Not An Easy Task

NOT AN EASY TASK

Daniel 6:10

Praying clear through as Daniel did is not an easy task. It is one of the hardest battles to be fought. It is one of the hardest conflicts in one s life. It takes grit, grace, and backbone. It draws out more physical energies, more mental quickness, more spiritual unction than any other exercise in one's religious life, It is easy to sing; most anyone can sing. There is not much art in singing. All one needs to know is the notes and understand the scale of music, It is an easy thing for one to preach when he is called and has a message, preaching is easy. It is delightful. Testifying is certainly a joyful service. It does not take much strength to testify. One just has to get up and begin telling the sweet story, and it rolls forth, but when you come to prayer, the devil and all his forces are on hand to impede your progress, thwart your pathway, yea, to cause your cogs to slip, your engine to leak steam, and its water to put out the fire. The devil knows that if he does not break into an earnest spirit of prayer something is going to happen, something is going to be doing. His plans will be frustrated, his agents put to flight, his territory conquered: hence, he puts forth his best agents to block the pathway of prayer.

Over there in Daniel, when he was praying earnestly, praying long, praying in heart agony, the devil withstood the angel who had been sent from God with an answer to Daniel's prayer, twenty-one long days, three weeks, but Daniel kept at it. He never let up; he never quit; he knew it was on the road; he knew darkness must be broken up, the clouds must rift, the sunshine must break through, for if he failed to pray clear through, defeat would be his, God be dishonored, the cause injured, and Daniel's experience hurt, so Daniel took the thing by the job. He put out his pickets; he went into battle never to let up until victory rolled in.

The angel of God said to Daniel, "Fear not Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words, But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came t o help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia, Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days." We see by this Scripture (Dan. 10:12-14) that God's angel was stopped, hindered twenty-one days in getting the answer to Daniel. Sometimes when one goes to prayer he has not a spirit of prayer. There is no liberty in prayer; there is no unction; things are dry; things go slow; there is no oil; there is no fire, and but little steam. But remember, always remember, and never forget, we are to stay there, keep at it, never let up until the fire falls.

Many times we have gone into prayer, and for a half hour things looked gloomy, from the human viewpoint. Why? The devil knew full well that if he permitted us to pray through he would be defeated. Hence, we felt sluggish, oftentimes sleepy, and the devil would give us a good spell of mind wandering. We could not collect our thoughts, we could not concentrate our mind, but we said, "We will stay here, we will keep at it, and victory will come." Some good promises, a few verses of a good song, looking back to how God has blessed, and answered prayer, will refresh one and often encourage the spirit of prayer.

A good wife in one of our revivals was impressed that that was the revival in which her husband must be saved. She asked this preacher to join her in fasting and prayer that God would pungently, miserably convict her husband. The meeting ran for several days; souls fell at the altar and swept through into the kingdom of grace. Her husband stood back, seemingly stubborn and
hard to move. On Friday morning she was not at the breakfast table. I started to go into the parlor for a season of prayer. Opening the door we saw her kneeling by the davenport, engaged in earnest prayer. We went running up the stairway to our room, praising God. A deluge of grace swept through our soul, and we shouted aloud for some time. That morning, after preaching the sermon and making the altar call, the congregation standing, they had just sung two lines of the first stanza, when this husband fell full length, screaming, "Wife, come to me! God has got me down." That man was powerfully converted; shouted all that day. He lived just seven months, died in a halo of glory, and went sweeping through the pearly gates. This good wife felt led to pray much for him; she was impressed that this was the time for him to get saved; the Holy Ghost laid a heavy burden for his salvation upon her heart. The devil sent in a string of company, but this good woman would get away in earnest prayer by the hour. She knew when God led out in prayer she must follow; she knew when the Holy Ghost placed a crushing burden upon her heart she must not fail to wrestle in prayer. Suppose she had entertained her company and failed to wrestle in prayer; this husband might now be in Hell.

Let us be sure, when God leads us out in prayer, to go alone on our knees and wrestle and agonize until the victory comes, He will answer prayer. Yes, He answers prayer. Do not doubt it. Never doubt it. If He fails to answer today, it is because of some lesson to be taught. It is because there is a hindrance somewhere. When you pray clear through, the victory will come. It is certain to come, It has never failed to come It paid Daniel to keep praying. It honored God for this man to hold on; it brought victory to the prayer life. We defeat God, rob Him of His glory, and thwart the pathway of the salvation of men, if we do not pray clear through. What a blessing it is to be counted worthy for God to place a burden of prayer upon one's heart.

