Prayer by Wm. Covert

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Feb 15, 1906

Prayer

By Wm. Covert

WM. COVERT

The church and church people who do not earnestly seek the Lord in prayer will become cold and careless about Christianity and their own salvation. The Lord, through the writings of Paul, advised that prayer be made without ceasing. Indeed, all men everywhere are admonished to pray. The same need exists everywhere to-day that was seen by the apostle when he wrote as he did. Could all our people now be enabled to see their principal need, they would arouse to the necessity of prayer.

Churches should not fail to maintain regular prayer-meetings. Every effective church has essential interests under consideration, and these interests need to be earnestly considered before the throne of God. No church should think of executing important plans until the members have unitedly considered the things together with the Lord. It should always be understood that church organization

exists for the benefit of the members belonging to the church, and also for the good they can unitedly accomplish in advancing the cause of the Lord. The church is the Lord’s organization, maintained upon the earth for the purpose of transacting the Lord’s business on the earth. The Lord communicates his will to the church through the study of his Word, and the illumination of the mind by the Holy Spirit in prayer.

This holy association of the church with God is too much neglected. It is this sad neglect that makes the church weak and ineffective in its work. The church walks in the dark because it does not pray enough to learn the mind of God, and is feeble in its work because it does not pray enough to secure the strength of God. The church-members walk and work apart from the Lord much of the time, because their prayers are not sufficiently earnest and frequent to keep them in touch with the presence of the Lord’s Spirit. They lose the Lord when they cease to pray, or while they fail to seek him.

One of the most essential things for the people of God to do now is to carefully study the Bible to learn from its teachings just what the Lord advises relative to prayer. Much more should be known about the possibilities that are wrapped up in the medium of prayer. God’s people need to know how to pray. The disciples of Christ requested that he teach them how to pray. And should not his disciples at this time renew the request? They should earnestly covet a deeper love for prayer, and should carefully watch against the neglect of prayer. They should pray more for the success of God’s cause, and pray oftener for those who are sent forth to labor in the cause. They should pray that many more may soon be sent, and pray for those who do not have a mind to go. They should pray for more earnestness, more liberality. There should be prayer for more unity, more wisdom, more devotion, and more copious showers of the Holy Spirit.

Chicago, Ill.