ENCOURAGEMENTS TO PRAYER.
1. How does God encourage Christians to pray?—By promises and by examples in which prayers have been answered. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Matt. 7:7, 8. 3. In what other place is the same promise recorded? Luke 11:9. 5. What promise does the Saviour make to his disciples? "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." John 14:13, 14. 6. What does David say concerning his own experience? "I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill." Ps. 3:4. 7. How does he express his confidence in the promises of God? "The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer." Ps. 6:9. 8. What strong assurance does he manifest? "But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer." Ps. 66:19. 9. What does the Saviour say in addressing his Father? "And I knew that thou hearest me always; but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me." John 11:42. 10. How may it be shown that David was523heard in personal matters as well as in the affairs of State? "I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God; many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord." Ps. 40:1-3; also Ps. 34:4. 11. How do you show that God will hear the prayers of those in the humblest walks of life, as well as the prayers of kings and princes? "This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles." Ps. 34:6. 12. What other encouragement is given to the humble and the oppressed? "Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble; thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear." Ps. 10:17. 13. What promise is made to the destitute? "He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer." Ps. 102:17. 14. What strong assurance is given to those who are in trouble? "And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." Ps. 50:15. 15. What encouragement is given to those who lack wisdom? "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5. 16. To what extent may this promise be fulfilled? "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." Jer. 33:3. 17. To whom is salvation promised? "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Rom. 10:13. 18. What must be implied in a prayer that secures salvation?—Such depth of sincerity as would lead to repentance, faith, and obedience. 19. What promise is made to those who unite in social prayer? "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." Matt. 18:19. 20. What must be observed in order to secure this promise? "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us; and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." 1 John 5:14, 15. 21. When a people shall be generous to the poor, kind to the afflicted, and merciful to the oppressed, what assurance have they from God?—"Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am." Isa. 58:9. 22. What will be said to those who shall be refined as silver is refined, and tried as gold is tried? "And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried; they shall call on my name, and I will hear them; I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, The Lord is my God." Zech. 13:9. 23. Unto whom must all flesh come? "O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come." Ps. 65:2. 24. How will they be received? "The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him." Lam. 3:25. 25. What does the prophet say to those who have repented of their sins, and turned to the Lord?—"He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee." Isa. 30:19. 26. Give some examples in which prayers have been answered.