Shall We Drop the Prayer-Meeting?
By F. W. Morse
It is easy to let busy times crowd out all forms and semblance of God's worship. This is especially so in regard to attending the prayer-meeting. Many date a lukewarm, indifferent attitude in their religious experience to the time when they dropped the prayer-meeting. Taking this result alone it is strong evidence that the prayer-meeting is one of the essentials to a deep, happy Christian experience. The prayer-meeting is a place where God and His children meet for sweet communion. It is a trysted hour which none can truly appreciate and enjoy, but those who have fellowship with God. Not but that God desires to meet with them, but they fail in the appointment. Many persons grow weary of praising God for His goodness and loving-kindness to them; that is, of speaking of it in meeting. But those who have had an experience like David's, who was "a man after God's own heart," will say with him, "I will declare Thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee." Ps. 22:22; also Ps. 111:1. Those living creatures round about the throne of God in heaven do not weary in ascribing praise to their Creator; for "they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty." Salvation's story should never grow old to us, but instead our heartfelt praise and gratitude should increase as we see more and more the evidences of our Creator's glory and His love for sinful beings, and as the infinite love of our Redeemer is revealed in greater measure. When it is possible for those who claim the salvation which Christ has purchased for them at such infinite cost, to assemble for mid-week prayer and praise, and yet they remain away and prefer to discontinue the prayer-meeting, the condition, to say the least, is a deplorable one. Refusing to worship God is virtually refusing to have God in the life, and the individual is left to his own choice — a godless life. His indifferent and hardened heart lures him on until the doom of eternity is fixed; and to his sad, wailing call in the judgment of "Lord, Lord," the rejected Saviour can only say, "Depart, . . . I never knew you." Brethren in Christ, do not drop the prayer-meeting.