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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, January 28, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. XXXI, No. 7

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PRAYER.

By Joseph Clarke

BY JOSEPH CLARKE.
(Concluded.)
TEXT. “Lord, teach us to pray.” Luke xi, 1.
Never yet was there a good man who was not a man of prayer; Daniel prayed before his open window three times each day; and may we not safely conjecture that his exiled countrymen gathered in crowds before his house to join him in prayer, and receive the heavenly influence of the supplications of that excellent man, and devoted saint? And did not this make up to them, in some degree, the loss of those high privileges they once despised while in their own land? True, it is a conjecture, but it is a reasonable one.
David says in Ps. cxix, 164, “Seven times a day do I praise thee, because of thy righteous judgments.” David was a man of prayer. His life was devoted to God, and when, for a moment, Satan led him astray, with what humble fervor does he pray for pardon. He even wrote out his confession in a Hebrew poem, and no doubt the whole congregation of Israel joined him in those plaintive notes of contrition. Good men were there who were about to withdraw their fellowship from him, whose sympathy was not withheld from his deeply repentant state. Truly the king of Israel, in thus voluntarily humbling himself in this public manner, did, as far as was in his power, make amends for his fault, and cleared the sacred cause of God from reproach; but blasphemous and wicked men do not appreciate the deep repentance and full confession of the humbled king of Israel, and the cause of God is blasphemed by such men to this day, because of David’s sin. Nevertheless, we, who look at this matter in its true light, while we mourn greatly that David fell, also rejoice that he rose again, for many reasons: One of these is, that as David was at heart a lover of God’s law, we rejoice that he had an opportunity to make another successful effort to overcome and be saved, and thus rescued from final destruction. Another reason is this: In this affair is manifested the forbearance of God, who forgave David upon his repentance; and in this forbearance of God we rejoice, and in his readiness to forgive; for if it were not thus, and were he to strike down the offender without giving him an opportunity to return, that disposition would have struck our first parents from existence when they disobeyed, and not an individual of Adam’s race would have survived to tell the story of his fall, or of the causes which led to it.
It is to this forgiving disposition of Jehovah we appeal, when we pray; and the infidel who would deny to David the benefit of this trait of God’s character, would, unconsciously, with the same principle, cut himself loose from God, who, upon this principle of forbearance and love, feeds and clothes the wicked as well as the righteous; and the righteous man who is tried over this case of David, might pray in vain for his own salvation, if God did not possess this trait of character. Truly we mourn that David fell; but we feel happy that God is so noble as to forgive even the high crimes of king David; but to justify his law, and his honor, and to show his abhorrence of these high misdemeanors, he brought signal judgments upon David and his family in after life, such as would cause all who read the history of them to shudder at the thought of breaking God’s holy law.
But David repented. He was a lover of God’s law. He was a man of prayer. Says he, in Ps. lv, 17: “Evening, morning, and at noon, will I pray and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” Had he not been a man of prayer, think you we should now feast upon his devotional writings? Was it not this which made him alike successful in peace and in war? And did not his reign lay the foundation for lasting prosperity?
It was in prayer that the foundations of Israel’s prosperity were laid. Abraham bequeathed to his son Isaac that fear of God which he himself possessed; and Jacob prevailed with God in prayer when his life and his all were at stake. All night did he wrestle with the angel, and said, “I will not let thee go except thou bless me.”
No doubt the sons of Jacob became men of prayer. Wicked as they had been in hating their good brother in early life, they finally saw their error. The Lord led them by a thorny path for awhile, until they found the paths of peace.
It was the cry of Israel that stirred the Lord to deliver them from Egypt. No doubt that cry was the cry of his children who feared him; and Moses who came to their relief, was a man of prayer. Witness his fervor, as he falls upon his face, and pleads for the life of rebellious Israel. Would he survive them? No; but if God would not save them he would not be saved. This was no willful fling at the justice of Jehovah, but grief, that of a broken heart, if they as a people failed.
He saw at a glance the promises of God to Abraham, to Isaac, and Jacob, and he knew the use the enemy would make of such a fate; and rather than that all God’s people fall, he would for them be blotted from God’s book. But the Lord only designed to try his faith; and it was a bold stretch, indeed, of Moses’ faith to thus address Jehovah. Like Jacob, so Moses prevailed. And the stern Joshua, learning wisdom from the lessons of the wilderness, walked steadily in the paths of victory and peace; and we may safely conjecture that most of the people, who, under Joshua, entered the promised land, were men of prayer and faith; and could we have the history of the national, social, and domestic, life of that nation for the first hundred years after their entrance upon the land of promise, no doubt it would be more happy and pleasant than that of any nation existing since the deluge.