Honest in Prayer

Daniel 6:10

This is a great verse, one of the most wonderful verses in the Bible. It discloses the fact that there lived a man who was honest, pure, sober truthful and upright to the core. He feared God, and answered every roll call, obeyed every injunction, and lived up to all the light given him by the Holy Ghost, He was fearless. He did not cool off, let up or let down when the frightful decree was heralded forth that anyone who failed to bow the knee to the king's statue would be thrust into the den of lions, There was not one bit of fear, not the slightest wave that played over this honest, sincere, holy heart, He was as fearless as God could make man.

After reading the hellish decree he went home, threw up his windows -- mark you! he did not do one thing that he had not been doing; did not put on one extra; did not pray any louder, but only did what he had been doing aforetime. Mark well the "aforetime." He had been having his family prayers; he had been having them with open windows; he had been having them with his face toward Jerusalem; and when this awful crash came, he kept doing what he had been doing aforetime.
God will always take care of such a man. God will never see such a man trodden under foot. God has always delivered those who lived as Daniel lived, If we would have success, we must live where God can give us success. Crowded altars, scores and scores being saved and sanctified, can only be given to those who live in constant touch with the skies. Now, you may say, "I know some who are black sheep, and yet they have some success." That is true. God will bless His own Word, no matter through what channel it may go, but, mark you well, the black sheep do not have great break-downs and sweeping revivals constantly. Some we know, and sorry are we in our heart that we know them, who are living in sin, covered-up sin, and yet they go right on preaching the Word, and sometimes souls get through to God in their meetings. But in their hearts they have no connection with God in prayer; they do not enjoy the sweet, deep, blessed communion with God. They pray but little, for if they did, light would be turned in.

Daniel had power to get audience with God. Why? He had had audience with God. There had been no break, and when this awful storm swept down upon this holy man of God, he stood firmly because he stood only in the will of God. We have seen good men, holy men, praying men, who, if it had not been for their grip in prayer, would have been swept from their feet, and if they had not been prayed up, had not lived up, would have been swept out by a mad gale. Elijah was prayed up before the great Mount Carmel sacrifice. Moses was prayed up before God gave him the Decalogue. Joshua was prayed up when he marched around the walls of Jericho.

Notice, every man through whom God has wrought mightily has been a man of much prayer. Luther prayed three hours a day. Knox prayed by the hour. Fletcher was a man of much soul
travail. Spurgeon lived upon his face. Madame Guyon was a woman of constant prayer. If we would do something for God and lost humanity, we must be earnest in our prayer life. The greatest victory that comes to one usually comes after a protracted season of prayer. The fire fell after Elijah had prayed; the rain fell after Elijah had placed his face between his knees; the great deliverance came to the Jewish race after Mordecai and Esther had fasted and prayed three days and three nights; the great Pentecostal fire came rushing upon the hundred and twenty in the upper room after they had prayed ten days; the scales fell from Paul's eyes after he had prayed three days and nights.

Prayer is the channel through which we reach the haven of rest. Prayer is the channel through which God enters into the soul. Prayer is the wire over which comes the blessed news, freedom from sin. Let us remember, always remember, and never forget, that prayer is the key that unlocks Heaven. Hence, we should stay upon our knees. wrestle, agonize, fast, pray clear through. Be determined to place the key in the lock.

TAUGHT BY THE HOLY GHOST

TAUGHT BY THE HOLY GHOST

Daniel 6:10

Daniel knew how to pray, because he was taught by the Holy Ghost. Natural man does not know how to pray, nor can he teach himself. Hence, he needs the Holy Ghost to pray through him with groanings which cannot be uttered by lips of clay. One of the disciples said, "Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples," and Jesus said, "It is expedient that I go away, that the Holy Spirit may come, who will bring all things to your remembrance."
The Holy Ghost will help our infirmities, for we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but we are fighting against principalities and powers. Remember that Satan's force is a strong force. and this force is led by the prince of the power of the air.

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known unto you the mystery of the gospel, for which I am

an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." We see here that the Christian's foe is a powerful one, and there is only one way to defeat this foe, that is, by praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. The Holy Ghost will teach us how to pray; He will lead us out into prayer; He will place burdens of prayer upon our hearts; He will place the earnest spirit of prayer in our soul. He knows the enemy; hence, He knows how to gird us for the battle, how to qualify us for a victorious service, how to gird us for the battle's front, how to prepare us for the bugle's blast.

Daniel cleaned up the enemy and cleared the field of the foe by throwing up his windows and praying three times a day as he had done aforetime, and we are taught, by this great man's example, that if we are to be victors, glorifying the name of Jesus Christ and gathering precious sheaves into His garner, it will be accomplished only through prayer.

