October 1925
419
TH E
K I N G ’ S
B U S I N E S S
THE PHILOSOPHY OF PRAYER Christians are members of a family. They are bora into the family of God hy faith in Jesus Christ. They are children of God. They are sons of God. They are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ to an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled and that fadeth not away, eternal in the Heavens. This new relationship involves new laws and new conditions which are henceforth to govern their lives. They are obligated to know and abide by these laws, for their position is peculiar. They are in the world, but not of the world. They are subject to the laws of their country, as citizens, and to the laws which gov ern them in this new relationship as sons of God. They need wisdom. They need help. They need guidance. Concerning the laws of the State, they are expected to seek advice and instruction from those in authority,.and conduct themselves accordingly. In this new kingdom, they must also be guided and directed. For this purpose, they are given the privilege of access to the throne of God, through Jesus Christ. They acknowledge their sins and seek forgiveness. They seek for wisdom which is promised and given. They need bodily strength. They need courage. They need sympathy. The way is open. “ Ask and ye shall receive.” Come holdly unto the throne of grace and find help in time of need. You are children of God. Then come to your Heavenly Father. Having given you His Son, will He not freely give you all things ? There is nothing more practical or logical than the philosophy of prayer. The personality and power of God the Father are clearly defined. The privileges of the children of God are great. The laws which govern their appropriation are many and manifest, and every true believer has been able to demonstrate for himself their efficacy and surety. God says, “ Call upon me in the day of trouble!” We do, and He answers. Prayer is not a theory but a fact. It has seldom been utilized by God’s children as He intended it should be, but it would be but a poor sort of Christian who had never proven its value. The Word of God is the law of God governing prayer. What we need to do is to put God’s law into operation and put our philosophy of prayer to proof. Elijah did it (James 5:17, 18): “EUjali was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. “And he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and Doing a bit of early morning gardening recently, the editor was wheeling a barrow full of fertilizer and meditating on some of his experiences in Christian work, when, somehow, the barrow seemed possessed of personality and spake thus: “ Am I not a wonder? See how much I can carry! How easily I ride the path! the earth brought forth her fruit.” WHEELBARROW WISDOM
I do not feel honored, of course, in carrying fertilizer. It is humiliating to me. It would be much more fitting if I were loaded with some of your library books, or with beautiful fruits and flowers.” “ Why, you poor old barrow,” we replied, “ you are really the most useless thing in the world unless some one loads you up and pushes you along. You would never move an inch without some external power. And as to being ashamed of carrying fertilizer,—don’t you know that fertilizer produces fruit and flowers? You ought to apologize and give thanks that someone has the power and the desire to use such an insignifi cant, one-wheel thing as.you!” And is not this an illustration of one of the greatest perils that confronts those whom the Lord has blessed in His service? No matter what the station in life may be, prosperity is the precursor of evil, for “ pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” In no other walk in life is this temptation greater than in Christian work, nor is its manifestation more fatal in effect. One commences Christian work- in fear and trem bling. A sense of lack of ability and fear of criticism humble the worker. But if the blessing of God follows the modest efforts (and the Spirit of God gladly uses a humble worker) a sense of conceit takes the place of the feeling of awe, lowliness of spirit vanishes and loftiness of pride succeeds. Self-distrust gives way to self-assumption. The bowed head of humility surren ders to the haughty spirit of arrogance. Satan is on the joh. He uses all his subtle powers to help the servant exalt himself. The manner of the man has changed and so has the matter of his message. Once, his desire was to teach the truth of God’s Word. Now, it is to parade the philosophies of men. Once, it was “ Thus saith the Scriptures.” Now,'it is “ Thus saith the scribes or the scientists.” For fifty years the writer has had the privilege of mingling with “ men of the cloth;” has watched their progress from school to platform; heard the acclaim of their attainments and boasts of their houndless service; seen them arise and shine in their own light and then fade away like the flickering flame of the candle. This is not true of all—thank God! But it is true of many, and the temptation confronts us all. Like the wheelbarrow, we forget that we are only instruments in God’s hand and that “ without Him we can do nothing.” “ God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world/ and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are; that no flesh should glory in His presence. But * * * He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord.” And so to our brethren in the Lord’s service we would say: “ Remember, we are just old barrows. Of what use are we unless the Spirit of God fills us, pushes us along, empties us and refills us, so that His Word may fertilize the human heart and cause it to produce the fruit of the Spirit and the flowers of His grace?”
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