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GEO. O. STATES

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 28, 1911

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 88, No. 39.

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GEO. O. STATES

By GEO. O. STATES

Prayer

GEO. O. STATES

Before the fall, man was permitted to commune face to face with his Maker. Now we are to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Prayer is a Christian duty. “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” This shows we should never engage in anything without making it a subject of prayer.
The Bible tells us to whom we are to pray. “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Christ is our mediator. “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.” Christ is also our example. After the labors of the day he would repair to the Mount of Olives and spend whole nights in earnest prayer for his people. “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared.”
Obedience is the condition upon which we can be assured of having our prayers answered. “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” Saul’s experience is a valuable lesson on obedience. His excuse for disobedience was, “I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.” If we hold to sin, the Lord will not hear our prayer. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” If we come to the Lord in prayer and remember that our “brother hath aught against” us, we are instructed to leave there our gift before the altar, and go our way. In such a case our Saviour says: “First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”
“In the prayer that Christ taught his disciples was the request, Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. We can not repeat this prayer from the heart, and dare to be unforgiving; for we ask the Lord to forgive our trespasses against him in the same manner that we forgive those who trespass against us. But few realize the import of this prayer. If those who are unforgiving did comprehend the depth of its meaning, they would not dare to repeat it, and ask God to deal with them as they deal with their fellow mortals. And yet this spirit of hardness and lack of forgiveness exists, even among brethren, to a fearful extent.”—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. III, page 95.
We are to abide in Christ. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” In our experience God always knows what is for our good. “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Paul felt that if his infirmity could be removed, he could do much better work in the cause of God. That was the central thought with him. The Lord could see that he needed the thorn in the flesh to do effective work, and instead of removing it, gave him grace to bear it.
Cedaredge, Colo.