George Mueller housed, fed and clothed multiplied thousands of orphans, by living upon his knees. A. B. Simpson, who prayed all night at Old Orchard, Me., in earnest, wrestling prayer, the next morning took up over one hundred thousand dollars for missionary purposes. Why? Because he prayed clear through that night. The Holy Ghost unctionized him, the Holy Ghost filled him with the spirit of prayer. He had soul agony, soul travail. He got the answer. He knew the money was coming.
The saints who live upon their faces know beforehand that victory is theirs. What confidence, what settledness, what contentment, there is in the heart of those who have a grip in prayer! What sweet peace floods the soul, what joyful songs leap through the avenues of the heart! The choir of birds is turned loose in the forest of one s spirit, warbling the sweet songs of joy; the flowers are blooming, lading the air with fragrant odors; the leaping brooklets run across the sparkling pebbles of one's soul, carrying a freshness of peace that is full of glory and sunshine.

There is a rest in God, a rest of faith, a rest of mind, a rest of body, a sweet rest, deep rest, abiding rest, undisturbed rest, a rest that brings mastery, self-mastery. We are conquerors, yea, more than conquerors, through much continued, earnest prayer. If you would live on the mountain of Beulah, and be swept by one holy gale after another, of God's perfect love, live much on your knees. If you would be strong in faith, robust in experience, have that constant, intimate relationship with God that Daniel had, pray. God needs pray-ers, more pray-ers, We would rather be a great pray-er than a great preacher; we would rather be a great pray-er than a great man, for it is the pray-ers that pull the fire out of Heaven, put a withering, blistering conviction upon sinners, crowd the altars with earnest seekers who confess, uncover, and pray right through to God

Have you ever had the Holy Ghost to place some soul hard upon your soul, and cause you to fly to your room, upon your face, and cry and wrestle over that soul? Has God sent your community a gracious, soul-saving revival, through your prayers? Mordecai and Esther fasted and prayed. yea, wrestled in prayer, they had heart agony and soul travail, and in answer to their earnest, protracted prayer, God sent one of the greatest revivals the Jewish race ever witnessed. He delivered the entire race through Mordecai's and Esther's prayers. Another time, the Holy Ghost came in His sanctifying power upon the hundred and twenty after they had had a prayer-meeting for ten days.

We have never had any trouble in having sweeping revivals where the saints had been earnestly praying for weeks ahead of the revival. A certain lady once said to this preacher, "I had the witness for one hundred souls three months before you began the meeting in Glasgow, Ky." The reason there are not greater revivals and more souls saved is, the saints do not pray things through. God has said, "Ask, and ye shall receive." He has said, where two or three agree as touching any one thing, He will be in the midst. Let us be certain that our hands and skirts are free from the blood of men; let us be certain that no one stumbles over our prayerless life, into Hell. I tell you it is awful when we think of the prayer-less lives in every community, men and women who profess to love God and their families, and yet have not vital connection with God in their prayer life. They enjoy the daily paper, the chats with friends, but when it comes to the real prayer life, they are ignorant. These things ought not so to be!

Seventh Bible Study: A New Covenant

Today's lesson comes from Hebrews 8: 1-13. The author of Hebrews has shown the superiority of Jesus Christ over the Levitical priesthood, but now he goes further to declare the ministry of Christ has superseded the old dispensation. The lesson states that the old covenant has been outdated, and a new covenant is now in force. I disagree in part with that concept. In Jeremiah 31: 30, 32, the William J. Morford translation states: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that I will cut a renewed covenant with the House of Israel, and with the House of Judah.... But this will be the covenant that I shall make with the House of Israel, After those days, says the LORD, I will put my Torah (Teaching) in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I will be their God and they will be My people." The issue is, is  the covenant "new" or "renewed?" The root Hebrew word means to renew. Every month or so, we have a "new" moon. Is the moon really "new" or is it the same moon coming back around? I believe this to be important because it forces New Testament Christians to be responsible for certain parts of the Torah (the 613 laws of the Old Testament). I contend that a major difference between the Old Covenant and the New or Renewed Covenant is where it is written, not the content. The Old Covenant was written on tablets of stone whereas the New Covenant was written on the hearts of believers. In this way, I believe the New Covenant is far better than the Old, for it is founded on "a more excellent ministry" and "established on better promises." My approach does not permit the believer to disregard the Ten Commandments or other moral requirements of the Law. As we study this lesson, we will see that our High Priest Jesus Christ, has established a more excellent ministry, fulfilled the need created by the Old Covenant, and established a New Covenant that would provide for a change of the heart condition of man.

