MEDITATION AND PRAYER by Emma L. Runck

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 15, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 42.

MEDITATION AND PRAYER.

By Emma L. Runck

To MEDITATE upon a thing is to fix the mind upon it, to consider it thoughtfully, to think with a view to planning or acting.

Prayer is the offering of reverent petitions, specifically to God; it is to make request earnestly or repeatedly, to implore.

Meditation on heavenly things turns our thoughts Godward, and leads us to pray for those things we most desire or need. God speaks to us by His Holy Spirit through His Word, and we speak to God by prayer. Sometimes we forget to meditate on heavenly things, and neglect communion with God. Then God, in His mercy, permits things to come upon us that will lead us to stop and reflect, that we may see how helpless we are without God, and that our minds may be drawn back to Him.

It is sometimes for our best good that we are brought into such circumstances that no human help can aid us. If we should have all smooth sailing while rebelling against God, perhaps we never would turn our faces toward Him. But God never permits trouble to come to us without first sending us some truth that would have saved us, had we only accepted it. It is only through disobeying the voice of God that we fall under the power of the enemy. Satan can not exercise his power over us until we have disobeyed God and forfeited His power. But failure here always results in loss.

There was once a man who refused to heed the voice of God, and he was swallowed by a great fish, but miraculously kept alive. He was in a strange, dark, horrible place, and he says of it, “Out of the belly of hell cried I.” But was his cry of any use?—Yes; we read: “Thou heardest my voice. . . . My prayer came in unto Thee, into Thine holy temple.” Wherever we may be, under whatever circumstances, in whatever trial we may be involved, if we will call on the Lord, He will come to our rescue, as He rescued Jonah when he called.

When, drawn away by our own lusts, pride, and selfishness, we are tempted to do wrong, we may still know: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” The Saviour has told us how we may be delivered when our “adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” It is by watching and prayer that we are to be delivered from his snares. We are to “pray without ceasing.” Not that we should be constantly bowed in prayer; but after communion with the Father, the mind should be kept in a prayerful mood, even when walking by the way, or engaged in the duties of life.

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” For “the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” “The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.” And through the prophet the Lord says: “To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word.”

The petition of one earnest child of God can shake Satan’s kingdom to the foundation. Through one humble servant the Lord can defeat the whole host of the enemy, while a multitude of half-hearted, careless servants will only strengthen the foe. So it was not without reason that Mary of Scotland declared that she feared the prayers of John Knox more than an army of ten thousand men.

Prayer is by no means a mere talisman through which we substitute our will for the will of God; but it is more truly that communion with God through which our will becomes at last merged into His will.

Then we shall say with David: “My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips; when I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches.” “Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice.” “I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live,” and “my meditation of Him shall be sweet.”

Alma, Neb. EMMA L. RUNCK.