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The Prayer and Social Meeting

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 23, 1911

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 88, No. 47.

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The Prayer and Social Meeting

By Clarence Santee

CLARENCE SANTEE
It is impossible to have too much confidence in the power of earnest, heartfelt prayer. The most remarkable instances of the revealing of the power and nearness of God have been associated with the time of prayer.
Peter and John went up into the temple to attend the regular prayer service, and the lame man was healed. Acts 3:1-8. While Christ was praying, the transfiguration took place, and Moses and Elijah appeared. Luke 9:28-30. “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.” Acts 4:31. “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken.” Acts 16:25, 26. The prison doors were opened, and all bands were loosed. There is a lesson in this, that all the bands of sin can be loosed through prayer.
While Daniel prayed, the angel laid his hand upon him. After Christ was baptized, he kneeled upon the bank of the river and prayed. While praying, the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove descended upon him. Luke 3:21, 22. This was the anointing for his life-work. Acts 10:38. Of that wonderful prayer it is said, “Never before had angels listened to such a prayer as Christ offered at his baptism.”—Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. II, pages 60, 61. Prayer does not always bring deliverance; instead, it often brings grace to bear affliction. 2 Cor. 12:8, 9, is an instance of this.
In the garden Christ prayed with an earnestness that brought drops of blood from the pores of his skin. The cup was not removed, but an angel from heaven brought the strength to drink the cup.
The Lord has given us the privilege of prayer; and we should remember that when we join in the prayer service, we are in a special sense near to the power of God and heavenly beings. This being so, we should choose our words with great care. The Spirit says, “God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.” Eccl. 5:2.
I find another caution in “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. IV, pages 70, 71: “Those who are most superficial generally have the most to say. Their prayers are long and mechanical. They weary the angels and the people who listen to them. Our prayers should be short and right to the point.”
“When in the house of God, we should pray for a present blessing, and should expect God to hear and answer our prayers.”—Id., Vol. I, page 146.
“If all moved as they should, no precious time would run to waste, and no reproofs would be needed for long prayers and exhortations; all the time would be occupied by short, pointed testimonies and prayers. Ask, believe, and receive.”—Early Writings, Supplement, page 29.

The Social Service

Following the prayer service, we usually have a social service in which all can speak of the goodness of God, and their present blessings. We believe that a mistake is often made in the social meeting by many, in thinking that they must have a short lesson to add to the one given by the leader. Usually that given by the leader has been sufficiently long, and at times partakes of the nature of a sermon, which is not best for the meeting save in exceptional cases. One may give a short or a long talk in which are good thoughts and Bible truths, but the present experience of the individual is entirely, or in great measure, left out. Why? Is there no present Christian experience that could be given in the place of that subject chosen for a theme? Are there no blessings remembered that call for gratitude and acknowledgment? If there are, their recital will use all the time that should be used by one. Even then the recital should bring up only present blessings as sources of encouragement, and not old experiences carried in the memory from other days. Those are stored in our memories by the Lord, for our own encouragement, while the present experience is the one which gives courage to others. There are times when this may be varied, but I am speaking of the usual social meeting. I am persuaded that where there is a present experience of Christian growth, it will be the most encouraging topic for every listener.
A student once said to me, “If I could only think of something interesting to say like ——, I would be willing to speak; but all I can say is my own experience, and no one would care to hear that.” I told him that his experience would be more interesting to others than all the truths he might put together in a talk, with that experience left out.
As long as members give short testimonies of present experiences, whether of defeat or victories, longing to glorify God, all will be awake; but when two or three follow each other with a burden to teach others the way, a long step has been taken toward killing the spiritual power of the meeting. “That reminds me” is an old saying, and many a testimony is given upon some thought suggested by some other person, and with no reference to a present experience or an individual need. This is wearisome to men, and can not be less so to angels.
The idea that a social meeting is intended for an instruction meeting, is a grave mistake. This part of the meeting is preeminently one for thanksgiving. It was so represented in ancient times among the offerings of the Lord. With this thought retained, the necessity for cautions in regard to long testimonies, which so often crowd out others that would be given, will not exist.
How precious the service when each one present quickly acts a part, using the least time possible in which to tell of the present courage, hope, and joy, or, sometimes, it may be of clouds, then yielding the time to others, lest having used more than a just portion, others might be excluded from a part in the blessing.
Persons who are of mature years, or who are becoming aged, may sometimes enjoy a long argument based upon some portion of Scripture, in the place of the short, direct testimony of present blessings, but the younger portion of the congregation is not fed, and the meeting has not accomplished that which the Lord intended; and even with the older ones, there may be a fostering of a spirit that does not need cultivation as much as does the spirit of warm, tender, present helpfulness and labor.
Loma Linda, Cal.