The first section is "A More Excellent Ministry vv. 1-6." The Jewish faith had a high priest. The Christian faith has an eternal High Priest in Jesus Christ. Old Testament sacrifices only covered unintentional sins. If one committed an intentional sin, they had to bear the result of that sin. It is shouting ground that when comes to our High Priest and seeks salvation, all sins, both intentional and unintentional sins can be forgiven. Our High Priest is "set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens." Two things to notice: first, Jesus has sat down which means He has completed His work and second, the right hand is the principal place of honor. Priests on earth served under the shadow of heaven, whereas our High Priest serves in the heavens. Furniture in the Tabernacle in the Old Testament was a shadow of what exists in heaven. Truly, our High Priest Jesus Christ has a more excellent ministry. The greatest problem of the old covenant was its failure to change the hearts of its followers. The Old Testament is full of text where the Israelites backslid and went into idolatry over and over. Praise God that the New Covenant has the power to change the heart condition of man. The New Covenant provides for both salvation and entire sanctification.

The second section is "A New Covenant Needed vv. 7-9." In a general way, think about a covenant as a contract. The Old Covenant involved the law given to Moses when the Hebrews had been delivered from Egyptian bondage. Through Christ, God has made a new or renewed covenant with man. The Old Covenant law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be saved or justified through faith. (Galatians 3:24) The law showed us our sin. It was very much needed. The law showed us our need for a Savior. However, the law did not reform man. Should the law be preached today? Absolutely! The preaching of the law will reveal the sins of a person, show them they are in danger of hell fire, and open the door to salvation by grace through faith. Be very wary of any church or minister that only preaches grace and mercy. Preaching is like a tire. It needs to be balanced containing both law and grace. If you read Jeremiah 31: 31-34 you will readily see that not everything has been fulfilled. The ultimate fulfillment of Jeremiah 31 will occur during the millennium when the House of Israel and the house of Judah will know God's full redemption.

The third section is "A New Covenant Provided vv. 10-13." The new covenant provided for the change of the condition of man. The unsaved heart is dark and full of sin. The unsanctified believers heart is both good and evil. The war exists in the heart of the unsanctified Christian. The mixed heart will try to lead the Christian into sin, but the true believer will resist the temptation. The unsaved has no struggle as the carnal heart has no hindrances and it will the non believer into sin. However, the New Covenant provided for justification and entire sanctification. Justification is the divine act where the sinner is made right with God and his sins forgiven. It deals with past acts of sin, but not the sin principle in the heart. Entire sanctification deals with the sin principle. When one is sanctified wholly subsequent to salvation, the heart is purified. When the enemy seeks to tempt the sanctified believer, he finds no friend within. The heart has been cleansed and it is much easier to defeat temptation. The better covenant with better promises (v. 6) is the New Covenant. It is the new or renewed covenant because it is different in kind. It deals with changing the very nature of man. Thank God, today we can enjoy the blessings of the new covenant.

The Golden Text is: "By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better covenant." (Hebrews 7:22) The new covenant is better than the old covenant because:
1. In the old, God promised the Jewish nation blessings based on the condition of keeping the law of Moses. Under the new, God promises pardon for sin and entire sanctification on the condition on faith and walking in His testimonies.
2. The old was lead by fallible human priests, whereas the new is led by Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God.

My summary points:
1. The new covenant is better than the old because it changes the condition of man's heart.
2. Since the old covenant only dealt with dos and don'ts, it had no ability to change man's heart condition.
3. The new covenant provides that God will live inside true Christians.

Next week: "The Perfect Sacrifice" Hebrews 9: 11-28.

Don't forget to read the Sunday school Beacon for inspiration.

DANIEL'S GRIP UPON GOD

DANIEL'S GRIP UPON GOD

Daniel 6:10

The historic facts that cluster about this text disclose the fact that Daniel had a grip upon God. He was a fearless man, a man without fear. He had no man-fearing and no man-pleasing spirit. He dared to do the right; he dared to follow God he dared to walk in all the light the Holy Ghost shed upon his pathway. He was a courageous man, He was a man who stood flat-footedly upon the immutable Word of God, and the gates of Hell could not prevail against him. The clouds were dark; the lightnings were flashing from one dark mountain range of cloud to another; the peals of thunder from Hell's artillery seemingly were jarring the very foundation stones of Mother Earth. It was dark, awful dark -- so black that one without a grip upon God could not see which way to go. The winds were blowing at a terrific gale; the waves were leaping skyward, but Daniel had his compass and square, he knew his longitude and latitude. He understood how far he had traveled, and the speed he was making; hence, God had the advantage, and Daniel's anchor held fast.

