the necessity of prayer by e. m. bounds

7/29/2019 The Necessity of Prayer by E. M. Bounds

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The Necessity of Prayer by E.M. Bounds

Edward McKendree Bounds (1835-1913)

Edward McKendree Bounds (1835-113!"

Methodist minister and devotional writer, was born in Shelby County, Missouri.

He studied law and was admitted to the bar at 21 years of age. After practicing law forthree years, he began preaching for the Methodist piscopal Church.

After the Civil !ar, "ounds served as pastor of churches in #ennessee and Alabama,and in St. $ouis, Missouri.

He spent the last 1% years of his life with his family in !ashington, &eorgia, writing hisSpiritual $ife "oo's.


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The Necessity of Prayerby Pastor E.M. Bounds

#ha$ter 1 - P%&'E% &N )&*T+

() any study of the principles, and procedure of prayer, of its activities and enterprises,first place, must, of necessity, be given to faith. (t is the initial *uality in the heart of anyman who essays to tal' to the +nseen. He must, out of sheer helplessness, stretch forthhands of faith. He mustbelieve, where he cannot prove. (n the ultimate issue, prayer issimply faith, claiming its natural yet marvellous prerogatives faith ta'ing possession ofits illimitable inheritance. #rue godliness is -ust as true, steady, and persevering in therealm of faith as it is in the province of prayer. Moreover when faith ceases to pray, itceases to live.

/aith does the impossible because it brings &od to underta'e for us, and nothing isimpossible with &od. How great without *ualification or limitation is the power offaith0 (f doubt be banished from the heart, and unbelief made stranger there, what weas' of &od shall surely come to pass, and a believer hath vouchsafed to himwhatsoever he saith.

rayer pro-ects faith on &od, and &od on the world. 3nly &od can move mountains, butfaith and prayer move &od. (n His cursing of the figtree our $ord demonstrated Hispower. /ollowing that, He proceeded to declare, that large powers were committed tofaith and prayer, not in order to 'ill but to ma'e alive, not to blast but to bless.

At this point in our study, we turn to a saying of our $ord, which there is need toemphasi4e, since it is the very 'eystone of the arch of faith and prayer.

"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that yereceive them, and ye shall have them."

!e should ponder well that statement "elieve that ye receive them, and ye shallhave them. Here is described a faith which reali4es, which appropriates, which takes.Such faith is a consciousness of the 5ivine, an e6perienced communion, a reali4edcertainty.

(s faith growing or declining as the years go by7 5oes faith stand strong and fours*uare, these days, as ini*uity abounds and the love of many grows cold7 5oes faithmaintain its hold, as religion tends to become a mere formality and worldlinessincreasingly prevails7 #he en*uiry of our $ord, may, with great appropriateness, beours. !hen the Son of Man cometh, He as's, shall He find faith on the earth7 !ebelieve that He will, and it is ours, in this our day, to see to it that the lamp of faith istrimmed and burning, lest He come who shallcome, and that right early.

/aith is the foundation of Christian character and the security of the soul. !hen 8esuswas loo'ing forward to eter9s denial, and cautioning him against it, He said unto Hisdisciple


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"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, to sift you as wheat; but I haveprayed for thee, that thy faith fall not."

3ur $ord was declaring a central truth: it was eter9s faith He was see'ing to guard: forwell He 'new that when faith is bro'en down, the foundations of spiritual life give way,

and the entire structure of religious e6perience falls. (t was eter9s faith which neededguarding. Hence Christ9s solicitude for the welfare of His disciple9s soul and Hisdetermination to fortify eter9s faith by His own allprevailing prayer.

(n his Second pistle, eter has this idea in mind when spea'ing of growth in grace asa measure of safety in the Christian life, and as implying fruitfulness.

"!nd besides this," he declares, "giving diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtueknowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to

patience godliness."

3f this additioning process, faith was the startingpoint the basis of the other graces ofthe Spirit. /aith was the foundation on which other things were to be built. eter doesnot en-oin his readers to add to wor's or gifts or virtues but to faith. Much depends onstarting right in this business of growing in grace. #here is a 5ivine order, of which eterwas aware: and so he goes on to declare that we are to give diligence to ma'ing ourcalling and election sure, which election is rendered certain adding to faith which, inturn, is done by constant, earnest praying. #hus faith is 'ept alive by prayer, and everystep ta'en, in this adding of grace to grace, is accompanied by prayer.

#he faith which pcreates powerful praying is the

faith which centres itself on a powerful erson. /aith in Christ9s ability to doand to dogreatly, is the faith which prays greatly. #hus the leper lay hold upon the power ofChrist. $ord, if #hou wilt, he cried, #hou canst ma'e me clean. (n this instance, weare shown how faith centered in Christ9s ability to do, and how it secured the healingpower.

(t was concerning this very point, that 8esus *uestioned the blind men who came to Himfor healing

"elieve ye that I am able to do this#" $e asks. "They said unto $im, %ea, &ord. Thentouched $e their eyes, saying, !ccording to your faith be it unto you."

(t was to inspire faith in His ability to do that 8esus left behind Him, that last, greatstatement, which, in the final analysis, is a ringing challenge to faith. All power, Hedeclared, is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.

/rom The 'ecessity of (rayerby astor .M. "ounds, Chapter 1


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#ha$ter , - P%&'E% &N )&*T+ (#ontinued!

&)+(), authentic faith must be definite and free of doubt. )ot simply general incharacter: not a mere belief in the being, goodness and power of &od, but a faith whichbelieves that the things which he saith, shall come to pass. As the faith is specific, so

the answer li'ewise will be definite He shall have whatsoever he saith. /aith andprayer select the things, and &od commits Himself to do the very things which faith andpersevering prayer nominate, and petition Him to accomplish.

#he American ;evised


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/aith deals with &od, and is conscious of &od. (t deals with the $ord 8esus Christ andsees in Him a Saviour: it deals with &od9s !ord, and lays hold of the truth: it deals withthe Spirit of &od, and is energi4ed and inspired by its holy fire. &od is the greatob-ective of faith: for faith rests its whole weight on His !ord. /aith is not an aimless act

of the soul, but a loo'ing to &od and a resting upon His promises. 8ust as love andhope have always an ob-ective so, also, has faith. /aith is not believing -ust anything: itis believing &od, resting in Him, trusting His !ord.

/aith gives birth to prayer, and grows stronger, stri'es deeper, rises higher, in thestruggles and wrestlings of mighty petitioning. /aith is the substance of things hopedfor, the assurance and reali4ation of the inheritance of the saints. /aith, too, is humbleand persevering. (t can wait and pray: it can stay on its 'nees, or lie in the dust. (t is theone great condition of prayer: the lac' of it lies at the root of all poor praying, feeblepraying, little praying, unanswered praying.

#he nature and meaning of faith is more demonstrable in what it does, than it is byreason of any definition given it. #hus, if we turn to the record of faith given us in thatgreat honour roll, which constitutes the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, we see somethingof the wonderful results of faith. !hat a glorious list it is that of these men and womenof faith0 !hat marvellous achievements are there recorded, and set to the credit of faith0#he inspired writer, e6hausting his resources in cataloguing the 3ld #estament saints,who were such notable e6amples of wonderful faith, finally e6claims

"!nd what shall I more say# )or the time would fail me to tell of *ideon and arak, andof Samson, and of +ephthae; of avid also, and Samuel, and of the prophets."

And then the writer of Hebrews goes on again, in a wonderful strain, telling of theunrecorded e6ploits wrought through the faith of the men of old, of whom the world wasnot worthy. All these, he says, obtained a good report through faith.

!hat an era of glorious achievements would dawn for the Church and the world, if onlythere could be reproduced a race of saints of li'e mighty faith, of li'e wonderful praying0(t is not the intellectually great that the Church needs: nor is it men of wealth that thetimes demand. (t is not people of great social influence that this day re*uires. Aboveeverybody and everything else, it is men of faith, men of mighty prayer, men andwomen after the fashion of the saints and heroes enumerated in Hebrews, whoobtained a good report through faith, that the Church and the whole wide world ofhumanity needs.

/rom The 'ecessity of (rayer by astor .M. "ounds, Chapter 2


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#ha$ter 3 - P%&'E% &N T%T

;A=; does not stand alone. (t is not an isolated duty and independent principle. (tlives in association with other Christian duties, is wedded to other principles, is a partnerwith other graces. "ut to faith, prayer is indissolubly -oined. /aith gives it colour andtone, shapes its character, and secures its results.

#rust is faith become absolute, ratified, consummated. #here is, when all is said anddone, a sort of venture in faith and its e6ercise. "ut trust is firm belief, it is faith in fullflower. #rust is a conscious act, a fact of which we are sensible. According to theScriptural concept it is the eye of the newborn soul, and the ear of the renewed soul. (tis the feeling of the soul, the spiritual eye, the ear, the taste, the feeling these one andall have to do with trust. How luminous, how distinct, how conscious, how powerful, andmore than all, how Scriptural is such a trust0 How different from many forms of modernbelief, so feeble, dry, and cold0 #hese new phases of belief bring no consciousness oftheir presence, no 8oy unspea'able and full of glory results from their e6ercise. #hey

are, for the most part, adventures in the peradventures of the soul. #here is no safe,sure trust in anything. #he whole transaction ta'es place in the realm of Maybe anderhaps.

