preacher go off ever and anon to the barn. He wondered, he followed, and he found this earnest young man upon his knees. Slipping back to the house, he said, "Wife, that young man is religious. In place of joking, he is off crying for a message and a work of salvation." Joe said to the writer, "No one can ever tell how that impressed me, how it put me into the prayer life, how it taught me the importance of prayer, how it did impress prayer upon me." Joe said that a red-hot sermon and salvation were the results of that secret devotion in the barn.
Going off alone with God, getting quiet, waiting, not being in a hurry, taking time to pray, will prepare for public service, It is disheartening to preach from Sunday to Sunday, and have no one getting saved, no one at the altar, no one asking for prayers, and it tends to lessen the possibility of these things, as it will discourage those who believe and those who might seek. Why is there not more urging souls to seek .Jesus in every sermon? Because the fire of prayer has died and the service drifts into formality.
A preacher once said, "I shall locate and go into other business, no one cries, laughs, seeks God or joins the church under my ministry." The whole trouble was, briars had grown up in his
closet, He was by far too busy to wait before Him. Education, set afire by the Holy Ghost, and a quiet time daily before Him, would bring things to pass for God. Once, after a great sermon, one said, "Was that not about the finest sermon you ever heard?" Another said, "My! he's smart." Another said, "Oh, his head is full of brains." "Yes," said an old saint, "but there is the lack of prayer in his life; such a sermon, coming from a man who had just come from his closet, would have borne some fruit.'' There was not a tear, a laugh a shout, no one got hungry for Jesus. They went away bragging on the man, not Jesus.
Waiting before God gives courage, makes one bold. No matter who is in the pew, you have a message from the skies. Kill or cure, you are God's man, no bits on you. No rich man's money will quiet your convictions; you do not belong to any clan or clique, but are a servant of the most high God.
A learned doctor had preached a helpful sermon; twenty-two fell at the altar. The workers had instructed, sung, prayed and were about to close, when an unpretentious, illiterate country woman, with her sunbonnet on and a baby astride her hip, walked down the aisle to the mourners. She went to one and then another, saying, "Look up, look to Jesus. He saved me and He will save you. Believe it, repent, look up." Her face shone and tears were flowing from her eyes. A number of seekers leaped up and stood with shining faces, telling the sweet story. The reason? This country woman lived a part of each day in her closet, and God rewarded her openly.
It is the prayer life that counts. Now get quiet, quit being in a hurry, take plenty of time to pray. Luther, when he had an extra heavy day's work before him, first prayed three hours. Prayer gives strength, nerve, vitality, and courage; makes work easy, and the hardest task enjoyable; it illuminates the darkest corner, and service becomes a real pleasure, having lost all its irksomeness. The prayer-meetings and class-meetings become flower gardens to one's soul. When one gets into this blessed habit, it is hard to get away from the closet; one has to fairly pull himself up off his knees.
You may at first find it hard to keep on your knees, you may for a few times find your mind away at work, but just be patient, take yourself back. Be determined to conquer and have the victory; enter into your closet, stay there, and soon hours will be enjoyed in this blessed way. Do not give up, do not quit just because God does not answer at once. Never be contentious about anything, but go to your closet the more often, take more time to pray. Never be in a hurry when you pray. Get everything out of your mind; be at leisure; have nothing else to do, and God will bless, for He says, "They that wait upon me shall renew their strength."
Waiting before God gives courage, makes one bold. No matter who is in the pew, you have a message from the skies. Kill or cure, you are God's man, no bits on you. No rich man's money will quiet your convictions; you do not belong to any clan or clique, but are a servant of the most high God.
A learned doctor had preached a helpful sermon; twenty-two fell at the altar. The workers had instructed, sung, prayed and were about to close, when an unpretentious, illiterate country woman, with her sunbonnet on and a baby astride her hip, walked down the aisle to the mourners. She went to one and then another, saying, "Look up, look to Jesus. He saved me and He will save you. Believe it, repent, look up." Her face shone and tears were flowing from her eyes. A number of seekers leaped up and stood with shining faces, telling the sweet story. The reason? This country woman lived a part of each day in her closet, and God rewarded her openly.
It is the prayer life that counts. Now get quiet, quit being in a hurry, take plenty of time to pray. Luther, when he had an extra heavy day's work before him, first prayed three hours. Prayer gives strength, nerve, vitality, and courage; makes work easy, and the hardest task enjoyable; it illuminates the darkest corner, and service becomes a real pleasure, having lost all its irksomeness. The prayer-meetings and class-meetings become flower gardens to one's soul. When one gets into this blessed habit, it is hard to get away from the closet; one has to fairly pull himself up off his knees.
You may at first find it hard to keep on your knees, you may for a few times find your mind away at work, but just be patient, take yourself back. Be determined to conquer and have the victory; enter into your closet, stay there, and soon hours will be enjoyed in this blessed way. Do not give up, do not quit just because God does not answer at once. Never be contentious about anything, but go to your closet the more often, take more time to pray. Never be in a hurry when you pray. Get everything out of your mind; be at leisure; have nothing else to do, and God will bless, for He says, "They that wait upon me shall renew their strength."
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