I HAVE thought much of late on the important duty of prayer. Jacob wrestled in prayer until the breaking of the day, [Gen. xxxii, 26,] and said, I will not let thee go except thou bless me. The answer is, Thy name shall be called Israel, for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. Elijah prays and there is no rain for three years and six months. James v, 17. Again he prayed and the heavens gave rain. At the house of Mary where the church were praying, prayer was so effectual that the angel of God comes down and the prison gates are opened and Peter goes free. Acts xii, 7. Our Saviour prays until he sweats great drops of blood and an angel comes down to strengthen him. Luke xxii, 43. He prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing remove this cup from me, nevertheless not my will, but thine be done. Here commences the shedding of his blood by which atonement will be made for all that truly repent, and here no doubt the Saviour would have died had not the angel of God come to strengthen him, and thus the cup of his sufferings did not pass until he hung upon the cross and said, It is finished.
That this is the object of our Saviour's prayer is clearly proved by Heb. v, 7, which says, Who in the days of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared. He is our example in prayer, and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, therefore he will make a way for our escape, in every trial till our work is done. Let us therefore come boldly to a throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.