BLJ: Never allow material things to hinder prayer. Satan will use anything to keep you from prayer, even good things to distract you. Many "prayer meetings" are rendered ineffective because of worldly talk among the attendees before prayer commences. Focus on prayer and results will be forthcoming.
Now these apostles, when they looked into this matter, determined to put aside these hindrances growing out of church finances, and resolved to "give themselves to prayer." Not that these finances were to be ignored or set aside, but ordinary laymen, "full of faith and the Holy Spirit" could be found, really religious men, who could easily attend to this money business without in the least affecting their piety or their praying, thus giving them something to do in the church, and at the same time taking the burden from the apostles who would be able now to pray more, and praying more, to be blessed themselves in soul, and at the same time to more effectually do the work to which they had been called.
They realized, too, as they had not realized before, that they were being so pressed by attention to material things, things right in themselves, that they could not give to prayer that strength, ardor, and time which its nature and importance demanded. And so we will discover, under close scrutiny of ourselves sometimes, that things legitimate, things right in themselves, things commendable, may so engross our attention, so preoccupy our minds and so draw on our feelings, that prayer may be omitted, or at least very little time may be given to prayer. How easy to slip away from the closet! Even the apostles had to guard themselves at that point. How much do we need to watch ourselves at the same place! Things legitimate and right may become wrong when they take the place of prayer. Things right in themselves may become wrong things when they are allowed to fasten themselves inordinately upon our hearts. It is not only the sinful things which hurt prayer. It is not alone questionable things which are to be guarded against. It is things which are right in their places, but which are allowed to sidetrack prayer and shut the closet door, often with the self-comforting plea that "we are too busy to pray"
Possibly this has had as much to do with the breaking down of family prayer in this age as any other one cause. It is at this point that family religion has decayed, and just here is one cause of the decline of the prayer meeting. Men and women are too busy with legitimate things to "give themselves to prayer." Other things are given the right of way Prayer is set aside or made secondary Business comes first. And this means not always that prayer is second, but that prayer is put entirely out. The apostles drove directly at this point, and determined that even church business should not affect their praying habits. Prayer must come first. Then would they be in deed and truth God's real agents in his world, through whom he could effectually work, because they were praying men, and thereby put themselves directly in line with his plans and purposes, which was that he works through praying men.
When the complaint came to their ears the apostles discovered that that which they had been doing did not fully serve the divine ends of peace, gratitude, and unity Discontent, complainings, and division were the result of their work, which had far too little prayer in it. And so prayer was put prominently to the front.
Now these apostles, when they looked into this matter, determined to put aside these hindrances growing out of church finances, and resolved to "give themselves to prayer." Not that these finances were to be ignored or set aside, but ordinary laymen, "full of faith and the Holy Spirit" could be found, really religious men, who could easily attend to this money business without in the least affecting their piety or their praying, thus giving them something to do in the church, and at the same time taking the burden from the apostles who would be able now to pray more, and praying more, to be blessed themselves in soul, and at the same time to more effectually do the work to which they had been called.
They realized, too, as they had not realized before, that they were being so pressed by attention to material things, things right in themselves, that they could not give to prayer that strength, ardor, and time which its nature and importance demanded. And so we will discover, under close scrutiny of ourselves sometimes, that things legitimate, things right in themselves, things commendable, may so engross our attention, so preoccupy our minds and so draw on our feelings, that prayer may be omitted, or at least very little time may be given to prayer. How easy to slip away from the closet! Even the apostles had to guard themselves at that point. How much do we need to watch ourselves at the same place! Things legitimate and right may become wrong when they take the place of prayer. Things right in themselves may become wrong things when they are allowed to fasten themselves inordinately upon our hearts. It is not only the sinful things which hurt prayer. It is not alone questionable things which are to be guarded against. It is things which are right in their places, but which are allowed to sidetrack prayer and shut the closet door, often with the self-comforting plea that "we are too busy to pray"
Possibly this has had as much to do with the breaking down of family prayer in this age as any other one cause. It is at this point that family religion has decayed, and just here is one cause of the decline of the prayer meeting. Men and women are too busy with legitimate things to "give themselves to prayer." Other things are given the right of way Prayer is set aside or made secondary Business comes first. And this means not always that prayer is second, but that prayer is put entirely out. The apostles drove directly at this point, and determined that even church business should not affect their praying habits. Prayer must come first. Then would they be in deed and truth God's real agents in his world, through whom he could effectually work, because they were praying men, and thereby put themselves directly in line with his plans and purposes, which was that he works through praying men.
When the complaint came to their ears the apostles discovered that that which they had been doing did not fully serve the divine ends of peace, gratitude, and unity Discontent, complainings, and division were the result of their work, which had far too little prayer in it. And so prayer was put prominently to the front.
Praying men are a necessity in carrying out the divine plan for the salvation of men. God has made it so. He it is who established prayer as a divine ordinance, and this implies men are to do the praying. So praying men are a necessity in the world. The fact that so often God has employed men of prayer to accomplish his ends clearly proves the proposition. It is altogether unnecessary to name all the instances where God used the prayers of righteous men to carry out his gracious designs. Time and space are too limited for the list. Yet one or two cases might be named. In the case of the golden calf, when God purposed to destroy the Israelites because of their great sin of idolatry, at the time when Moses was receiving the law at God's hands, the very being of Israel was imperiled, for Aaron had been swept away by the strong popular tide of unbelief and sin. All seemed lost but Moses and prayer, and prayer became more efficient and wonder-working in behalf of Israel than Aaron's magic rod. God was determined to destroy Israel and Aaron. His anger waxed hot. It was a fearful and a critical hour. But prayer was the levee which held back heaven's desolating fury God's hand was held fast by the interceding of Moses, the mighty intercessor.
Moses was set on delivering Israel. It was with him a long and exhaustive struggle of praying for forty days and forty nights. Not for one moment did he relax his hold on God. Not for one moment did he quit his place at the feet of God, even for food. Not for one moment did he moderate his demand or ease his cry Israel's existence was in the balance. Almighty God's wrath must be stayed. Israel must be saved at all hazards. And Israel was saved. Moses would not let God alone. And so, today we can look back and give the credit of the present race of the Jews to the praying of Moses centuries ago.
Persevering prayer always wins; God yields to importunity and fidelity He has no heart to say No to such praying as Moses did. Actually God's purpose to destroy Israel is changed by the praying of this man of God. It is but an illustration of how much just one praying man is worth in this world, and how much depends upon him.
When Daniel, in Babylon, refused to obey the decree of the king not to ask any petition of any god or man for thirty days, he shut his eyes to the decree which would shut him off from his praying room, and refused to be deterred from calling upon God for fear of the consequences. So he "kneeled upon his knees three times a day" and prayed as he had done before, leaving it all with God as to the consequences of thus disobeying the king.
There was nothing impersonal about Daniel's praying. It always had an objective, and was an appeal to a great God, who could do all things. There was no coddling of self, nor looking after subjective or reflex influences. In the face of the dreadful decree which is to precipitate him from place and power, into the lion's den, "he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and gave thanks to God as aforetime." The gracious result was that prayer laid its hands upon an almighty arm, which interposed in that den of vicious, cruel lions and closed their mouths and preserved his servant Daniel, who had been true to him and who had called upon him for protection. Daniel's praying was an essential factor in defeating the king's decree and in discomfiting the wicked, envious rulers, who had set the trap for Daniel in order to destroy him and remove him from place and power in the kingdom.
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