#rust li'e life, is feeling, though much more than feeling. An unfelt life is a contradiction:an unfelt trust is a misnomer, a delusion, a contradiction. #rust is the most felt of allattributes. (t is all feeling, and it wor's only by love. An unfelt love is as impossible as anunfelt trust. #he trust of which we are now spea'ing is a conviction. An unfeltconviction7 How absurd0

#rust sees &od doing things here and now. =ea, more. (t rises to a lofty eminence, and

loo'ing into the invisible and the eternal, reali4es that &od has done things, and regardsthem as being already done. #rust brings eternity into the annals and happenings oftime, transmutes the substance of hope into the reality of fruition, and changes promiseinto present possession. !e 'now when we trust -ust as we 'now when we see, -ust aswe are conscious of our sense of touch. #rust sees, receives, holds. #rust is its ownwitness.

=et, *uite often, faith is too wea' to obtain &od9s greatest good, immediately: so it hasto wait in loving, strong, prayerful, pressing obedience, until it grows in strength, and isable to bring down the eternal, into the realms of e6perience and time.

#o this point, trust masses all its forces. Here it holds. And in the struggle, trust9s graspbecomes mightier, and grasps, for itself, all that &od has done for it in His eternalwisdom and plenitude of grace.

(n the matter of waiting in prayer, mightiest prayer, faith rises to its highest plane andbecomes indeed the gift of &od. (t becomes the blessed disposition and e6pression ofthe soul which is secured by a constant intercourse with, and unwearied application to&od.


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8esus Christ clearly taught that faith was the condition on which prayer was answered.!hen our $ord had cursed the figtree, the disciples were much surprised that itswithering had actually ta'en place, and their remar's indicated their in credulity. (t wasthen that 8esus said to them, Have faith in &od.

/or verily ( say unto you, #hat whosoever shall say unto this mountain, "e thouremoved and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believethat those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith.#herefore, ( say unto you, !hat things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that yereceive them, and ye shall have them.

#rust grows nowhere so readily and richly as in the prayerchamber. (ts unfolding anddevelopment are rapid and wholesome when they are regularly and well 'ept. !henthese engagements are hearty and full and free, trust flourishes e6ceedingly. #he eyeand presence of &od give vigorous life to trust, -ust as the eye and the presence of the

sun ma'e fruit and flower to grow, and all things glad and bright with fuller life.

Have faith in &od, #rust in the $ord form the 'eynote and foundation of prayer.rimarily, it is not trust in the !ord of &od, but rather trust in the erson of &od. /ortrust in the erson of &od must precede trust in the !ord of &od. =e believe in &od,believe also in Me, is the demand our $ord ma'es on the personal trust of Hisdisciples. #he person of 8esus Christ must be central, to the eye of trust. #his greattruth 8esus sought to impress upon Martha, when her brother lay dead, in the home at"ethany. Martha asserted her belief in the fact of the resurrection of her brother

Martha saith unto Him, ( 'now that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last

day.

8esus lifts her trust clear above the mere fact of the resurrection, to His own erson, bysaying

( am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yetshall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me, shall never die. "elievest thouthis7 She saith unto Him, =ea, $ord ( believe that #hou art the Christ, the Son of &od,which should come into the world.

#rust, in an historical fact or in a mere record may be a very passive thing, but trust in aperson vitali4es the *uality, fructifies it, informs it with love. #he trust which informsprayer centres in a erson.

#rust goes even further than this. #he trust which inspires our prayer must be not onlytrust in the erson of &od, and of Christ, but in their ability and willingness to grant thething prayed for. (t is not only, #rust, ye, in the $ord, but, also, for in the $ord8ehovah, is everlasting strength.


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#he trust which our $ord taught as a condition of effectual prayer, is not of the head butof the heart. (t is trust which doubteth not in his heart. Such trust has the 5ivineassurance that it shall be honoured with large and satisfying answers. #he strongpromise of our $ord brings faith down to the present, and counts on a present answer.

/rom #he )ecessity of rayer by astor .M. "ounds, Chapter >


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#ha$ter / - P%&'E% &N E*%E

5S(; is not merely a simple wish: it is a deep seated craving: an intense longing, forattainment. (n the realm of spiritual affairs, it is an important ad-unct to prayer. So

important is it, that one might say, almost, that desire is an absolute essential of prayer.5esire precedes prayer, accompanies it, is followed by it. 5esire goes before prayer,and by it, created and intensified. rayer is the oral e6pression of desire. (f prayer isas'ing &od for something, then prayer must be e6pressed. rayer comes out into theopen. 5esire is silent. rayer is heard: desire, unheard. #he deeper the desire, thestronger the prayer. !ithout desire, prayer is a meaningless mumble of words. Suchperfunctory, formal praying, with no heart, no feeling, no real desire accompanying it, isto be shunned li'e a pestilence. (ts e6ercise is a waste of precious time, and from it, noreal blessing accrues.

And yet even if it be discovered that desire is honestly absent, we should pray, anyway.!e ought to pray. #he ought comes in, in order that both desire and e6pression becultivated. &od9s !ord commands it. 3ur -udgment tells us we ought to pray to praywhether we feel li'e it or not and not to allow our feelings to determine our habits ofprayer. (n such circumstance, we ought to pray for the desire to pray: for such a desireis &odgiven and heavenborn. !e should pray for desire: then, when desire has beengiven, we should pray according to its dictates. $ac' of spiritual desire should grieve us,and lead us to lament its absence, to see' earnestly for its bestowal, so that ourpraying, henceforth, should be an e6pression of the soul9s sincere desire.

A sense of need creates or should create, earnest desire. #he stronger the sense ofneed, before &od, the greater should be the desire, the more earnest the praying. #hepoor in spirit are eminently competent to pray.

Hunger is an active sense of physical need. (t prompts the re*uest for bread. (n li'emanner, the inward consciousness of spiritual need creates desire, and desire brea'sforth in prayer. 5esire is an inward longing for something of which we are notpossessed, of which we stand in need something which &od has promised, andwhich may be secured by an earnest supplication of His throne of grace.

Spiritual desire, carried to a higher degree, is the evidence of the new birth. (t is born inthe renewed soul

As newborn babes, desire the sincere mil' of the word, that ye may grow thereby.

#he absence of this holy desire in the heart is presumptive proof, either of a decline inspiritual ecstasy, or, that the new birth has never ta'en place.

"lessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall befilled.


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#hese heavengiven appetites are the proof of a renewed heart, the evidence of astirring spiritual life. hysical appetites are the attributes of a living body, not of acorpse, and spiritual desires belong to a soul made alive to &od. And as the renewedsoul hungers and thirsts after righteousness, these holy inward desires brea' out intoearnest, supplicating prayer.

(n prayer, we are shut up to the )ame, merit and intercessory virtue of 8esus Christ, ourgreat High riest. robing down, below the accompanying conditions and forces inprayer, we come to its vital basis, which is seated in the human heart. (t is not simplyour need: it is the heart9s yearning for what we need, and for which we feel impelled topray. 5esire is the will in action: a strong, conscious longing, e6cited in the inner nature,for some great good. 5esire e6alts the ob-ect of its longing, and fi6es the mind on it. (thas choice, and fi6edness, and flame in it, and prayer, based thereon, is e6plicit andspecific. (t 'nows its need, feels and sees the thing that will meet it, and hastens toac*uire it.

Holy desire is much helped by devout contemplation. Meditation on our spiritual need,and on &od9s readiness and ability to correct it, aids desire to grow. Serious thoughtengaged in before praying, increases desire, ma'es it more insistent, and tends to saveus from the menace of private prayer wandering thought. !e fail much more indesire, than in its outward e6pression. !e retain the form, while the inner life fades andalmost dies.

3ne might well as', whether the feebleness of our desires for &od, the Holy Spirit, andfor all the fulness of Christ, is not the cause of our so little praying, and of ourlanguishing in the e6ercise of prayer7 5o we really feel these inward pantings of desireafter heavenly treasures7 5o the inbred groanings of desire stir our souls to mighty

wrestlings7 Alas for us0 #he fire burns altogether too low. #he flaming heat of soul hasbeen tempered down to a tepid lu'ewarmness. #his, it should be remembered, was thecentral cause of the sad and desperate condition of the $aodicean Christians, of whomthe awful condemnation is written that they were rich, and increased in goods and hadneed of nothing, and 'new not that they were wretched, and miserable, and poor, andblind.

Again we might well in*uire have we that desire which presses us to closecommunion with &od, which is filled with unutterable burnings, and holds us therethrough the agony of an intense and soulstirred supplication7 3ur hearts need much tobe wor'ed over, not only to get the evil out of them, but to get the good into them. Andthe foundation and inspiration to the incoming good, is strong, propelling desire. #hisholy and fervid flame in the soul awa'ens the interest of heaven, attracts the attention of&od, and places at the disposal of those who e6ercise it, the e6haustless riches of5ivine grace.