The decree had gone forth that every man must bow the knee to the statue, This was done by the enemies of Daniel to entrap him. They saw in this clean, holy man of God nothing through which offense could be taken, but they must bring charges concerning his religious life. Therefore this hellish decree. But Daniel stood -- stood like a Pike's Peak; stood like the rock of Gibraltar, and you know the waves dashing and lashing the rock of Gibraltar only keep it clean, and through these crucial tests, these long tunnels. these dark tunnels, these deep gorges and sore afflictions, we are made more like God, and grow stronger, and become better qualified to live in the center of His will and do exploits for our Master.

A praying man is forearmed for battle; that is, he is prepared beforehand; that is, he has his artillery shining, his heavy guns manned. He understands what to do, and best how to do it, for a praying man has the ear of God. He has vital connection with the skies. His telephone wires are in good condition. He has splendid connection. Hence., the man who lives upon his face can soon get the mind of God, but be it understood, just because you can't pray through in a minute. or an hour, or a day, or a week, is no argument why you should not continue wrestling in heart agony, for if we continue and faint not, we shall reap, for the bread cast upon the waters will return not many days hence. The trouble with us is we do not pray long enough; we do not live long enough upon our faces. Thirty minutes seems a long time; we get so tired; we yawn, stretch ourselves, and say, "This thirty minutes is the longest I have ever experienced." Why? Because we are not in close touch with the skies: hence, we haven't the liberty in prayer; we haven't the freedom; it is burdensome; we are tired; we can't some way, somehow, get into a spirit of prayer. One should pray, and keep praying, and never stop praying until he really gets into the spirit of prayer. The devil is ever on hand to retard every possible advancement in the prayer life, He is too well aware of the fact that the prayers of the righteous avail much, that God hears the effectual, fervent prayer. He knows that Elijah prayed the fire out of Heaven, and through every agent possible he will break into your prayer life to hinder, to cause you to jump from your knees about the time you are getting audience with God. One should be so concerned that he will not allow anything to take him from the sweet hour of prayer.

If you want to live in clouds -- that is, have your experience cloudy -- pray little. If you enjoy living in the dumps, having doubts and fears within, pray little. If you can revel in the dark valley of despondency, pray little. If you want a hard road to travel, a rocky road, filled with disappointments, pray little. If you want defeats and no victories, all downs and no ups, pray little. If you want to live on the shady side of the street, fuming with peevishness and fretfulness, pray little. If you want a long-faced religious experience, to be poutish, cross, pray little. If you want your children to go into the paths of sin, pray little. The great trouble today with Christendom is a lack and failure to pray clear through. Praying is not an easy task; praying is not like sitting down and having a chat with a friend. One must take time to pray, special time to pray and stay upon his knees until he gets victory. Getting down and getting up before victory comes breeds doubts. Let us betake ourselves to a spirit of earnest, protracted seasons of prayer.

GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU

GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU

"Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks to God, as he did aforetime." (Daniel 6:10.)

This passage discloses one of the great prayers of the Old Testament Scriptures, He was a man of rare character, a great mind and a rich experience. He was living in the full light of a full redemption. He was walking in all the light the Holy Spirit had turned in upon his pathway. He was a man who did not serve God spasmodically. He did not have religious spasms. We mean by this he did not get into a series of meetings, listen to special lines of preaching, get under a tremendous conviction, and vow and promise God to do so and so, and then never do it. Too many of us get worked up in a revival without getting the "old man" worked out of us; hence, too often, and too soon after the revival closes, we close down the mill, it ceases to grind, we lose our zeal, and hang our harps upon the willows.

We oftentimes make statements and vows in a series of meetings that are hurtful. Why? Because people watch us and see that we do not follow up and follow out what we have vowed and promised. Here is a young lady who gets worked up in a meeting, and tremendously burdened for China. She gets up before a crowded house, with a shining face and tear-filled eyes, clapping her hands for joy, telling her neighbors and kinsmen that she will soon be in China, and in less than twelve months she is married and settled down. Here is a young man who gets wrought up spasmodically, jumps up and declares that he has been called to preach the Gospel, then in a few short months we hear no more of his call.

