PREVAILING
PRAYER:
THE
GREAT WORK;
WE
MUST CONQUER ON OUR KNEES.
By
Eli Wigle
PRAYER EMBODIES ALL.
Prevailing
prayer implies and embodies all works, as the seed embodies the trunk, roots, branches, flowers and fruitage of the tree.
The
history of piety is the history of prayer. All piety, and successful Christian work, begin, continue and end with prayer.
From the offering of Abel's acceptable sacrifice down to the present moment, all blessings of grace have been be-stowed, in
answer to the triple intercession of the Son of God, the Holy Spirit and believing souls.
THE ANGEL AND JACOB.
The
angel said to Jacob (Gen. 32:28): "As a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." Or, as a learned
divine has translated this scripture, " As a prince hast thou power with God, and with men shalt thou also prevail." If, by
the effort of prayer, we may prevail, both with God and with men, is there anything else in life that we can do which, in
importance and power, is equal to prayer? On the day of Pentecost, the preacher and the whole Church being full of faith,
the Holy Ghost, and power, in answer to the prayer of faith, one sermon resulted in the conversion of three thousand souls.
To-day three thousand sermons, without this power in answer to prayer, would not save one sinner. The more of churches and
sermons we have, without prayer, that brings an enduement of power, the worse are we off. They are a savor of death unto death,
and as someone has said: "If there were a religion today that had the doctrines and all the ordinances of the New Testament,
and yet without the baptism of the Holy Ghost (in answer to prayer) it would not be Christianity."
INTERESTING SIGHT.
Because
of the interests pending, and the power God has placed at the disposal of him who prays, the most interesting sight in this
world is a man in the act of prayer. The angels of God look with wonder, and the Lord of angels bends from His lofty throne
and exclaims: "Behold, he prayeth!"
PRAYER SUPERIOR.
While
prevailing prayer is the condition of the efficacy of all other means of grace, it is itself the highest, simplest, most universal,
most comprehensive and most effective of them all.
I
shall not attempt a formal comparison of the importance of prevailing prayer and that of other means, to be used in saving
sinners, but simply so speak of it, as that, I fancy, its superiority as a means of grace, will appear.
PRAYER MOST ESSENTIAL.
God
has revealed the necessity of prayer and its almost unlimited power. "Ask, and it shall be given you." "All things are possible
to him that believeth." Prayer is intimately associated with man's salvation, and without it we cannot be saved. How much,
in Christian experience and Christian labor, depends on prayer! Without prayer for the power of the Holy Ghost, to attend
the truth preached, the Word will be a dead letter. ''The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” I do not wonder
that there are so many dead churches. "It is the unction that makes the preacher.'' How did Fletcher get this unction? By
praying "without ceasing;'' by pleading, wrestling, and prevailing at a throne of grace. All great soul-winners have conquered
on their knees. Without prevailing prayer the social meetings become as cold as death, and the church will dwindle and become
extinct.
PRAYER AND POWER.
There
is no lack of machinery in the Church and Sunday school. What is wanting, in so many instances, is the power of the Holy Ghost,
to energize this machinery. The Spirit of God is the Great Agent, who is the source of all vitality and power in the Church.
His life and power are given in answer to the prayer of faith, and never otherwise. How did the early Church get this power?
What could they have done without it? What did they do with it? What can we do without it— what with it? How are we
to get it? A writer says of the sainted Bramwell: "I attribute the greater portion of his success in the ministry to his diligence
in prayer."
PRAYER THE GREAT WORK.
As
we advance we see in prayer the great means for obtaining strength and wisdom for our work in the Lord's service. As we understand
this subject, we will see, more and more, that intercessory prayer (mediation for others) is the most important, and the most
real work, the Christian has to do. Prevailing prayer leads us into a holy and intimate nearness to God. It is the only way
of approach to God — the only medium of communion with Him. Prevailing with God is the secret of prevailing with men,
and must precede it. On what we transact with God, at a throne of grace, depends what we may accomplish with men. We may pray,
and sing, and preach, until we drop into our graves, but until we prevail all will go for nothing. It is one thing to pray,
and another thing to prevail in prayer.
PRAYER WINS.
Esau
was conquered while Jacob was on his knees. The lions' mouths were closed while Daniel was on his knees. Elijah prayed, “and
it rained not for the space of three years and six months.” Again he prayed, "and it came to pass, in the meanwhile,
that the heavens were black with clouds, and wind, and there was a great rain.” When the idolatrous Israelites had made
them a golden calf, and worshiped it, God determined to destroy them, and said to Moses: "I have seen this people, and behold
it is a stiff-necked people; now, let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them, and I
will make of thee a great nation." And Moses besought the Lord, his God, and said, "Lord, why doth Thy wrath wax hot against
Thy people. Turn from Thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against Thy people." "And the Lord repented of the evil which
He thought to do unto His people." But for the prayer of Moses, God would have annihilated the whole nation instead of cutting
off but three thousand of the idolators! Strange as it may seem, yet the life of a nation depended on Moses' offering the
prayer of faith!