#he dampening of the flame of holy desire, is destructive of the vital and aggressiveforces in church life. &od re*uires to be represented by a fiery Church, or He is not inany proper sense, represented at all. &od, Himself, is all on fire, and His Church, if it is


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to be li'e Him, must also be at white heat. #he great and eternal interests of heavenborn, &odgiven religion are the only things about which His Church can afford to be onfire. =et holy 4eal need not to be fussy in order to be consuming. 3ur $ord was theincarnate antithesis of nervous e6citability, the absolute opposite of intolerant orclamorous declamation, yet the 4eal of &od9s house consumed Him: and the world is

still feeling the glow of His fierce, consuming flame and responding to it, with an everincreasing readiness and an everenlarging response.

A lac' of ardour in prayer, is the sure sign of a lac' of depth and of intensity of desire:and the absence of intense desire is a sure sign of &od9s absence from the heart0 #oabate fervour is to retire from &od. He can, and does, tolerate many things in the way ofinfirmity and error in His children. He can, and will pardon sin when the penitent prays,but two things are intolerable to Him insincerity and lu'ewarmness. $ac' of heart andlac' of heat are two things He loathes, and to the $aodiceans He said, in terms ofunmista'able severity and condemnation

( would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lu'ewarm, and neither cold norhot, ( will spue thee out of My mouth.

/rom #he )ecessity of rayer by astor .M. "ounds, Chapter ?


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#ha$ter 5 - P%&'E% &N )E%0EN#'

;A=;, without fervour, sta'es nothing on the issue, because it has nothing to sta'e.(t comes with empty hands. Hands, too, which are listless, as well as empty, which havenever learned the lesson of clinging to the Cross.

/ervourless prayer has no heart in it: it is an empty thing, an unfit vessel. Heart, soul,and life, must find place in all real praying. Heaven must be made to feel the force ofthis crying unto &od.

aul was a notable e6ample of the man who possessed a fervent spirit of prayer. Hispetitioning was allconsuming, centered immovably upon the ob-ect of his desire, andthe &od who was able to meet it.

rayers must be red hot. (t is the fervent prayer that is effectual and that availeth.Coldness of spirit hinders praying: prayer cannot live in a wintry atmosphere. Chillysurroundings free4e out petitioning: and dry up the springs of supplication. (t ta'es fireto ma'e prayers go. !armth of soul creates an atmosphere favourable to prayer,because it is favourable to fervency. "y flame, prayer ascends to heaven. =et fire is notfuss, nor heat, noise. Heat is intensity something that glows and burns. Heaven is amighty poor mar'et for ice.

&od wants warmhearted servants. #he Holy Spirit comes as a fire, to dwell in us: weare to be bapti4ed, with the Holy &host and with fire. /ervency is warmth of soul. Aphlegmatic temperament is abhorrent to vital e6perience. (f our religion does not set uson fire, it is because we have fro4en hearts. &od dwells in a flame: the Holy &hostdescends in fire. #o be absorbed in &od9s will, to be so greatly in earnest about doing it

that our whole being ta'es fire, is the *ualifying condition of the man who would engagein effectual prayer.

3ur $ord warns us against feeble praying. Men ought always to pray, He declares,and not to faint. #hat means, that we are to possess sufficient fervency to carry usthrough the severe and long periods of pleading prayer. /ire ma'es one alert andvigilant, and brings him off, more than con*ueror. #he atmosphere about us is tooheavily charged with resisting forces for limp or languid prayers to ma'e headway. (tta'es heat, and fervency and meteoric fire, to push through, to the upper heavens,where &od dwells with His saints, in light.

Many of the great "ible characters were notable e6amples of fervency of spirit whensee'ing &od. #he salmist declares with great earnestness

My soul brea'eth for the longing that it hath unto #hy -udgments at all times.

!hat strong desires of heart are here0 !hat earnest soul longings for the !ord of theliving &od0


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An even greater fervency is e6pressed by him in another place

As the hart panteth after the water broo's, so panteth my soul after #hee, 3 &od. Mysoul thirsteth for &od, for the living &od when shall ( come and appear before &od7

#hat is the word of a man who lived in a state of grace, which had been deeply andsupernaturally wrought in his soul.

/ervency before &od counts in the hour of prayer, and finds a speedy and rich rewardat His hands. #he salmist gives us this statement of what &od had done for the 'ing,as his heart turned toward his $ord

#hou hast given him his heart9s desire, and hast not withholden the re*uest of his lips.

At another time, he thus e6presses himself directly to &od in preferring his re*uest

$ord, all my desire is before #hee: and my groaning is not hid from #hee.

!hat a cheering thought0 3ur inward groanings, our secret desires, our heartlongings,are not hidden from the eyes of Him with whom we have to deal in prayer.

#he incentive to fervency of spirit before &od, is precisely the same as it is for continuedand earnest prayer. !hile fervency is not prayer, yet it derives from an earnest soul,and is precious in the sight of &od. /ervency in prayer is the precursor of what &od willdo by way of answer. &od stands pledged to give us the desire of our hearts inproportion to the fervency of spirit we e6hibit, when see'ing His face in prayer.

/ervency has its seat in the heart, not in the brain, nor in the intellectual faculties of themind. /ervency therefore, is not an e6pression of the intellect. /ervency of spirit issomething far transcending poetical fancy or sentimental imagery. (t is something elsebesides mere preference, the contrasting of li'e with disli'e. /ervency is the throb andgesture of the emotional nature.

(t is not in our power, perhaps, to create fervency of spirit at will, but we can pray &od toimplant it. (t is ours, then, to nourish and cherish it, to guard it against e6tinction, toprevent its abatement or decline. #he process of personal salvation is not only to pray,to e6press our desires to &od, but to ac*uire a fervent spirit and see', by all propermeans, to cultivate it. (t is never out of place to pray &od to beget within us, and to 'eepalive the spirit of fervent prayer.

/ervency has to do with &od, -ust as prayer has to do with Him. 5esire has always anob-ective. (f we desire at all, we desire something. #he degree of fervency with whichwe fashion our spiritual desires, will always serve to determine the earnestness of ourpraying. (n this relation, Adoniram 8udson says


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A travailing spirit, the throes of a great burdened desire, belongs to prayer. A fervencystrong enough to drive away sleep, which devotes and inflames the spirit, and whichretires all earthly ties, all this belongs to wrestling, prevailing prayer. #he Spirit, thepower, the air, and food of prayer is in such a spirit.

rayer must be clothed with fervency, strength and power. (t is the force which,centered on &od, determines the outlay of Himself for earthly good. Men who arefervent in spirit are bent on attaining to righteousness, truth, grace, and all other sublimeand powerful graces which adorn the character of the authentic, un*uestioned child of&od.

&od once declared, by the mouth of a brave prophet, to a 'ing who, at one time, hadbeen true to &od, but, by the incoming of success and material prosperity, had lost hisfaith, the following message

#he eyes of the $ord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong

in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him. Herein hast thou donefoolishly: therefore, from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

&od had heard Asa9s prayer in early life, but disaster came and trouble was sent,because he had given up the life of prayer and simple faith.

(n ;omans 1@>, we have the word, strive, occurring, in the re*uest which aul madefor prayerful cooperation.

(n Colossians ?12, we have the same word, but translated differently paphrasalways labouring fervently for you in prayer. aul charged the ;omans to strive

together with him in prayer, that is, to help him in his struggle of prayer. #he wordmeans to enter into a contest, to fight against adversaries. (t means, moreover, toengage with fervent 4eal to endeavour to obtain.

#hese recorded instances of the e6ercise and reward of faith, give us easily to see that,in almost every instance, faith was blended with trust until it is not too much to say thatthe former was swallowed up in the latter. (t is hard to properly distinguish the specificactivities of these two *ualities, faith and trust. "ut there is a point, beyond allperadventure, at which faith is relieved of its burden, so to spea': where trust comesalong and says =ou have done your part, the rest is mine0

(n the incident of the barren fig tree, our $ord transfers the marvellous power of faith toHis disciples. #o their e6clamation, How soon is the fig tree withered alway0 He said

(f ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, butalso if ye shall say unto this mountain, "e thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea:it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall as' in prayer, believing, ye shallreceive.


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!hen a Christian believer attains to faith of such magnificent proportions as these, hesteps into the realm of implicit trust. He stands without a tremor on the ape6 of hisspiritual outreaching. He has attained faith9s veritable top stone which is unswerving,unalterable, unalienable trust in the power of the living &od.

/rom #he )ecessity of rayer by astor .M. "ounds, Chapter @


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#ha$ter - P%&'E% &N *MP2%TN*T'

3+; $ord 8esus declared that men ought always to pray and not to faint, and theparable in which His words occur, was taught with the intention of saving men from

faintheartedness and wea'ness in prayer. 3ur $ord was see'ing to teach that la6itymust be guarded against, and persistence fostered and encouraged. #here can be notwo opinions regarding the importance of the e6ercise of this indispensable *uality inour praying.