Daniel had ballast, road-bed, He was a stalwart character. He did not get into a revival, get worked up, promise God a tenth, then soon cool off, pocketing every "brownie." When Daniel made a statement, he lived up to it. He did not change his manner of living at all when the king sent forth a decree that all men bow the knee, that every knee should bow before the statue. Daniel went home, threw up his windows, and bowed with his face toward Jerusalem three times a day, "as he had done aforetime." Mark you carefully the "aforetime"; that is to say, Daniel had been praying three times a day all of his religious life. He lived right every day; he prayed clear through every day; he had the burden of prayer, the spirit of prayer, the liberty of prayer. He lived upon His knees, and when these awful tests came his anchor held. He was rooted and grounded. He was not driven by a mad gale. He was not caught off of his base. Daniel knew, and knew full well, that God would take care of him. Why? Because of his faithfulness; because of his constant watchfulness; because he lived upon his face.

A praying man, one who really prays, one who has the spirit of prayer, is hard to put to flight, is on his guard. He has his pickets out. You remember that God said "watch" as well as "pray." W-A-T-C-H comes first. A praying man is a watchful man. The enemy cannot swoop down on him and catch him napping.

The reason why our prayers do not reach the Throne and bring the desired answer is, we do not live up to our privileges and opportunities; we do not hug the firing-line and toe the mark; we do not walk in all the light God gives us; hence, when we go to prayer we go as weaklings, We are made weak by weak living. We get sleepy, tired, feel sluggish, have no spirit of prayer, no energy; then we do not get a grip upon God. A good liver -- and it takes a mighty good liver to be a good pray-er -- can pray right. No man can pray the fires out of Heaven unless he lives right; lives right in his home, before his wife and children; irritableness, crossness, and all harsh-speaking are things of the long by-gones. For a man to pray clear through he must, indeed, be a good liver before his own family. One will have a hard time in prayer when he does not live right in his own home before his own family.
Daniel lived right. His family knew that he lived right. His neighbors felt his righteous life. He had fruits. There was not a barren tree in his orchard. Every tree was loaded with luscious,

ripe fruit. If we live right all the time, it will be easy for us to pull the fires out of Heaven during a revival, and point sinners to Calvary. One of the things that is hurting God's cause is a prayer-less life; that is, a life minus prayer; that is, a life without prayer. When tests come, the praying man is ready. He is manned with heavy artillery. He has his fortresses and rifle-pits ready. We would rather be a great pray-er than a great preacher; we would rather be a great pray-er than a great singer, for it is the prayers of the righteous that avail much.

Let us take ourselves to more earnest, protracted seasons of prayer. Let us be careful to have, every day, secret prayers. If you want a fat soul, a healthy soul, a joyful soul, pray much. If you want a strong, robust faith; a deep, sweet. rich experience. pray much. If you want to live on the sunny side of the street, pray much. If you want to keep out of Satan's dumps, pray much.

Never Giving Up

PERSEVERANCE IN PRAYER

"And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

"And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone." (Matt. 14:22, 23.)

The incidents and historic facts clustering about this Scripture are marvelous. First, the great multitude crowding into the desert place with their sick, to hear the Christ tell the wonderful story of redemption. The multitude was unprepared, from the viewpoint of eatables. The people grew hungry, and must have something to eat. The disciples informed the Master that there was not a thing on the ground to eat, save five loaves and two fishes. Jesus looked upon the multitude with tender compassion, took the five loaves and two fishes, and blessed the same. The great multitude was fed, appetite appeased, and twelve baskets full of fragments left.

Jesus felt the necessity of prayer. He knew it was time for Him to get alone, to get away from His disciples, away from the multitude. He must make way for secret prayer. Hence, He constrained His disciples to get into the ship and go before Him unto the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. If He had not sent the disciples away, the multitudes would have stayed, for where the carcass is, there will the eagles gather. When the disciples were gone, and the multitudes were gone, He went up on the mountain alone in prayer.

We watch this lone figure as He climbs that mountain, drops of sweat running down His face; His cheeks were red, His bosom heaving, His breath short, but by the projecting rocks and shrubbery He pulls Himself on up that mountainside. He left the great multitudes, He tore Himself away from His disciples, He climbed the rugged mountain-side, and yonder, on top of that mountain, He was alone with His Father. He made way for prayer.