"Oh,
wondrous power of faithful prayer!
What
tongue can tell the almighty grace?
God's
hands are bound or open are,
As
Moses or Elijah prays!
Let
Moses in the spirit groan;
And
God cries out, 'Let me alone.' ”
When
Haman sought revenge on all the Jews in all the realms of Ahasuerus, because of the insult tendered him by Mordecai the Jew;
and when it v/as decreed by the king that all the Jews should be put to death, Mordecai informed Queen Esther of the bloody
plot; and the queen bade Mordecai: ''Go gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me; and
neither eat, nor drink, three days, night or day. I also, and my maidens will fast likewise, and so will I go in, unto the
king, which is not according unto the law; and, if I perish, I perish." When the Jews had thus, for three days and three nights,
fasted and prayed, God answered and delivered them, and destroyed their enemy. I ask, what could have availed in this case
but fasting and prayer? He who prays in faith enlists Almighty God, all the armies of heaven, and every law of the universe,
in the interests of his cause.
LIFE AND SALVATION DEPEND ON PRAYER.
Strange
as it may seem, nevertheless, the lives of the multitude of the Jews, scattered throughout the vast realm of Ahasuerus, depended
on fasting and prayer. Strange as it may seem, nevertheless, the eternal salvation of the lost of this community depends,
almost infinitely more, upon the efforts of the Church at a throne of grace, than upon all other efforts combined; for it
is in answer to prevailing prayer that power is given to endue the Church and move the lost Christ-ward. Peter was released
from prison while the Church, at Jerusalem, were on their knees.
FAITH IS THE CONQUEROR.
Brethren,
I have called your attention to these Scripture statements to illustrate the truth: “This is the victory that overcometh
the world, even our faith.'' Faith is the victory! Not simply attempts to overcome the world, but actually and triumphantly
"overcometh the world!!" "Overcometh the world " because the power of faith is the omnipotence of God!
POWER OF PRAYER ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST.
It
was the power of the Holy Ghost given the Church in answer to the prayer of faith, that made the truth in Peter's sermon on
the day of Pentecost, effectual in the conviction and conversion of three thousand souls. Without this power in answer to
prayer, the multitude would have remained unmoved, except, that probably they would have become so enraged that Peter would
have lost his life. The prayer of faith brought a power that enchained the rabble and subdued the otherwise invincible. It
was the power of God that came while Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God, that made the earth to quake and sinners
tremble, and that opened the prison doors and the doors of wicked hearts. The power that did these things centuries ago, can
do the same to-day. This power is placed at our disposal, in answer to the prayer of faith.
The
Syro-Phoenician woman, whose daughter was a demoniac, cried out of her maternal heart: "Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son
of David, Lord help me!'' To which Christ responded (mark His words!); “O Woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee,
even as thou wilt! And her daughter was made whole from that very hour." The all important thing for that mother to do, was
to believe — prevail!! So, my brethren, the all important thing for us to do, is to believe — to have great faith
in God; and this comes of great praying!
FAITH THE VICTORIOUS GRACE.
"By
faith, the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days," and Paul asked: “And what shall
I say more? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barrach, and of Samson, and of Jepthae, and of David, also, and
of Samuel, and of the prophets; who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the
mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness, were made strong, waxed valiant
in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens."
PRAYER MIGHTIER THAN THE MONARCH.
The
death warrant of "bloody Mary" was signed in heaven, while John Knox was on his knees, crying: “Give me Scotland or
I die!” When that wicked ruler said: “I fear the prayers of John Knox more than I fear all the armies of Europe,”
she paid the finest tribute to the power of prayer, to be found on the page of ecclesiastical or profane history. The emperor
of Germany resolved to proclaim religious toleration throughout his realm, while Luther and some of his helpers were on their
knees; when Luther exclaimed: “Deliverance has come! Deliverance has come!"
FAITH AND WORKS.
Of
course you understand me to imply in my remarks, that ''faith without works is dead, being alone.” Nay, there can be
no true — saving faith without work. A true faith always implies all other needful effort on the part of him who prays.
OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT CONDITIONED ON THE PRAYER OF FAITH.
Without
the quickening and convicting operations of the Holy Ghost, the sinner will not — nay, cannot come to God. These operations
of the Holy Ghost, are conditioned on the faith of the Church! As the Church prevails with God for the convicting power of
the Holy Ghost upon sinners, the responsibility for the salvation of sinners, is transferred from the Church to sinners themselves.
Only when Christians have done their reasonable utmost, is the responsibility entirely transferred to sinners. Then how great
— nay alarming the responsibility of Christians! Then how important this subject of prayer!
