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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Feb 25, 1915

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 92, No. 10.

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Prayer

By D. E. Lindsey

D. E. LINDSEY
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.” 1 Tim. 2: 1.
No other subject is so frequently brought before us in the Holy Scriptures as that of prayer. The reason is plain: prayer is the very life of experimental religion. It is an exercise that should form the basis of all duties. Conditionally, it is the procurer of all blessings, the averter of all dangers. Prayer may be either a silent address of the heart or the express utterance of the lips. It may be for oneself, for others, for the church, or for the world at large. At present, we have to do more especially with public prayer in God’s house.
Living amid the evils of the last days, we ought to be moved to most earnest supplications for the prevention of these evils where they affect our brethren or our work. Our hearts should be deeply stirred. How many, almost heartbroken over the bereavement of a loved one, or, still more distressing, over a wandering boy or a wayward girl, have asked us to pray for them. How often the cry of distress comes to us for help, and our cries go out to God for the desired relief! Blessed privilege! How blessed to believe that the Lord hears the most humble cry of faith! We may ask for special blessings, for things needed, for strength to perform some important work.
We should make intercession for others, such as Abraham made for mercy on Sodom, or as Moses made for the forgiveness of Israel’s idolatry, or as Christ made for those who placed the crown of thorns upon his brow,—“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do,”—or as Stephen made, when he prayed, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.”
We may thank God for blessings which come to the unjust as well as to the just,—for sunshine and rain, seedtime and harvest, health, prosperity, success in worthy enterprises, peace within our borders,—and even for the trials by which we are proved; for relatives, the church and all its privileges, Christian associates, the spread of the gospel, the triumphs of the cross, and the tokens of a soon-coming Saviour.

Application

Do you merely hear or do you join in the public prayer? I fear we are losing of the fervor of the primitive worshipers in this exercise. “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel forever and forever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the Lord.” 1 Chron. 16: 36. In Ps. 106: 48 we read: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting; and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord.” In 1 Cor. 14: 16: “Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen, at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?”
We cannot thus pray for all men unless we are in the possession of the spirit of benevolence. Our prayers will be unavailing unless our hearts are right before God. I pray God to cleanse our hearts from all unrighteousness, and then he will not be robbed of the praise due his holy name.