(mportunate prayer is a mighty movement of the soul toward &od. (t is a stirring of thedeepest forces of the soul, toward the throne of heavenly grace. (t is the ability to holdon, press on, and wait. ;estless desire, restful patience, and strength of grasp are allembraced in it. (t is not an incident, or a performance, but a passion of soul. (t is not awant, halfneeded, but a sheer necessity.

#he wrestling *uality in importunate prayers does not spring from physical vehemenceor fleshly energy. (t is not an impulse of energy, not a mere earnestness of soul: it is aninwrought force, a faculty implanted and aroused by the Holy Spirit.


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(n this study however, we turn our thought to one phase of prayer that of importunity:the pressing of our desires upon &od with urgency and perseverance: the praying withthat tenacity and tension which neither rela6es nor ceases until its plea is heard, and itscause is won.

He who has clear views of &od, and Scriptural conceptions of the 5ivine character: whoappreciates his privilege of approach unto &od: who understands his inward need of allthat &od has for him that man will be solicitous, outspo'en and importunate. (n Holy!rit, the duty of prayer, itself, is advocated in terms which are only barely stronger thanthose in which the necessity for its importunity is set forth. #he praying which influences&od is declared to be that of the fervent, effectual outpouring of a righteous man. #hatis to say, it is prayer on fire, having no feeble, flic'ering flame, no momentary flash, butshining with a vigorous and steady glow.

#he repeated intercessions of Abraham for the salvation of Sodom and &omorrahpresent an early e6ample of the necessity for, and benefit deriving from importunate

praying. 8acob, wrestling all night with the angel, gives significant emphasis to thepower of a dogged perseverance in praying, and shows how, in things spiritual,importunity succeeds, -ust as effectively as it does in matters relating to time and sense.

As we have noted, elsewhere, Moses prayed forty days and forty nights, see'ing to staythe wrath of &od against (srael, and his e6ample and success are a stimulus to presentday faith in its dar'est hour. li-ah repeated and urged his prayer seven times ere theraincloud appeared above the hori4on, heralding the success of his prayer and thevictory of his faith. 3n one occasion 5aniel though faint and wea', pressed his casethree wee's, ere the answer and the blessing came.

/rom #he )ecessity of rayer by astor .M. "ounds, Chapter B


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#ha$ter - P%&'E% &N *MP2%TN*T' (#ontinued!

#H tenor of Christ9s teachings, is to declare that men are to pray earnestly to praywith an earnestness that cannot be denied. Heaven has har'ening ears only for thewholehearted, and the deeplyearnest. nergy, courage, and persistent perseverancemust bac' the prayers which heaven respects, and &od hears. All these *ualities ofsoul, so essential to effectual praying, are brought out in the parable of the man whowent to his friend for bread, at midnight. #his man entered on his errand withconfidence. /riendship promised him success. His plea was pressing of a truth, hecould not go bac' emptyhanded. #he flat refusal chagrined and surprised him. Hereeven friendship failed0 "ut there was something to be tried yet stern resolution, set,fi6ed determination. He would stay and press his demand until the door was opened,and the re*uest granted. #his he proceeded to do, and by dint of importunity securedwhat ordinary solicitation had failed to obtain.

#he success of this man, achieved in the face of a flat denial, was used by the Saviourto illustrate the necessity for insistence in supplicating the throne of heavenly grace.!hen the answer is not immediately given, the praying Christian must gather courageat each delay, and advance in urgency till the answer comes which is assured, if hehave but the faith to press his petition with vigorous faith.

$a6ity, faintheartedness, impatience, timidity will be fatal to our prayers. Awaiting theonset of our importunity and insistence, is the /ather9s heart, the /ather9s hand, the/ather9s infinite power, the /ather9s infinite willingness to hear and give to His children.

(mportunate praying is the earnest, inward movement of the heart toward &od. (t is thethrowing of the entire force of the spiritual man into the e6ercise of prayer. (saiah

lamented that no one stirred himself, to ta'e hold of &od. Much praying was done in(saiah9s time, but it was too easy, indifferent and complacent. #here were no mightymovements of souls toward &od. #here was no array of sanctified energies bent onreaching and grappling with &od, to draw from Him the treasures of His grace./orceless prayers have no power to overcome difficulties, no power to win mar'edresults, or to gain complete victories. !e must win &od, ere we can win our plea.

(saiah loo'ed forward with hopeful eyes to the day when religion would flourish, whenthere would be times of real praying. !hen those times came, the watchmen would notabate their vigilance, but cry day and night, and those, who were the $ord9sremembrancers, would give Him no rest. #heir urgent, persistent efforts would 'eep all

spiritual interests engaged, and ma'e increasing drafts on &od9s e6haustless treasures.

(mportunate praying never faints nor grows weary: it is never discouraged: it neveryields to cowardice, but is buoyed up and sustained by a hope that 'nows no despair,and a faith which will not let go. (mportunate praying has patience to wait and strengthto continue. (t never prepares itself to *uit praying, and declines to rise from its 'neesuntil an answer is received.


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#he familiar, yet heartening words of that great missionary, Adoniram 8udson, is thetestimony of a man who was importunate at prayer. He says

"I was never deeply interested in any ob-ect, never prayed sincerely and earnestly for it,but that it came at some time, no matter how distant the day. Somehow, in some shape,

probably the last I would have devised, it came."

As', and ye shall receive. See', and ye shall find. noc', and it shall be opened untoyou. #hese are the ringing challenges of our $ord in regard to prayer, and Hisintimation that true praying must stay, and advance in effort and urgency, till the prayeris answered, and the blessing sought, received.

(n the three words as', see', 'noc', in the order in which He places them, 8esus urgesthe necessity of importunity in prayer. As'ing, see'ing, 'noc'ing, are ascending roundsin the ladder of successful prayer. )o principle is more definitely enforced by Christ thanthat prevailing prayer must have in it the *uality which waits and perseveres, the

courage that never surrenders, the patience which never grows tired, the resolution thatnever wavers.

(n the parable preceding that of the /riend at Midnight, a most significant and instructivelesson in this respect is outlined. (ndomitable courage, ceaseless pertinacity, fi6ity ofpurpose, chief among the *ualities included in Christ9s estimate of the highest and mostsuccessful form of praying.

(mportunity is made up of intensity, perseverance, patience and persistence. #heseeming delay in answering prayer is the ground and the demand of importunity. (n thefirst recorded instance of a miracle being wrought upon one who was blind, as given by

Matthew, we have an illustration of the way in which our $ord appeared not to hear'enat once to those who sought Him. "ut the two blind men continue their crying, andfollow Him with their continual petition, saying, #hou Son of 5avid, have mercy on us."ut He answered them not, and passed into the house. =et the needy ones followedHim, and, finally, gained their eyesight and their plea.

#he case of blind "artimaeus is a notable one in many ways. specially is it remar'ablefor the show of persistence which this blind man e6hibited in appealing to our $ord. (f itbe as it seems that his first crying was done as 8esus entered into 8ericho, and thathe continued it until 8esus came out of the place, it is all the stronger an illustration ofthe necessity of importunate prayer and the success which comes to those who sta'etheir all on Christ, and give Him no peace until He grants them their hearts9 desire.

Mar' puts the whole incident graphically before us. At first, 8esus seems not to hear.#he crowd rebu'es the noisy clamour of "artimaeus. 5espite the seeming unconcern ofour $ord, however, and despite the rebu'e of an impatient and *uic'tempered crowd,the blind beggar still cries, and increases the loudness of his cry, until 8esus isimpressed and moved. /inally, the crowd, as well as 8esus, hear'en to the beggar9splea and declare in favour of his cause. He gains his case. His importunity avails even


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in the face of apparent neglect on the part of 8esus, and despite opposition and rebu'efrom the surrounding populace. His persistence won where halfhearted indifferencewould surely have failed.

/aith has its province, in connection with prayer, and, of course, has its inseparable

association with importunity. "ut the latter *uality drives the prayer to the believingpoint. A persistent spirit brings a man to the place where faith ta'es hold, claims andappropriates the blessing.

#he imperative necessity of importunate prayer is plainly set forth in the !ord of &od,and needs to be stated and restated today. !e are apt to overloo' this vital truth. $oveof ease, spiritual indolence, religious slothfulness, all operate against this type ofpetitioning. 3ur praying, however, needs to be pressed and pursued with an energy thatnever tires, a persistency which will not be denied, and a courage which never fails.

!e have need, too, to give thought to that mysterious fact of prayer the certainty that

there will be delays, denials, and seeming failures, in connection with its e6ercise. !eare to prepare for these, to broo' them, and cease not in our urgent praying. $i'e abrave soldier, who, as the conflict grows sterner, e6hibits a superior courage than in theearlier stages of the battle: so does the praying Christian, when delay and denial facehim, increase his earnest as'ing, and ceases not until prayer prevail. Moses furnishesan illustrious e6ample of importunity in prayer. (nstead of allowing his nearness to &odand his intimacy with Him to dispense with the necessity for importunity, he regardsthem as the better fitting him for its e6ercise. !hen (srael set up the golden calf, thewrath of &od wa6ed fierce against them, and 8ehovah, bent on e6ecuting -ustice, said toMoses when divulging what He purposed doing, $et Me alone0 "ut Moses would notlet Him alone. He threw himself down before the $ord in an agony of intercession in

behalf of the sinning (sraelites, and for forty days and nights, fasted and prayed. !hat aseason of importunate prayer was that0

8ehovah was wroth with Aaron, also, who had acted as leader in this idolatrousbusiness of the golden calf. "ut Moses prayed for Aaron as well as for the (sraelites:had he not, both (srael and Aaron had perished, under the consuming fire of &od9swrath.