THE SINNER NOT RELIEVED.
This
does not relieve the sinner of one iota of his responsibility, nor exclude the necessity of his prayer: “God be merciful
to me a sinner." I speak of prevailing prayer, by the Church, as a condition of the salvation of the sinner, to be met previously
to the sinner's meeting the condition of prevailing prayer for his own salvation.
RECEIVE, THEN GIVE.
As
priests, we must go into the holy of holies of God's presence by the way of prayer, and receive "all the fullness of God"
ourselves, and an answer for the salvation of others, and then return to the people with a blessing for them. Christ spent
all the night in the mountain in prayer, that the next day He might return "in the power of the Spirit," with great blessings
for the people.
PRAYER LEADS INTO WONDERFUL SECRETS.
There
is nothing that leads higher into the secrets of God's life, deeper into the secrets of God's Word, or deeper into the secrets
of our own hearts, than prevailing prayer. Nothing gives us such a view into the secrets of the amplitude and efficiency of
the Gospel of the Son of God, or reveals the amazing possibilities of faith, as prevailing prayer.
“THY KINGDOM COME.”
The
kingdom of heaven comes in answer to prayer. From childhood we have been praying: "Thy kingdom come." God sends laborers into
His vineyard in answer to prayer. "Therefore, pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth more laborers into
His vineyard."
Many
years ago, one who is now preaching the Gospel, sent a letter to his mother, informing her that he trusted he at last had
become a Christian. All through his college course he had waited; finally, while away from home teaching, he began to hope
in Christ. So he wrote to his mother, and he said, moreover, he had through the whole of his life been moved with the conviction
of conscience that his life was eventually to lead to the pulpit. He declared he could not explain how it came about, but
it was true that he never had but one thought — that some time he should become a true Christian and then should study
for the ministry. Across the Green Mountains, with one tremendous ride of sixty-six miles in one day, came that New England
mother, and in a half-hour after she reached his side she told him in the shadows of the firelight that a score of years before,
in the old village church, the devout women were fitting out a box for a missionary. She had put in one of his (her son's)
small infant garments, with a slip requesting the prayers of that man of God to go with her prayers that this child might
be a Christian, and, if God would honor her so much, might be a minister of the Gospel to dying men. That son is an elderly
man now; but he soberly declares that he owes all he is to his mother's prayers, and he hopes to keep the faith till he sees
her face once more.
POSSIBLE POWER.
How
marvelous the power the Church may wield at a throne of grace, to move the "Lord of the harvest to send forth more laborers
into His vineyard," to replenish the wastes in the ranks of the laborers, occasioned by over-toil, infirmity and death. The
church most upon her knees will have the fewest vacant pulpits. The gathering of the harvest depends on prayer. How solemn
the thought! How almost overwhelming the sense of responsibility that thrills the soul of him who understands the power of
prayer, and is in sympathy with a lost race in its paramount peril, and with him who " gave His life a ransom for all," as
he lifts his eyes
and
sees the fields already white to the harvest. No subject equals, in importance, this subject! No toil buds and blossoms, and
ripens into such a rich and abundant harvest!
THE GREAT LESSON.
The
great lessons the Church needs to learn, are, the place and power of prayer in the kingdom of God, and how to pray —
how to prevail in prayer, not only as a means of faith and holiness but as their outcome, as they lift us up and fit us for
taking part with Christ in His intercession. "It is in intercession," said Andrew Murray, "that the Church is to find and
wield her highest power. It is the root and strength of all church work." To attain the greatest possible measure of spiritual
power with God in prayer, is the highest attainment possible in this life; and implies all other graces in a marked degree.
Of all the traits of a Christ-like life, there are none higher — none so mighty for God's glory and man's good, as that
which joins us to Christ, our great High Priest, in His great work before the Father's throne. He who reaches the core of
this subject, will find himself in the very center of the spiritual life, with vistas of untold blessing and power opening
before him, because Christ himself is the center, life and power, of our prayer life.
WHAT FOLLOWED.
Dr.
Lyman Beecher said of the great revival in Rochester, New York, conducted by Mr. Finney, that it was the greatest revival
of the Christian era. During Mr. Finney's evangelistic ministry, hundreds of thousands were converted to God through his labors,
joined to those of the Church. His "Lectures on Revivals" have been most wonderfully blessed in the conversion of sinners,
directly and indirectly, not only in this country, but in foreign countries. When they were published in this country, 12,000
of them were sold as fast as they could be printed. They were reprinted in England and France. They were translated into Welsh,
French and German. One publisher in London put out 80,000 volumes of them. Great revivals followed wherever they circulated.