If we ever do anything worth while for Jesus, we must make way for much secret prayer, we must tear ourselves away from the duties of home and loved ones, and get alone with Jesus daily. Well do we remember when we entered college, a poor boy, with no money and no backing. The devil said to us, "You must pray little and work long and hard, for you are going on borrowed capital, interest will eat you up, and you can pray when you get through school." How cunning the devil was. We woke up to the fact in a few weeks that we were going to lose out unless we prayed more. To make way and time for prayer, we fasted every Wednesday morning and every Friday morning, The first Wednesday morning we had not been on our knees three minutes until the devil said, "You must be fair with your roommate; you clean out the bowl, fill the pitcher, empty the ashes, make up the beds and clean up the room, while he's at breakfast." Soon we were cleaning the bowl and carrying out the ashes, when we woke up to the fact that we might just as well have gone to breakfast, for we were not getting to pray any more by fasting, so we said, "Splitfoot, get behind us; we mean to stay on our knees one hour, no matter how the room looks, we are going to pray one hour, We are fasting this morning. We've made this time. We've set aside this hour for nothing else but prayer."

The devil will send in visitors or neighbors, ring the doorbell, ring the telephone -- send around something to beat you out of your secret prayer.

The Master stayed upon the mountain until three o'clock in the morning, then went from the mountain-top to the storm-tossed vessel and frightened disciples, and saved them from a watery grave, and delivered Peter from the mad waves of that frightful typhoon.
The Pentecostal crowd went from that ten-days prayer-meeting out upon the streets of Jerusalem, preached a few moments, shouted and sang and testified, and three thousand ran to the mourner's-bench and were brightly saved that glad day. Mark you, they went from the ten-days prayer-meeting! Mordecai and Esther went from their knees, after three days and nights of fasting and prayer, and the Jewish race was saved. Nineveh was spared after the king and all the inhabitants of that great metropolis had gotten in ash-pans, covered themselves with sackcloth, and prayed clear through. The fire that God had stacked up to pour out upon that wicked city was locked up by way of answer to the earnest cries of that people. The clouds came out, and the great rain fell, earth was blessed, man and beast watered, after Elijah had placed his face between his knees, and prayed clear through.
If Jesus Christ, our Savior, the Son of God, saw and felt the need of whole nights of prayer, and took Himself away from a tremendous congregation and His loving disciples to make way for prayer, how much more do we finite creatures need to tarry, wait before God, in much earnest, protracted soul travail!

We too often fail to make way and take time to pray; we are in too big a hurry; we are always on the run; our hands are full, our heads crowded, our feet sore, by running hither and thither. We work, work, work. We organize this society and that society, plan this and start that. We go to Sunday services tired, come back Sunday night fagged. We are not growing much in grace. We are living at a poor dying rate. We get up in class-meeting too often, and say, "Brethren, I'm having a hard time. The roads are slippery, quite rough; the mountains are high, the clouds are dark. I'm not having a good time serving the Lord. Pray for me that I may hold out faithful." No wonder children do not want religion after hearing parents talk like this in the house of God. If we were to have time (and we must take time) to pray, if we had our secret devotions, prayed clear through on our knees, we would go forth delivering, scattering sunshine, and our lives would be very fruitful. The work in His cause would be delightful, enjoyable. The friction would be a thing of the past. The laboriousness would take wings, and we would work and be rested. How eagerly we would go to His house! How refreshed we would come home!

Prayer is the oil that lubricates the machinery, that causes all to run smoothly; no hot boxes, no breaking of belts, no slipping of cogs, no leaking of steam, no water to put out the fire. Prayer, prayer by the hour, daily prayer, a continuous spirit of prayer, much secret prayer, makes the Christian life a golden sunbeam, turns the birds loose in the soul, causes the flowers to bloom, the joy-bells to ring. It makes the worship of God easy.

One lady said to another, "Why is it you go to church joyful, and work anywhere there's an open door, come back home happy, and rejoice all week? Why is it you sit and read the Bible so much? Why is it your face has the shine?" The good woman said, "I have been praying daily for

seven years, not less than one hour a day. That is the answer to your question." A little boy once said, "My mamma's the best woman in the world." Someone said, "Why?" "Because she goes in her prayer-room with her Bible, and cries and talks to the man Jesus a long time every day." A young man came in one night from a dance. Hearing the sobs of his mother after midnight, the Holy Spirit said, "You are breaking that mother's heart." That mother slipped to his room, slipped her arms around the boy, hot tears falling into his face. She said, "My precious son, mother's been praying hours tonight for you. I'm afraid the devil is leading you Hellward in a hurry." The young man placed his arms about his mother and said, "Mother, your prayers are answered; I'll never go to another dance." God heard the mid--night cries of this broken-hearted mother. It pays to pray. It pays to live upon one's face. Prayers change the tide, and cause things to go Cod's way.

