p. 108 | VALUE OF PRAYER

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 28, 1869

VALUE OF PRAYER.

When we are in deep mental distress, Satan tells us that it is no use to pray. He makes us to feel the heavy clouds of thick darkness, and then almost forces upon our minds the idea that prayer is of no use. It seems to us that our prayers do not penetrate the darkness. They seem to be utterly shut out by it from the ear of God. We pray, but we cannot shake off the heaviness, and deep gloom and distress, that are upon us. Indeed, prayer seems sometimes to deepen and intensify the dark cloud of distressing gloom. We gain no evidence that our prayer is heard, but we do become still more sensible that our way is shrouded in dense darkness.

Is it of any use to pray under such circumstances? Most assuredly it is. All the powers of darkness have come out to withstand us. The mighty force of the evil angels is brought to bear upon us. Unless we can cope with them in our own strength, we must have strength from the angels of God. Surely the time of Satan's fierce assault is, of all times, that one in which we most need to seek God. But is it of any use to pray when this dreadful gloom and horror of darkness thus overshadows us? Let the case of the disciples in the garden answer. Never, probably, did greater darkness and gloom come upon mortal man, than that which came upon them, in the garden, while Christ was praying in agony. They even slept from sorrow. So irresistible was its power, that they were utterly benumbed and stupefied by it. Even our Lord felt its terrible weight of oppression, as he prayed in agony, till his sweat was as it were great drops of blood. But our Lord thought it of some use to pray under such circumstances. He prayed himself; using in his agony, again and again, the same words of submissive entreaty. Nor did he simply pray himself; with most earnest entreaty he besought the disciples to pray also. He admonished them that they must do this, or be taken by the snare of the tempter. Luke xxii, 40-46. Had they heeded our Lord's words of solemn entreaty and admonition they would not have been left to deny him. Peter would not have denied his Lord with an oath, and cursed and swore, had he spent that hour of thick darkness and gloom in prayer, instead of in sleep. Nor would all the disciples have forsaken their Lord and fled, leaving him alone in the hands of his enemies, had they spent that season of darkness in earnest prayer to God. It was of the utmost importance that they should thus pray. It seemed indeed useless, and even impossible. The benumbing power of the devil was upon them. But they should have prayed. Perhaps no relief to their feelings would have been granted. But in the most important thing of all, God would have helped them. They would have had strength to resist the devil. They would have been saved from shameful desertion and apostasy. Let their case be a warning to us. It is of use to pray when Satan almost paralyzes our minds. Nay, we must then pray, or we shall surely enter into temptation.