When the hymn we mentioned above was announced and read deliberately the
preacher said, feelingly, "Let us pray!" The prayer in that hymn was
used by all. As they sang, their faces flushed. Old men shed tears, and
the preacher decided, before the last verse was sung, to take for his
theme the last two lines:
Hope shall change to glad fruition,
Faith to sight and _prayer to praise_.
One could almost catch the gleam of the glories that John saw at Patmos.
The place was a Bethel to all the assembly. All were glad they were
marching on to Zion, and praised God with all their hearts for his
promise of a home in that land where there is no night. The deep,
soul-filled joy of the morning worship carried good cheer, hope, and
courage into a thousand homes and made the week's labors enjoyable and
prosperous.
In choosing the form of prayer the temperament and state of health of
the worshiper may be an important consideration. But whether in hymns or
psalms or gestures, the call must be earnestly sincere. When the formal,
monotonous recitations of the customary Church rituals are recalled it
becomes a marvel that the Church survives the pious hypocrisy and
sacrilegious indifference of the Church pulpits and altars. The pulpit
is seen by all and the words and tones of the preacher are heard by all;
the place is the most conspicuous in the church life; and if the action
or the ceremony is hypocritical or careless there, then the whole
church is permeated by the same spirit. The form of expression must be a
secondary consideration in all prayer, while appropriateness and custom
have rightfully an influence on the petition. Yet the essential thing is
in the natural cry of a needy soul. Prayer, as a public function, should
be a stimulant or an instructor leading the individuals in the
congregation to pray by and for themselves. The people must pray. The
need of this was apparent in many of the requests made for prayer at the
Temple in Philadelphia. "Lord, teach us to pray," is ever the appeal of
the religious masses. The union of two or three in concerted prayer for
a definite thing was very effective. The observation of the same hour by
many people has often developed a deep religious life and secured
practical results. The testimony of one active business man exhibited
triumphantly the use of continuous prayer and may serve as a
comprehensive illustration. He wrote:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account