___The King’s Business Yol. 4 FEBRUARY, 1913
No. 2
The Week of Prayer T H E annu al W e ek o f P ra y e r has com e a n d gone. W e c a n n o t b u t feel th a t in m o st churches th ro u g h o u t o u r la n d th e W e ek of P ra y e r is n o t th e p ow e r th a t it once was. In all th e y e a rs o f th e w rite r s active p a s to ra te s th e W e ek o f P ra y e r w as alw ays th e beg inn ing o f a tim e of v e ry d e fi n ite sp iritual re fre shm en t in th e chu rches o f which h e w as p a sto r. W e always o b se rv ed th e W e ek o f P ra y e r faithfully, follow ing th e list o f sub jects sen t ou t from L o n d o n b y th e se c re ta ry of th e Evangelical A lliance, p ray in g for m issions a t hom e an d a b ro a d a t th e v e ry tim e th e y w ere b e ing p ra y e d for in th o u san d s o f o th e r churches. A g re a t blessing alw ays cam e to th e church b y tu rn ing its a tte n tio n aw ay from itself to th e la rg e r in terests o f th e C hu rch o f C h rist as a w ho le in th e w o rld . But th e W e e k of P ray e r w as alw ays fol low ed b y o th e r w eeks of m eetings fo r p ra y e r a n d testim ony a n d p reach ing of th e W o rd , w ith th e m o re imm ed ia te o b je c t o f aw aken ing th e church itself to th e d em an d s u p o n it fo r ho ly living an d of reach ing th e un sav ed in th e comm unity. T h e se w eeks alw ays p ro v e d tim es o f ingathering . W e n ev e r passed th ro u g h th e m o n th o f Ja n u a ry w ithou t a v e ry co n sid e rab le in g a th e r ing o f souls into th e church. But we h a v e reason to fe a r th a t now ad ay s m any churches d o n o t ob serv e th e ^X^eek o f P ra y e r a t all a n d th a t o fte n tim es tho se w ho d o ob serv e it, d o it in a p e rfu n c to ry w ay w ith a c om p a ra tiv ely sm all a tte n d a n c e o f th e ir m em b ersh ip an d w ith little definiteness o r ex p e c ta tion in p ray e r, are satisfied th a t th e o ld w ay w as b e tte r a n d th a t th e churches a re do ing them selves a g re a t w rong in n o t im p rov ing th is ra re o p p o rtun ity . T h e v e ry fa c t th a t all C hristians ev eryw h ere th ro u g h o u t th e w o rld are p ray ing fo r th e sam e ob je c ts has in it a trem en d o u s inspiration, an d G o d does answ er p rayer. In these day s w e h av e g o tten v e ry m uch to d ep en d in g u p o n pro fessional evangelists an d u p o n g re a t o rgan ization s a n d highly ad v e rtised m ovem en ts. Evangelists certain ly h av e th e ir place, a G o d - given place, in th e w o rk o f th e churches, b u t it is a b a d d a y fo r an y m inister o r any church w hen it th ink s it m ust d e p e n d u p o n an y evangelist a n d th e re fore m ust w a it until th e m a n w hom th ey w o u ld select c an com e to them . If th e churches a n d m inisters will on ly stu d y w h a t G o d teaches a b o u t p ra y e r in H is W o rd a n d w ill go to w o rk to praying, w e c an h av e g re a t aw akenings a n d b lessed ingathering s w ith o u t an y evangelist St all. No o th e r tim e of th e y e a r is so auspicious fo r definite efforts fo r th e ing ath ering of th e lo st a s th e m on th s o f Jan u a ry , F e b ru a ry an d March. The Lack of Prayer T H ER E is no o th e r p lace in which th e av e rag e C h ristian a n d av e rag e m inister o f to d a y fails so o ften as in th e m a tte r o f p ray e r. W e d o n o t live in a p ray in g age. e live in a d a y of hu stle an d push a n d hum an energy, a d a y of self-confidence, w h en m en d o n o t realize th e ir n e e d of
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs