It’s No Use | AdventAI

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · May 31, 1877

“It’s No Use.”

“I PRAYED for a man,” said Elder Pike, “fourteen days and fourteen nights in succession, as well as I knew how, but he found no peace.” “I hope you will keep on praying for me,” he said. “No,” I replied “I shall never pray for you again under present circumstances.” The man went home much depressed and told his wife of his trouble, and that Mr. Pike had refused to pray for him any more. He groaned and sighed for awhile, until at length he said:—

“Wife, it’s no use, I must go and carry that money back.”

“What is it?” she asked.

“I made a trade the other day,” said he, “I suppose it was legal, but I must go and carry that money back.”

Back he went with the money at eleven o’clock at night, woke the man up and paid it over to him, and returned home shouting, “Glory, hallelujah!”

There was one thing commendable about this man’s praying, and that was his sincere desire to be saved; but he might have prayed fourteen days, or fourteen years, and found no peace until he was ready to right the wrongs which he had done. Perhaps some others who have prayed and prayed for days and weeks and find no peace yet, might gain light on the path of duty and the way of blessing, by pondering on the example of this man. It is of no use to pray unless we are also willing to obey. “If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.”