#hat long season of pleading before &od, left its mighty impress on Moses. He hadbeen in close relation with &od aforetime, but never did his character attain thegreatness that mar'ed it in the days and years following this long season of importunateintercession.

#here can be no *uestion but that importunate prayer moves &od, and heightenshuman character0 (f we were more with &od in this great ordinance of intercession,more brightly would our face shine, more richly endowed would life and service be, withthe *ualities which earn the goodwill of humanity, and bring glory to the )ame of &od.

/rom #he )ecessity of rayer by astor .M. "ounds, Chapter %


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#ha$ter 8 - P%&'E% &N #+&%TE% &N #2N#T

;A=; governs conduct and conduct ma'es character. Conduct, is what we do:character, is what we are. Conduct is the outward life. Character is the life unseen,

hidden within, yet evidenced by that which is seen. Conduct is e6ternal, seen fromwithout: character is internal operating within. (n the economy of grace conduct is theoffspring of character. Character is the state of the heart, conduct its outwarde6pression. Character is the root of the tree, conduct, the fruit it bears.

rayer is related to all the gifts of grace. #o character and conduct its relation is that of ahelper. rayer helps to establish character and fashion conduct, and both for theirsuccessful continuance depend on prayer. #here may be a certain degree of moralcharacter and conduct independent of prayer, but there cannot be anything li'edistinctive religious character and Christian conduct without it. rayer helps, where allother aids fail. #he more we pray, the better we are, the purer and better our lives.

#he very end and purpose of the atoning wor' of Christ is to create religious characterand to ma'e Christian conduct.

!ho gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all ini*uity, and purify untoHimself a peculiar people, 4ealous of good wor's.

(n Christ9s teaching, it is not simply wor's of charity and deeds of mercy upon which Heinsists, but inward spiritual character. #his much is demanded, and nothing short of it,will suffice.

(n the study of aul9s pistles, there is one thing which stands out, clearly andunmista'ably the insistence on holiness of heart, and righteousness of life. aul doesnot see', so much, to promote what is termed personal wor', nor is the leading themeof his letters deeds of charity. (t is the condition of the human heart and theblamelessness of the personal life, which form the burden of the writings of St. aul.

lsewhere in the Scriptures, too, it is character and conduct which are madepreeminent. #he Christian religion deals with men who are devoid of spiritual character,and unholy in life, and aims so to change them, that they become holy in heart andrighteous in life. (t aims to change bad men into good men: it deals with inwardbadness, and wor's to change it into inward goodness. And it is -ust here where prayerenters and demonstrates its wonderful efficacy and fruit. rayer drives toward thisspecific end. (n fact, without prayer, no such supernatural change in moral character,can ever be effected. /or the change from badness to goodness is not wrought bywor's of righteousness which we have done, but according to &od9s mercy, whichsaves us by the washing of regeneration. And this marvellous change is brought topass through earnest, persistent, faithful prayer. Any alleged form of Christianity, whichdoes not effect this change in the hearts of men, is a delusion and a snare.


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#he office of prayer is to change the character and conduct of men, and in countlessinstances, has been wrought by prayer. At this point, prayer, by its credentials, hasproved its divinity. And -ust as it is the office of prayer to effect this, so it is the primewor' of the Church to ta'e hold of evil men and ma'e them good. (ts mission is tochange human nature, to change character, influence behaviour, to revolutioni4e

conduct. #he Church is presumed to be righteous, and should be engaged in turningmen to righteousness. #he Church is &od9s manufactory on earth, and its primary dutyis to create and foster righteousness of character. #his is its very first business.rimarily, its wor' is not to ac*uire members, nor amass numbers, nor aim at moneygetting, nor engage in deeds of charity and wor's of mercy, but to producerighteousness of character, and purity of the outward life.

A product reflects and parta'es of the character of the manufactory which ma'es it. Arighteous Church with a righteous purpose ma'es righteous men. rayer producescleanliness of heart and purity of life. (t can produce nothing else. +nrighteous conductis born of prayerlessness: the two go handinhand. rayer and sinning cannot 'eep

company with each other. 3ne, or the other, must, of necessity, stop. &et men to pray,and they will *uit sinning, because prayer creates a distaste for sinning, and so wor'supon the heart, that evildoing becomes repugnant, and the entire nature lifted to areverent contemplation of high and holy things.

rayer is based on character. !hat we are with &od gauges our influence with Him. (twas the inner character, not the outward seeming, of such men as Abraham, 8ob,5avid, Moses and all others, who had such great influence with &od in the days of old.

And, today, it is not so much our words, as what we really are, which weighs with &od.Conduct affects character, of course, and counts for much in our praying. At the sametime, character affects conduct to a far greater e6tent, and has a superior influence over

prayer. 3ur inner life not only gives colour to our praying, but body, as well. "ad livingmeans bad praying and, in the end, no praying at all. !e pray feebly because we livefeebly. #he stream of prayer cannot rise higher than the fountain of living. #he force ofthe inner chamber is made up of the energy which flows from the confluent streams ofliving. And the wea'ness of living grows out of the shallowness and shoddiness ofcharacter.

/eebleness of living reflects its debility and langour in the praying hours. !e simplycannot tal' to &od, strongly, intimately, and confidently unless we are living for Him,faithfully and truly. #he prayercloset cannot become sanctified unto &od, when the lifeis alien to His precepts and purpose. !e must learn this lesson well that righteouscharacter and Christli'e conduct give us a peculiar and preferential standing in prayerbefore &od. His holy !ord gives special emphasis to the part conduct has in impartingvalue to our praying when it declares

#hen shalt thou call and the $ord shall answer: thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here (am: if thou ta'e away from the midst of thee the yo'e, the putting forth the finger, andspea'ing vanity.


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#he wic'edness of (srael and their heinous practices were definitely cited by (saiah, asthe reason why &od would turn His ears away from their prayers

And when ye spread forth your hands, ( will hide mine eyes from you yea, when yema'e many prayers, ( will not hear your hands are full of blood.

/rom #he )ecessity of rayer by astor .M. "ounds, Chapter D


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#ha$ter - P%&'E% &N 2BE*EN#E

+)5; the Mosaic law, obedience was loo'ed upon as being better than sacrifice,and to har'en, than the fat of lambs. (n 5euteronomy @2E, Moses represents Almighty

&od declaring Himself as to this very *uality in a manner which left no doubt as to theimportance He laid upon its e6ercise. ;eferring to the waywardness of His people Hecries

3 that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and 'eep all Mycommandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children afterthem.

+n*uestionably obedience is a high virtue, a soldier *uality. #o obey belongs,preeminently, to the soldier. (t is his first and last lesson, and he must learn how topractice it all the time, without *uestion, uncomplainingly. 3bedience, moreover, is faith

in action, and is the outflow as it is the very test of love. He that hath Mycommandments and 'eepeth them, he it is that loveth Me.

/urthermore obedience is the conserver and the life of love.

(f ye 'eep My commandments, says 8esus, ye shall abide in My love, even as ( have'ept My /ather9s commandments and abide in His love.

!hat a marvellous statement of the relationship created and maintained by obedience0#he Son of &od is held in the bosom of the /ather9s love, by virtue of His obedience0

And the factor which enables the Son of &od to ever abide in His /ather9s love is

revealed in His own statement, /or ( do, always, those things that please Him.

#he gift of the Holy Spirit in full measure and in richer e6perience, depends upon lovingobedience

(f ye love Me, 'eep My commandments, is the Master9s word. And ( will pray the/ather, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever.

3bedience to &od is a condition of spiritual thrift, inward satisfaction, stability of heart.(f ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the fruit of the land. 3bedience opens thegates of the Holy City, and gives access to the tree of life.

"lessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree oflife, and may enter in through the gates, into the city.

!hat is obedience7 (t is doing &od9s will it is 'eeping His commandments. How manyof the commandments constitute obedience7 #o 'eep half of them, and to brea' theother half is that real obedience7 #o 'eep all the commandments but one is that


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obedience7 3n this point, 8ames the Apostle is most e6plicit !hosoever shall 'eepthe whole law, he declares, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

#he spirit which prompts a man to brea' one commandment is the spirit which maymove him to brea' them all. &od9s commandments are a unit, and to brea' one stri'es

at the principle which underlies and runs through the whole. He who hesitates not tobrea' a single commandment, would it is more than probable under the samestress, and surrounded by the same circumstances, brea' them all.

+niversal obedience of the race is demanded. )othing short of implicit obedience willsatisfy &od, and the 'eeping of all His commandments is the demonstration of it that&od re*uires. "ut can we 'eep all of &od9s commandments7 Can a man receive moralability such as enables him to obey every one of them7 Certainly he can. "y everyto'en, man can, through prayer, obtain ability to do this very thing.

