The Prayer-Meeting by Dwight Lyman Moody

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 12, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 11.

The Prayer-Meeting.

By Dwight Lyman Moody

LET the prayers be short. If, when Peter found himself sinking in the waves of Galilee, he had insisted on putting before his petition, "Lord, save me," the regular prayer-meeting roundabout introduction, he would have been forty feet under water before he could have asked of the Lord the help he needed. By the time a man has been praying five minutes or more, most of the people who listen will be praying too—praying for him to stop. One-half the prayer-meetings suffer seriously from this evil of too-long-windedness. Christ set us no such example, for the prayer he taught takes much less than one minute for its repetition. It becomes, after a time, the duty of pastor or prayer-meeting leader to remonstrate gently with those who may offend by occupying too much of the prayer-meeting's time. Those who have the right Christian spirit will take the hint without offense, and those who have not the right Christian spirit may as well be offended, and cease public praying, for thereby they would show that they possessed not the frame of mind suitable to lead others in prayer.

Seek variety in prayer-meeting methods. If times look dark for Christ's cause, have a praise-meeting. You will be surprised at the number of blessings you can still praise God for, and such expression of gratitude will frequently lead the way to greater occasions for thankfulness. Then have a promise-meeting at intervals. Ask A to bring to the next meeting a promise from Genesis, and B one from Exodus, and so on through the audience and the Bible. Every book in the Bible will be found to contain at least one precious promise, and by bringing them together thus you will win fresh inspiration for your future work.—Moody.