From the human viewpoint, it looked like Daniel would be eaten up by the lions, but he had spent much time in prayer; hence, God delivered. It looked like Elijah would starve to death out there under the juniper-tree, but he had spent much time on Mount Carmel in prayer, and the fire had fallen, backslidden Israel had been reclaimed, and Baal's false prophets killed; hence, God's angel woke Elijah up under the juniper-tree, and said, "Here is food; eat." Elijah ate heartily, pillowed his head upon his arm, slept and rested, woke up and ate another good meal, and went forty days in the strength thereof. Cornelius prayed much. He was hungry for holiness of heart. He had cried through to God. He had begged God to send one Holiness preacher his way. Here came the sanctified evangelist, Peter; a great revival broke out, and Cornelius and his household swept into the fountain.
Prayer, midnight prayer, a constant spirit of prayer, will unlock Heaven's gates and flood the soul with satisfaction. John prayed on the Isle of Patmos, and behold, the telescope of prophecy was swung in place, and John had a peep into Heaven that he could never have had but for the Patmos experience.
The most enjoyable experience a Christian ever can have is to be alone with God in prayer. There is where His will is revealed concerning you and your work. There is where plans are launched for your good and His glory. God knows best for us and what we are qualified best for, what line of work we will be most successful in, but we cannot get into it save through the prayer life. Prayer makes work easy. Prayer gives us freedom, freedom with God and freedom before man. It unlocks our mouths, frees our opinions, and gives us an atmosphere of wholesomeness. Jesus spent many nights in prayer, and just after these nights in prayer He did some tremendous work. When He came from the Mount of Transfiguration, He delivered the man s son from the devil, when the disciples had failed. When Jesus came from the mountain to the storm-tossed waters He delivered Peter from the mad waters which would have swallowed him up. The great work God is accomplishing through His agents for the salvation of a lost world is wrought through men and women of much protracted prayer.
A man on a steamer once asked a great preacher why he had such tremendous success. The young preacher, with a heart filled with perfect love, said, "Sir, God keeps me on my face." The sexton heard a great preacher in his study one Sabbath morning, begging very earnestly for someone to go with him into the church. The sexton went back the second time, and the pastor was still pleading. Soon the preacher walked out into the pulpit; his face was all aglow, the power of the Most High was resting upon him. He preached, and twenty souls rushed to the altar and were

converted that morning. That preacher came from his knees to the pulpit. Someone asked a preacher after he had preached a great sermon, and over a hundred were at the altar, why the success? A friend said, "That preacher prayed all night. He never retired."

Now, if we know, and see, and feel the great importance of prayer, has not God turned in light, and can we retain our relationship to God as a son or daughter, and fail to walk in this light, fail to pray, fail to have regular times to go to Him in secret prayer? Have you ever blocked the way of a sweeping revival in your community or church by a prayerless life? Have you ever defeated God in saving some of your loved ones by neglecting prayer? Have you wondered why the fire hasn't fallen, awful conviction seized the sinners, and men crowded the altar? Have you ever taken the almanac and counted how long it had been since you had a good, sweet, real enjoyable season of prayer? Why don't you enjoy religion today as you once did? Why aren't you as happy today as you were the day you were converted? Doesn't one grow in grace? What is the matter? Oh, yes, you've let up in your prayer life. You are too busy to pray. You can't take the time away from other pressing duties and give it to this all-important duty, prayer. No wonder our hearts are empty and our spirits weak, and we grow faint and get scared at the first crack of the gun. No wonder we are midgets, no wonder we pant for breath. Why, the soul is fed through prayer, and it gets more strength through prayer than from any other exercise in a religious life. When we fail to pray, we starve the soul. When we fail to pray, we lessen our possibilities, give the devil the vantage ground, and place God at a disadvantage. When we fail to pray, we water our fire, break our belts, and give Satan the leverage. Let us wake up now, and betake ourselves to more earnest prayer. One has said, "I cannot remember that I ever prayed a soul through to God. I do not remember that I ever prayed a revival into my community. I do not remember that I ever had the conscious fact that I had prayed clear through. In fact, I am a little confused about my experience. I'm not quite certain; I hope I am right, but there's a doubt."

Doubts come in when we let up in prayer. Fears stalk about in the soul when the briars grow up in our prayer-meeting path. If we would have grit, grace, and backbone, we must pray. If we would be fat and healthy, we must pray. If we would have the rich experience and' do things worth while for God and lost humanity, like other saints, we must pray. Let us never let up nor let go until we know really that we have placed the key of prayer in the lock of Heaven, and turned it, and the great door has opened, and the rivers of pleasures are flowing into our heart.