15.-The Prayers Of Scripture.
In reading through the results of the work of the Bible Students' Class given last month, we feel that we are face to face with a subject full of practical teaching and profit to our souls. Prayer is one of the two great links of communication between the creature and the Creator, the saint and the Savior, the child and his Father. No Christian can live without it. As to its scope we would even go further than the note prefixed to the subject, which would make "prayer" include "all that passes between our hearts and God that is not included in the word praise," for one half at least of what is called prayer, and we think rightly so, consists of worship, thanks and praise to God for what He has done for and is to us. In short, it would appear that so wide is the meaning of this word, that any address from man to God by word of mouth (otherwise than in song) is called prayer.
As has often been pointed out, in prayer, considered for the moment as an expression of need or as a request made, there are three orders which we may distinguish in Scripture. The first, and what we may call the lowest, order is the cry of distress or need to God, as in Luke xviii. -8, in the parable of the unjust judge. We are at liberty to unburden our hearts to God of whatever oppresses them day and night. We do not in this case wait for faith before we ask.
The second order we find in Phil. 4:6,76Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6‑7). Here we not only unburden our hearts, but our requests are made known unto God. It is one thing to utter a cry, another to be quite sure that God has both heard and understood it, the immediate result of which is, that the peace of God, which passes all understanding, replaces the care or trouble and garrisons (keeps) our hearts and minds; and this too before ever our prayer is answered. It is important to remark here, that this blessed peace is not the result of having received the answer to our requests, but of their being made known unto God. It is indeed a wonderful thing in prayer to have the deep consciousness in my heart that God has heard me. Many things may hinder this. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me (Psa. 66:1818If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: (Psalm 66:18)).
But there is an order of prayer even beyond this. In the first order, the point is the importunity, the free liberty to cry to God day and night. In the second, the point is that the moment I know that my request is made known to God I get His peace replacing my care or need. The third is, that if I ask in faith I know that my prayer will be answered (Mark 11:2424Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (Mark 11:24)). This is necessarily connected with my condition of soul as abiding practically in communion with Christ, so that I ask nothing contrary to His will (John 15:77If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (John 15:7)). In this order of prayer it is not merely said that our requests are made known unto God, but, that " if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us" (in the sense of " favorably hears" us,) the result being that if we know that He hears us (quite different from the hearing or being made known of Philippians, which by no means implies the granting of the request) we know that we have the petition we desired of Him" (1 John 5:14,1514And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15And 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).) Since however this paper is intended not merely as a slight help to the general subject of prayer, but more especially as a short review of last month's subject we must not say more on these three varieties.
We feel that it is very encouraging to see what description of prayers have been answered in Scripture. We find that prayer has been answered for the following subjects amongst others:for the sparing of a town from God's just judgments, for restoration of friends to health, for special guidance and wisdom on a journey, for children, for the removal of God's judgment on a wicked land, for an increased knowledge of God, for removal of sickness, even when it is directly inflicted by God, for rain and for absence of rain, for temporal needs, for temporal deliverance when in danger, for understanding and wisdom, for God's presence and blessing, for God's people when going astray, for deliverance from any distress or danger, for the guidance of the Holy Ghost, for boldness in preaching, for forgiveness of our enemies.
Surely there is not one who reads these lines, but can cry to God for some at least of the above subjects, and the gracious way in which such prayers have been answered may surely encourage us in crying to the same loving God.
We can only notice one point more, leaving for want of space the greater part of our subject still untouched. We think that the way in which Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple was answered is most encouraging, showing us how long after the voice of the one who prays is silent in the grave, his prayers may yet bring down blessings from above. Little did the many who benefitted in receiving the answer of that wonderful prayer think of their indebtedness to the one who offered it, and little do we think how dependent we are, not only on the prayers of those we know and love, but on many of whom we have never heard. An instance of this which occurred two months ago, and to the writer's own knowledge may serve as an illustration. A servant of the Lord in Ireland, knowing that a fellow-servant in England was in want of money sent a certain sum, and, having no more, prayed earnestly to God, unknown to any, for the sum of £20 to be sent to the one in England who needed it. These prayers were heard. A friend utterly ignorant of the need or of the prayer felt constrained to forward a Bank note for £20 to the laborer in England. He, being ignorant of the prayer thus answered, had much hesitation at first in accepting it, but the circumstance being accidently named the to praying servant in Ireland, the whole story came out, affording a remarkable instance of the way in which our blessings are often answers to the unknown prayers of others. Perhaps seeing how briefly we have considered this subject, some of our friends may take it up further for the profit of our readers.