5oes &od give commandments which men cannot obey7 (s He so arbitrary, so severe,

so unloving, as to issue commandments which cannot be obeyed7 #he answer is that inall the annals of Holy Scripture, not a single instance is recorded of &od havingcommanded any man to do a thing, which was beyond his power. (s &od so un-ust andso inconsiderate as to re*uire of man that which he is unable to render7 Surely not. #oinfer it, is to slander the character of &od.

$et us ponder this thought, a moment 5o earthly parents re*uire of their children dutieswhich they cannot perform7 !here is the father who would thin', even, of being soun-ust, and so tyrannical7 (s &od less 'ind and -ust than faulty, earthly parents7 Arethey better and more -ust than a perfect &od7 How utterly foolish and untenable athought0

(n principle, obedience to &od is the same *uality as obedience to earthly parents. (timplies, in general effect, the giving up of one9s own way, and following that of another:the surrendering of the will to the will of another: the submission of oneself to theauthority and re*uirements of a parent. Commands, either from our heavenly /ather orfrom our earthly father, are lovedirecting, and all such commands are in the bestinterests of those who are commanded. &od9s commands are issued neither in severitynor tyranny. #hey are always issued in love and in our interests, and so it behooves usto heed and obey them. (n other words, and appraised at its lowest value &od havingissued His commands to us, in order to promote our good, it pays, therefore, to beobedient. 3bedience brings its own reward. &od has ordained it so, and since He has,even human reason can reali4e that He would never demand that which is out of ourpower to render.

3bedience is love, fulfilling every command, love e6pressing itself. 3bedience,therefore, is not a hard demand made upon us, any more than is the service a husbandrenders his wife, or a wife renders her husband. $ove delights to obey, and pleasewhom it loves. #here are no hardships in love. #here may be e6actions, but no ir'.#here are no impossible tas's for love.


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!ith what simplicity and in what a matteroffact way does the Apostle 8ohn say Andwhatsoever we as', we receive of Him, because we 'eep His commandments, and dothose things which are pleasing in His sight.

#his is obedience, running ahead of all and every command. (t is love, obeying byanticipation. #hey greatly err, and even sin, who declare that men are bound to commitini*uity, either because of environment, or heredity, or tendency. &od9s commands arenot grievous. #heir ways are ways of pleasantness, and their paths peace. #he tas'which falls to obedience is not a hard one. /or My yo'e is easy, and My burden islight.

/ar be it from our heavenly /ather, to demand impossibilities of His children. (t ispossible to please Him in all things, for He is not hard to please. He is neither a hardmaster, nor an austere lord, ta'ing up that which he lays not down, and reaping thatwhich he did not sow. #han' &od, it is possible for every child of &od, to please his

heavenly /ather0 (t is really much easier to please Him than to please men. Moreover,we may 'now when we please Him. #his is the witness of the Spirit the inward 5ivineassurance, given to all the children of &od that they are doing their /ather9s will, andthat their ways are wellpleasing in His sight.

&od9s commandments are righteous and founded in -ustice and wisdom. !herefore thelaw is holy, and the commandment holy and -ust and good. 8ust and true are #hyways, #hou ing of saints. &od9s commandments, then, can be obeyed by all whosee' supplies of grace which enable them to obey. #hese commandments must beobeyed. &od9s government is at sta'e. &od9s children are under obligation to obey Him:disobedience cannot be permitted. #he spirit of rebellion is the very essence of sin. (t is

repudiation of &od9s authority, which &od cannot tolerate. He never has done so, and adeclaration of His attitude was part of the reason the Son of the Highest was mademanifest among men

/or what the law could not do, in that it was wea' through the flesh, &od sending Hisown Son in the li'eness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh that therighteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who wal' not after the flesh, but afterthe Spirit.

/rom #he )ecessity of rayer by astor .M. "ounds, Chapter E


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#ha$ter 14 - P%&'E% &N 2BE*EN#E (#ontinued!

(# is worthy of note that the praying to which such transcendent position is given andfrom which great results are attributable, is not simply the saying of prayers, but holypraying. (t is the prayers of the saints, the prayers of the holy men of &od. "ehindsuch praying, giving to it energy and flame are the men and women who are whollydevoted to &od, who are entirely separated from sin, and fully separated unto &od.#hese are they who always give energy, force and strength to praying.

3ur $ord 8esus Christ was preeminent in praying, because He was preeminent insaintliness. An entire dedication to &od, a full surrender, which carries with it the wholebeing, in a flame of holy consecration all this gives wings to faith and energy toprayer. (t opens the door to the throne of grace, and brings strong influence to bear on

Almighty &od.

#he lifting up of holy hands is essential to Christly praying. (t is not, however, aholiness which only dedicates a closet to &od, which sets apart merely an hour to Him,but a consecration which ta'es hold of the entire man, which dedicates the whole life to&od.

3ur $ord 8esus Christ, holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, had fullliberty of approach and ready access to &od in prayer. And He had this free and fullaccess because of His un*uestioning obedience to His /ather. ;ight through His earthlylife His supreme care and desire was to do the will of His /ather. And this fact, coupledwith another the consciousness of having so ordered His life gave Him confidenceand assurance, which enabled Him to draw near to the throne of grace with unboundedconfidence, born of obedience, and promising acceptance, audience, and answer.

$oving obedience puts us where we can as' anything in His name, with theassurance, that He will do it. $oving obedience brings us into the prayer realm, andma'es us beneficiaries of the wealth of Christ, and of the riches of His grace, throughthe coming of the Holy Spirit who will abide with us, and be in us. Cheerful obedience to&od, *ualifies us to pray effectually.

#his obedience which not only *ualifies but foreruns prayer, must be loving, constant,always doing the /ather9s will, and cheerfully following the path of &od9s commands.

(n the instance of ing He4e'iah, it was a potent plea which changed &od9s decree that

he should die and not live. #he stric'en ruler called upon &od to remember how that hehad wal'ed before Him in truth, and with a perfect heart. !ith &od, this counted. Hehear'ened to the petition, and, as a result, death found his approach to He4e'iah barredfor fifteen years.

8esus learned obedience in the school of suffering, and, at the same time, He learnedprayer in the school of obedience. 8ust as it is the prayer of a righteous man whichavaileth much, so it is righteousness which is obedience to &od. A righteous man is an


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obedient man, and he it is, who can pray effectually, who can accomplish great thingswhen he beta'es himself to his 'nees.

#rue praying, be it remembered, is not mere sentiment, nor poetry, nor elo*uentutterance. )or does it consist of saying in honeyed cadences, $ord, $ord. rayer is not

a mere form of words: it is not -ust calling upon a )ame. rayer is obedience. (t isfounded on the adamantine roc' of obedience to &od. 3nly those who obey have theright to pray. "ehind the praying must be the doing: and it is the constant doing of &od9swill in daily life which gives prayer its potency, as our $ord plainly taught

)ot every one which saith unto Me, $ord, $ord, shall enter into the 'ingdom of heaven,but he that doeth the will of My /ather which is in heaven. Many will say unto Me in thatday, $ord, have we not prophesied in #hy )ame, and in #hy )ame have cast outdevils7 And in #hy )ame done many wonderful wor's7 And then will ( profess untothem, ( never 'new you: depart from Me, ye that wor'eth ini*uity.

)o name, however precious and powerful, can protect and give efficiency to prayerwhich is unaccompanied by the doing of &od9s will. )either can the doing, without thepraying, protect from 5ivine disapproval. (f the will of &od does not master the life, thepraying will be nothing but sic'ly sentiment. (f prayer do not inspire, sanctify and directour wor', then selfwill enters, to ruin both wor' and wor'er.

How great and manifold are the misconceptions of the true elements and functionings ofprayer0 #here are many who earnestly desire to obtain an answer to their prayers butwho go unrewarded and unblest. #hey fi6 their minds on some promise of &od and thenendeavour by dint of dogged perseverance, to summon faith sufficient to lay hold upon,and claim it. #his fi6ing of the mind on some great promise may avail in strengthening

faith, but, to this holding on to the promise must be added the persistent andimportunate prayer that e6pects, and waits till faith grows e6ceedingly. And who is therethat is able and competent to do such praying save the man who readily, cheerfully andcontinually, obeys &od7

/aith, in its highest form, is the attitude as well as the act of a soul surrendered to &od,in whom His !ord and His Spirit dwells. (t is true that faith must e6ist in some form, oranother, in order to prompt praying: but in its strongest form, and in its largest results,faith is the fruit of prayer. #hat faith increases the ability and the efficiency of prayer istrue: but it is li'ewise true that prayer increases the ability and efficiency of faith. rayerand faith, wor', act and react, one upon the other.

3bedience to &od helps faith as no other attribute possibly can. !hen obedience implicit recognition of the validity, the paramountcy of the 5ivine commands faithceases to be an almost superhuman tas'. (t re*uires no straining to e6ercise it.3bedience to &od ma'es it easy to believe and trust &od. !here the spirit of obediencefully impregnates the soul: where the will is perfectly surrendered to &od: where there isa fi6ed, unalterable purpose to obey &od, faith almost believes itself. /aith thenbecomes almost involuntary. After obedience it is, naturally, the ne6t step, and it is


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easily and readily ta'en. #he difficulty in prayer is not with faith, but with obedience,which is faith9s foundation.

