PREVAILING PRAYER by Nora Evelyn Harvey

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Apr 11, 1906

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 15.

PREVAILING PRAYER.

By Nora Evelyn Harvey

It is the privilege of every Christian to prevail in prayer. It is the privilege of the Christian to know what the Lord wants him to do. It is his privilege to know what is right. Through prayer the way is made plain to us.

To obtain the assurance of the pleasure and will of God, we must pray intelligently; in other words, we must understand the attributes of God, and we must know where to address our prayers. In our minds, and by faith, we must see Him in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. We should pray submissively, being willing for God's will to be done, even tho it might cause us suffering. Under these conditions how sweet is communion with the Lord. O, the blessedness of prayer! What a privilege to talk with our God!

When we have asked the Lord to lead us, then let us believe and remember that He is leading us. We often keep the Lord from working by unbelief, after we have asked Him to lead us. Commit everything to Him, and trust Him to work out all the complications of life.

The Urim and Thummim were oracles by which the Lord spoke to His people in ancient times. When a halo of light was seen about the Urim it was an evidence that the Lord was pleased with the request, and the right way was thus made plain. The Lord's displeasure was shown by the cloud at the Thummim. It is the Christian's privilege when praying, to know if the light encircles the Urim, or if the cloud is at the Thummim. O, what a joy to be living in this experience! We may have it. Let us obtain it. There ought to be a Urim and Thummim in the experience of each one.

When the Lord grants our requests, even while we ask, what light and joy comes into our souls, and what wonderful and blessed peace follows. If to answer according to His will, it brings a cloud over our own life's experience, then we are to know that He does what is right, and good and best for us.

"Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace; thereby good shall come unto thee." Job 22:21. Nora Evelyn Harvey.