PREPARATION FOR THE PRAYER-MEETING.
THE nature of the prayer-meeting, as a gathering of God's children around "the throne of grace," with its purpose—that they "may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need"—is understood; the necessity of preparation is admitted. What is this preparation to be? 1. That of a course of life in harmony with God's requirements. "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? . . . What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" To do each of these three things. Do not think you can walk humbly with God, yet not do justly and love mercy. God will have no such company. You cannot come from acts of injustice or from coldness of feeling toward your fellow-men during the day, and get a blessing in the prayer-meeting in the evening. You must be just in all things. You must "love mercy" out of the prayer-meeting to "obtain mercy" in it. You must also live in the spirit of loving intercourse with God. So that the preparation begins far back of the meeting. It is not subject to a summary call of will fifteen minutes before the appointed hour. 2. During the day make the meeting your aim. Think of yourself as on a journey, and of the meeting as your destination. In the early morning read the Scripture, and note the subject for the meeting. Let the subject be recalled through the day; your thought glancing toward and resting upon it, as your work may permit. Send up silent prayers for an evening blessing. In this wise bring yourself into the tone and spirit of the meeting, so that when it comes it shall be but as the climax to the whole day's tendency. 3. Go to the meeting in faith, fully expecting that the object of the meeting will be fulfilled to you. "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace," in reverent, humble confidence, assured that our coming shall be no doubtful experiment, but rich and satisfying in its results of good to our souls. "Good prayers never come weeping home;" says an old English divine: "I am sure I shall receive either what I ask, or what I should ask." One element of a good prayer is hopefulness of answer. 4. Go with the purpose fully formed not simply "to be ministered unto but to minister," in the meeting. Go with your mind made up to take some part, so to give while you seek to "obtain." It is to the open soul, prompt and cheerful to contribute in such ways as may be possible to the spiritual good of others, that spiritual good is given.—Golden Rule.