!e must loo' well to our obedience, to the secret springs of action, to the loyalty of ourheart to &od, if we would pray well, and desire to get the most out of our praying.

3bedience is the groundwor' of effectual praying: this it is, which brings us nigh to &od.

#he lac' of obedience in our lives brea's down our praying. Fuite often, the life is inrevolt and this places us where praying is almost impossible, e6cept it be for pardoningmercy. 5isobedient living produces mighty poor praying. 5isobedience shuts the door ofthe inner chamber, and bars the way to the Holy of holies. )o man can pray reallypray who does not obey.

#he will must be surrendered to &od as a primary condition of all successful praying.verything about us gets its colouring from our inmost character. #he secret will ma'escharacter and controls conduct. #he will, therefore, plays an important part in all

successful praying. #here can be no praying in its richest implication and truest sense,where the will is not wholly and fully surrendered to &od. #his unswerving loyalty to &odis an utterly indispensable condition of the best, the truest, the most effectual praying.!e have simply got to trust and obey: there9s no other way, to be happy in 8esus butto trust, and obey0

/rom #he )ecessity of rayer by astor .M. "ounds, Chapter 1


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#ha$ter 11 - P%&'E% &N 0**6&N#E

H description of the Christian soldier given by aul in the si6th chapter of the pistle tothe phesians, is compact and comprehensive. He is depicted as being ever in theconflict, which has many fluctuating seasons seasons of prosperity and adversity,light and dar'ness, victory and defeat. He is to pray at all seasons, and with all prayer,this to be added to the armour in which he is to fare forth to battle. At all times, he is tohave the full panoply of prayer. #he Christian soldier, if he fight to win, must pray much."y this means, only, is he enabled to defeat his inveterate enemy, the devil, togetherwith the vil 3ne9s manifold emissaries. raying always, with all prayer, is the 5ivinedirection given him. #his covers all seasons, and embraces all manner of praying.

Christian soldiers, fighting the good fight of faith, have access to a place of retreat, towhich they continually repair for prayer. raying always, with all prayer, is a clearstatement of the imperative need of much praying, and of many 'inds of praying, by himwho, fighting the good fight of faith, would win out, in the end, over all his foes.

#he ;evised


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therefore, to find aul, who understood the character of the Christian life so well, andwho was so thoroughly informed as to the malignity and number of the foes, which thedisciple of the $ord must encounter, carefully and plainly urging him to put on the wholearmour of &od, and to pray with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. !ise, with agreat wisdom, would the present generation be if all professors of our faith could be

induced to reali4e this allimportant and vital truth, which is so absolutely indispensableto a successful Christian life.

(t is -ust at this point in much presentday Christian profession, that one may find itsgreatest defect. #here is little, or nothing, of the soldier element in it. #he discipline, selfdenial, spirit of hardship, determination, so prominent in and belonging to the militarylife, are, one and all, largely wanting. =et the Christian life is warfare, all the way.

How comprehensive, pointed and stri'ing are all aul9s directions to the Christiansoldier, who is bent on thwarting the devil and saving his soul alive0 /irst of all, he mustpossess a clear idea of the character of the life on which he has entered. #hen, he must

'now something of his foes the adversaries of his immortal soul their strength, theirs'ill, their malignity. nowing, therefore, something of the character of the enemy, andreali4ing the need of preparation to overcome them, he is prepared to hear the Apostle9sdecisive conclusion

/inally, my brethren, be strong in the $ord, and in he power of His might. ut on thewhole armour of &od, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.!herefore, ta'e unto you the whole armour of &od, that ye may be able to stand in theevil day, and having done all, to stand.

All these directions end in a clima6: and that clima6 is prayer. How can the brave warrior

for Christ be made braver still7 How can the strong soldier be made stronger still7 Howcan the victorious battler be made still more victorious7 Here are aul9s e6plicitdirections to that end

raying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereuntowith all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

rayer, and more prayer, adds to the fighting *ualities and the more certain victories of&od9s good fightingmen. #he power of prayer is most forceful on the battlefield amidthe din and strife of the conflict. aul was preeminently a soldier of the Cross. /or him,life was no flowery bed of ease. He was no dressparade, holiday soldier, whose onlybusiness was to don a uniform on set occasions. His was a life of intense conflict, thefacing of many adversaries, the e6ercise of unsleeping vigilance and constant effort.

And, at its close in sight of the end we hear him chanting his final song of victory, a (have fought a good fight, and reading between the lines, we see that he is more thancon*ueror0

(n his pistle to the ;omans, aul indicates the nature of his soldierlife, giving us someviews of the 'ind of praying needed for such a career. He writes


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)ow ( beseech you, brethren, for the $ord 8esus Christ9s sa'e, and for the love of theSpirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to &od for me, that ( may bedelivered from them that do not believe in 8udaea.

aul had foes in 8udaea foes who beset and opposed him in the form of unbelievingmen and this, added to other weighty reasons, led him to urge the ;oman Christians tostrive with him in prayer. #hat word strive indicated wrestling, the putting forth ofgreat effort. #his is the 'ind of effort, and this the sort of spirit, which must possess theChristian soldier.



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#ha$ter 1, - P%&'E% &N T+E 72% 2) 2

&359S !ord is a record of prayer of praying men and their achievements, of the5ivine warrant of prayer and of the encouragement given to those who pray. )o onecan read the instances, commands, e6amples, multiform statements which concernthemselves with prayer, without reali4ing that the cause of &od, and the success of Hiswor' in this world is committed to prayer: that praying men have been &od9s vicegerentson earth: that prayerless men have never been used of Him.

A reverence for &od9s holy )ame is closely related to a high regard for His !ord. #hishallowing of &od9s )ame: the ability to do His will on earth, as it is done in heaven: theestablishment and glory of &od9s 'ingdom, are as much involved in prayer, as when8esus taught men the +niversal rayer. #hat men ought always to pray and not tofaint, is as fundamental to &od9s cause, today, as when 8esus Christ enshrined thatgreat truth in the immortal settings of the arable of the (mportunate !idow.

As &od9s house is called the house of prayer, because prayer is the most important ofits holy offices: so by the same to'en, the "ible may be called the "oo' of rayer.rayer is the great theme and content of its message to man'ind.

&od9s !ord is the basis, as it is the directory of the prayer of faith. $et the word ofChrist dwell in you richly in all wisdom, says St. aul, teaching and admonishing oneanother in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts tothe $ord.

As this word of Christ dwelling in us richly is transmuted and assimilated, it issues inpraying. /aith is constructed of the !ord and the Spirit, and faith is the body and

substance of prayer.

(n many of its aspects, prayer is dependent upon the !ord of &od. 8esus says

(f ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall as' what ye will, and it shall bedone unto you.

#he !ord of &od is the fulcrum upon which the lever of prayer is placed, and by whichthings are mightily moved. &od has committed Himself, His purpose and His promise toprayer. His !ord becomes the basis, the inspiration of our praying, and there arecircumstances under which, by importunate prayer, we may obtain an addition, or an

enlargement of His promises. (t is said of the old saints that they, through faith obtainedpromises. #here would seem to be in prayer the capacity for going even beyond the!ord, of getting even beyond His promise, into the very presence of &od, Himself.

8acob wrestled, not so much with a promise, as with the romiser. !e must ta'e hold ofthe romiser, lest the promise prove nugatory. rayer may well be defined as that forcewhich vitali4es and energi4es the !ord of &od, by ta'ing hold of &od, Himself. "yta'ing hold of the romiser, prayer reissues, and ma'es personal the promise. #here is


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none that stirreth up himself to ta'e hold of Me, is &od9s sad lament. $et him ta'e holdof My strength, that he may ma'e peace with Me, is &od9s recipe for prayer.

"y Scriptural warrant, prayer may be divided into the petition of faith and that ofsubmission. #he prayer of faith is based on the written !ord, for faith cometh by

hearing, and hearing by the !ord of &od. (t receives its answer, inevitably the verything for which it prays.

#he prayer of submission is without a definite word of promise, so to spea', but ta'eshold of &od with a lowly and contrite spirit, and as's and pleads with Him, for that whichthe soul desires. Abraham had no definite promise that &od would spare Sodom.Moses had no definite promise that &od would spare (srael: on the contrary, there wasthe declaration of His wrath, and of His purpose to destroy. "ut the devoted leadergained his plea with &od, when he interceded for the (sraelites with incessant prayersand many tears. 5aniel had no definite promise that &od would reveal to him themeaning of the 'ing9s dream, but he prayed specifically, and &od answered definitely.