But as often as prosperity came in, Israel sinned, and, by neglect of prayer and watchfulness, fell into evil hands, and became greatly distressed. But in their distress, it was by prayer they were delivered. Prophets, and men of God arose from time to time, and, by prayer and faith, wrought wonders, by which their enemies were scattered and delivered.
But prayer does not avail alone. It is the fervent, effectual prayer of the righteous man which avails. It was the alms, as well as the prayer of Cornelius, which came up before God; and Moses had been thoroughly proved, and tested, and instructed, before he could stand between God and Israel.
It is a solemn thing to approach the Majesty on high, in prayer, and to move the arm of God, more especially on such occasions as those in the history of the nations to which we have alluded; for this, God has trained up and educated men to fill just the niche he would have them occupy.
When he would deliver Israel, lo, here steps forth just the man for the place; one of deep humility and great experience; a man of noble impulses and pure motives; one who was as willing to wield the shepherd’s crook as the kingly scepter; a man versed in all the learning of his age, but pre-eminently a man of faith and prayer. God had, by his Spirit and by his angels, instructed him, and, as a consequence, he was a man of strong faith and fervent prayer.
When God would deliver Israel from Babylon, he had his own agents ready for the work; men like Daniel,and Ezra, and Nehemiah, and Zerubbabel; men of ability and of noble minds, who had been thoroughly trained in the school of adversity, to the exercise of virtue. They were at the right time brought forward into the courts of kings, and, by their noble qualities, won an influence, which they wield for the enlargement and deliverance of Israel. How did these men keep up their intercourse with God, that they might fulfill their holy mission? You answer, it was by constant faith and prayer. They lived near to God. In every difficulty, they repaired to him. Angels guided and led those noble men, and this gave them a power and an influence which could not be resisted.
Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, Cyrus, and other mighty monarchs, became acquainted with these humble, praying men. They saw something about them which won their confidence, and at the proper time, the Lord made use of this influence for the deliverance of his people.
We mention these instances as being a few among many of God’s agents whom he has prepared to do a special work in the order of his providence. We might mention Paul and the apostles, and a host of others, all of whom were men mighty in prayer.
At the present time, a great work is before the people of God, and he is, no doubt, training up for this work, men of great faith. Such men will, of necessity, pass through the furnace of affliction, if it is necessary for their purification. And if it was necessary for Abraham and his posterity, if Moses and Daniel must pass the ordeal of severe trial, shall others shrink who come after? By no means, say you. Truly, let the fiery trial come, if I may be purified and fitted for the Master’s use.
God has a work to be done. At the proper time, men will walk forth, as Daniel did from the lion’s den, as Moses from the exile of forty years, men who have seen trouble and risen above it; men who have been afflicted, and come forth from affliction humbled and purified; men of tried faith and perseverance; men full of holy love and every Christian grace, and mighty in prayer. They will live near to God, and keep up continually a sweet intercourse with Heaven. Angels will delight to strengthen and help them; and the church, as she prays the Lord of the harvest to raise up laborers to go forth into the harvest, longs and prays for such men; and while she gives thanks to God that he is fitting up those now in the field, she feels that they are too few, and labor has already wasted their frames, and they need succor. The church cries to the Lord for laborers to go forth into the wide harvest-field.
No doubt the agents are selected. God knows his own. He is preparing them, and although his designs are hidden in some respects from men, yet he will in due time make his counsels known.
The third message is yet to be proclaimed in power, and the world is to be filled with its glory, and God’s people will be prepared. How are they to be prepared? This question is alike applicable to us all. How did Jacob overcome? Was it by might and physical force? Esau, with a formidable force, filled with murderous revenge, was on the way to destroy him. At that time, what did Jacob do? Did he set up a defense, or seek for allies? No! but alone in prayer he set about the work of enlisting Jehovah in his behalf. All night, till break of day, he plead in prayer for deliverance, and deliverance came. Esau’s heart of stone was softened by divine power, and Jacob escaped.
An enemy, more wicked, more artful, more powerful by far, than Esau, is upon the march against the people of God. His hosts are numerous and strong. He designs the overthrow of all the people of God. It is his last great effort. He knows his days draw near their close. Envy and cruelty fill his soul. He will make a mighty effort against each one who is of the remnant church of God. His masterpiece of error and delusion is ready for full development. Already the world is ensnared. He now waits with furious rage to take in his net the unwary and unwatchful of those who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. He will succeed in too many cases. God forbid, dear reader, that it should be you or I he will ensnare. How shall we escape? Will it not be by prayer that we shall overcome? True, you say, we must watch as well as pray. Truly, we must watch on every hand against this artful foe; but prayer will quicken our mental powers, and in answer to prayer we shall get the eyesalve, without which we watch in vain. How can a blind man watch? Let us wrestle in prayer for the fine gold, the white raiment, and the eyesalve, that we may be prepared for the final and close conflict just before the people of God.