The Ministry of Intercession: A Plea for More PrayerMurray, Andrew
Religion
The Ministry of Intercession: A Plea for More Prayer
Murray, Andrew
Intercessory prayer -- Christianity
=Pray without Ceasing.=--Who can do this? How can one do it who is
surrounded by the cares of daily life?--How can a mother love her child
without ceasing? How can the eyelid without ceasing hold itself ready to
protect the eye? How can I breathe and feel and hear without ceasing?
Because all these are the functions of a healthy, natural life. And so,
if the spiritual life be healthy, under the full power of the Holy
Spirit, praying without ceasing will be natural.
=Pray without Ceasing.=--Does it refer to continual acts of prayer, in
which we are to persevere till we obtain, or to the spirit of
prayerfulness that should animate us all the day? It includes both. The
example of our Lord Jesus shows us this. We have to enter our closet for
special seasons of prayer; we are at times to persevere there in
importunate prayer. We are also all the day to walk in God's presence,
with the whole heart set upon heavenly things. Without set times of
prayer the spirit of prayer will be dull and feeble. Without the
continual prayerfulness the set times will not avail.
=Pray without Ceasing.=--Does that refer to prayer for ourselves or
others? To both. It is because many confine it to themselves that they
fail so in practising it. It is only when the branch gives itself to
bear fruit, more fruit, much fruit, that it can live a healthy life, and
expect a rich inflow of sap. The death of Christ brought Him to the
place of everlasting intercession. Your death with Him to sin and self
sets you free from the care of self, and elevates you to the dignity of
intercessor--one who can get life and blessing from God for others. Know
your calling; begin this your work. Give yourself wholly to it, and ere
you know you will be finding something of this "_Praying always_" within
you.
=Pray without Ceasing.=--How can I learn it? The best way of learning to
do a thing--in fact the only way--is _to do it_. Begin by setting apart
some time every day, say ten or fifteen minutes, in which you say to
God and to yourself, that you come to Him now as intercessor for others.
Let it be after your morning or evening prayer, or any other time. If
you cannot secure the same time every day, be not troubled. Only see
that you do your work. Christ chose you and appointed you to pray for
others.
If at first you do not feel any special urgency or faith or power in
your prayers, let not that hinder you. Quietly tell your Lord Jesus of
your feebleness; believe that the Holy Spirit is in you to teach you to
pray, and be assured that if you begin, God will help you. God cannot
help you unless you begin and keep on.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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