#he !ord of &od is made effectual and operative, by the process and practice ofprayer. #he !ord of the $ord came to li-ah, &o show thyself to Ahab, and ( will sendrain on the earth. li-ah showed himself to Ahab: but the answer to his prayer did notcome, until he had pressed his fiery prayer upon the $ord seven times.

aul had the definite promise from Christ, that he would be delivered from the peopleand the &entiles, but we find him e6horting the ;omans in the urgent and solemnmanner concerning this very matter

)ow ( beseech you, brethren, for the $ord 8esus Christ9s sa'e, and for the love of the

Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to &od for me: that ( may bedelivered from them that do not believe in 8udaea, and that my service which ( have for8erusalem may be accepted of the saints.

#he !ord of &od is a great help in prayer. (f it be lodged and written in our hearts, it willform an outflowing current of prayer, full and irresistible. romises, stored in the heart,are to be the fuel from which prayer receives life and warmth, -ust as the coal, stored inthe earth, ministers to our comfort on stormy days and wintry nights. #he !ord of &odis the food, by which prayer is nourished and made strong. rayer, li'e man, cannot liveby bread alone, but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of the $ord.

+nless the vital forces of prayer are supplied by &od9s !ord, prayer, though earnest,even vociferous, in its urgency, is, in reality, flabby, and vapid, and void. #he absence ofvital force in praying, can be traced to the absence of a constant supply of &od9s !ord,to repair the waste, and renew the life. He who would learn to pray well, must first study&od9s !ord, and store it in his memory and thought.



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#ha$ter 13 - P%&'E% &N T+E 72% 2) 2 (#ontinued!

;A=; has all to do with the success of the preaching of the !ord. #his, aul clearlyteaches in that familiar and pressing re*uest he made to the #hessalonians

/inally, brethren, pray for us that the !ord of the $ord may have free course, and beglorified.

rayer opens the way for the !ord of &od to run without let or hindrance, and createsthe atmosphere which is favourable to the word accomplishing its purpose. rayer putswheels under &od9s !ord, and gives wings to the angel of the $ord having theeverlasting &ospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and'indred, and tongue, and people. rayer greatly helps the !ord of the $ord.

#he arable of the Sower is a notable study of preaching, showing its differing effectsand describing the diversity of hearers. #he wayside hearers are legion. #he soil lies allunprepared either by previous thought or prayer: as a conse*uence, the devil easilyta'es away the seed Gwhich is the !ord of &od and dissipating all good impressions,renders the wor' of the sower futile. )o one for a moment believes, that so much ofpresentday sowing would go fruitless if only the hearers would prepare the ground oftheir hearts beforehand by prayer and meditation.

Similarly with the stonyground hearers, and the thornyground hearers. Although theword lodges in their hearts and begins to sprout, yet all is lost, chiefly because there isno prayer or watchfulness or cultivation following. #he goodground hearers are profitedby the sowing, simply because their minds have been prepared for the reception of theseed, and that, after hearing, they have cultivated the seed sown in their hearts, by the

e6ercise of prayer. All this gives peculiar emphasis to the conclusion of this stri'ingparable #a'e heed, therefore, how ye hear. And in order that we may ta'e heed howwe hear, it is needful to give ourselves continually to prayer.

!e have got to believe that underlying &od9s !ord is prayer, and upon prayer, its finalsuccess will depend. (n the "oo' of (saiah we read

So shall My word be that goeth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but itshall accomplish that which ( please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto ( sent it.

(n salm 1E, 5avid magnifies the !ord of &od in si6 statements concerning it. (t

converts the soul, ma'es wise the simple, re-oices the heart, enlightens the eyes,endures eternally, and is true and righteous altogether. #he !ord of &od is perfect,sure, right, pure. (t is heartsearching, and at the same time purifying, in its effect. (t isno surprise therefore that after considering the deep spirituality of the !ord of &od, itspower to search the inner nature of man, and its deep purity, the salmist should closehis dissertation with this passage


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!ho can understand his errors7 And then praying after this fashion Cleanse #houme from secret faults. eep bac' #hy servant also from presumptuous sins. $et themnot have dominion over me. $et the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heartbe acceptable in #hy sight, 3 $ord, my strength and my redeemer.

8ames recogni4es the deep spirituality of the !ord, and its inherent saving power, in thefollowing e6hortation

!herefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive withmee'ness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

And eter tal's along the same line, when describing the saving power of the !ord of&od

"eing born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of &od,which liveth and abideth forever.

)ot only does eter spea' of being born again, by the incorruptible !ord of &od, but heinforms us that to grow in grace we must be li'e newborn babes, desiring or feedingupon the sincere mil' of the !ord.

#hat is not to say, however, that the mere form of words as they occur in the "ible havein them any saving efficacy. "ut the !ord of &od, be it remembered, is impregnatedwith the Holy Spirit. And -ust as there is a 5ivine element in the words of Scripture, soalso is the same 5ivine element to be found in all true preaching of the !ord, which isable to save and convert the soul.

rayer invariably begets a love for the !ord of &od, and sets people to the reading of it.rayer leads people to obey the !ord of &od, and puts into the heart which obeys a -oyunspea'able. raying people and "iblereading people are the same sort of fol'. #he&od of the "ible and the &od of prayer are one. &od spea's to man in the "ible: manspea's to &od in prayer. 3ne reads the "ible to discover &od9s will: he prays in orderthat he may receive power to do that will. "iblereading and praying are thedistinguishing traits of those who strive to 'now and please &od. And -ust as prayerbegets a love for the Scriptures, and sets people to reading the "ible, so, also, doesprayer cause men and women to visit the house of &od, to hear the Scripturese6pounded. Churchgoing is closely connected with the "ible, not so much because the"ible cautions us against forsa'ing the assembling of ourselves together as themanner of some is, but because in &od9s house, &od9s chosen minister declares His!ord to dying men, e6plains the Scriptures, and enforces their teachings upon hishearers. And prayer germinates a resolve, in those who practise it, not to forsa'e thehouse of &od.

rayer begets a churchgoing conscience, a churchloving heart, a churchsupportingspirit. (t is the praying people, who ma'e it a matter of conscience, to attend thepreaching of the !ord: who delight in its reading: e6position: who support it with their


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influence and their means. rayer e6alts the !ord of &od and gives it preeminence inthe estimation of those who faithfully and wholeheartedly call upon the )ame of the$ord.

rayer draws its very life from the "ible, and has no standing ground outside of the

warrant of the Scriptures. (ts very e6istence and character is dependent on revelationmade by &od to man in His holy !ord. rayer, in turn, e6alts this same revelation, andturns men toward that !ord. #he nature, necessity and allcomprehending character ofprayer, is based on the !ord of &od.

salm 11E is a directory of &od9s !ord. !ith three or four e6ceptions, each versecontains a word which identifies, or locates, the !ord of &od. Fuite often, the writerbrea's out into supplication, several times praying, #each me #hy statutes. So deeplyimpressed is he with the wonders of &od9s !ord, and of the need for 5ivine illuminationwherewith to see and understand the wonderful things recorded therein, that hefervently prays

3pen #hou mine eyes, that ( may behold wondrous things out of #hy law.

/rom the opening of this wonderful salm to its close, prayer and &od9s !ord areintertwined. Almost every phase of &od9s !ord is touched upon by this inspired writer.So thoroughly convinced was the salmist of the deep spiritual power of the !ord of&od that he ma'es this declaration

#hy word have ( hid in my heart that ( might not sin against #hee.

Here the salmist found his protection against sinning. "y having &od9s !ord hidden in

his heart: in having his whole being thoroughly impregnated with that !ord: in beingbrought completely under its benign and gracious influence, he was enabled to wal' toand fro in the earth, safe from the attac' of the vil 3ne, and fortified against aproneness to wander out of the way.

!e find, furthermore, the power of prayer to create a real love for the Scriptures, and toput within men a nature which will ta'e pleasure in the !ord. (n holy ecstasy he cries,3, how ( love #hy law0 (t is my meditation all the day. And again How sweet are #hywords to my taste0 =ea, sweeter than honey to my taste.

!ould we have a relish for &od9s !ord7 #hen let us give ourselves continually toprayer. He who would have a heart for the reading of the "ible must not dare not forget to pray. #he man of whom it can be said, His delight is in the law of the $ord, isthe man who can truly say, ( delight to visit the place of prayer. )o man loves the"ible, who does not love to pray. )o man loves to pray, who does not delight in the lawof the $ord.


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3ur $ord was a man of prayer, and He magnified the !ord of &od, *uoting often fromthe Scriptures. ;ight through His earthly life 8esus observed Sabbath'eeping, churchgoing and the reading of the !ord of &od, and had prayer intermingled with them all

And He came to )a4areth where He had been brought up, and as His custom was, He

went into the synagogue on the Sabbath 5ay, and stood up to read.

Here, let it be said, that no two things are more essential to a spiritfilled life than "iblereading and secret prayer: no two things more helpful to growth in grace: to getting thelargest -oy out of a Christian life: toward establishing one in the ways of eternal peace.#he neglect of these allimportant duties, presages leanness of soul, loss of -oy,absence of peace, dryness of spirit, decay in all that pertains to spiritual life. )eglectingthese things paves the way for apostasy, and gives the vil 3ne an advantage such ashe is not li'ely to ignore. ;eading &od9s !ord regularly, and praying habitually in these

the necessity of prayer by e. m. bounds

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