But why did such revivals follow Mr. Finney's preaching, and the reading of his lectures? I will let Mr. Finney answer this
question himself Said he in his autobiography: “Let the reader remember that long day of agony and prayer at sea, that
God would do something to forward the work of revivals, and enable me, if He desired to do it, to take such a course as to
help forward the work. I felt certain then, that my prayers would be answered, and I have regarded all that I have since been
able to accomplish, as in a very important sense, an answer to the prayers of that day. The spirit of prayer came upon me
as a sovereign grace, bestowed upon me without the least merit, and in despite of all my sinfulness. He pressed my soul in
prayer until I was enabled to prevail; and through infinite riches of grace in Christ Jesus, I have been many years witnessing
the wonderful results of that day of wrestling with God. In answer to that day's agony, He has continued to give me the spirit
of prayer,” Said Dr. N. Murray: "Prayer is the power of the Church, and could I speak as loud as the trumpet which is
to wake the dead, I would thus call upon the Church, in all branches and in all lands, 'Awake! Awake! put on thy strength,
O Zion. Put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem! Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen
upon thee.' Patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, reformers, were mighty in prayer.”
EXTRAORDINARY PRAYER MUST PRECEDE.
"Remarkable
outpourings of God's spirit have always been granted in answer to extraordinary prayer, and in no other way. The great revival
in Ezra's time, when he and others preached from morning until midnight to a congregation of fifty thousand people before
the water gate of Jerusalem, was preceded by that extraordinary prayer mentioned in the ninth chapter of Daniel, where he
says: 'I set my face unto the Lord my God, to seek, by prayer and supplication, with fasting, and sackcloth and ashes, etc.'
Before he had ceased, Gabriel flew swiftly and told him that God had granted his request at the beginning of his supplication.
By the same means that great revival was promoted, as we particularly learn from Ezra's own account of it. The great revival
on the day of Pentecost was preceded by a prayer meeting by the whole Church, lasting ten days." — Rev. Wm. S. Plumer,
D. D., LL. D.
Rev.
John Livingston, of Scotland, said: “I never preached but two sermons that I would care to see in writing. The one was
on the Monday after the communion at Spotts; and the other on the Monday after the communion at Holywood; and both these times
I had spent the whole night before in conference and prayer with some Christians without any more than ordinary preparation."
PRAYER AND CHARACTER.
By
prayer we receive of God's life and take on His character. We become like those with whom we have continuous and loving fellowship.
“We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." We now behold Him in the gospel glass, face to face, and are
" changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the
Spirit
of the Lord." “As He (Jesus) prayed, the fashion of His countenance was altered." So the fashion of our countenances
and characters become changed as we draw near to God in prayer.
PRAYER LINKS US TO THE THRONE.
As
we prevail with God in prayer, we supplement Christ's intercessional work. We are fellow-workers with Christ, not only in
our own work towards man, but in His work towards God; for we share with our great High Priest, not only in His life, but
in His work. A correct view of prayer reveals the truth, that our lives and our life work are linked to the throne of God,
and will crystallize as parts of the wonderfully glorious and abiding outcome of the present state and movement of things.''
PRAYER AND THE “DEATH ANGEL.”
There
is power in prayer to hold at bay the Angel of death when God may be glorified thereby.
In
February, 1861, a terrible gale raged along the coast of England. In one bay (Hartlepool) it wrecked eighty-one vessels. While
the storm was at its height the Rising Sun, a stout brig, struck on Longrear Rock, a reef extending a mile from one side of
the bay. She sank, leaving only her two top masts above the foaming waves.
The
life-boats were away, rescuing wrecked crews. The only means of saving the men clinging to the swaying masts was the rocket
apparatus. Before it could be adjusted one mast fell. Just as the rocket bearing the life-line went booming out of the mortar
the other mast toppled over.
Sadly
the rocket men began to draw in their line, when suddenly they felt that something was attached to it, and in a few minutes
hauled on to the beach the apparently lifeless body of a sailor boy. Trained and tender hands worked, and in a short time
he became conscious.
With
amazement he gazed around on the crowd of kind and sympathizing friends. He looked up into the weather-beaten face of the
old fisherman near him, and asked:
“Where am I?''
"Thou
art safe, my lad."
"Where's
the cap'n?"
"Drowned,
my lad."
"The
mate, then?”
"He's
drowned, too."
"The
crew?"
"They
are all lost, my lad; thou art the only one saved."
The
boy stood overwhelmed for a few moments; then he raised both his hands, and cried in a loud voice, "My mother's been praying
for me! my mother's been praying for me!" and then he dropped on his knees on the wet sand, and hid his sobbing face in his
hands. Hundreds heard that day this tribute to a mother's love, and to God's faithfulness in listening to a mother's prayers.
THE LINK SURCHARGED.
There
are plenty of sinners to be converted, and unless soon saved, must perish eternally. There is plenty of power to convert them.
There is no channel through which this power reaches the lost, but the Church. Who among you were saved entirely independently
of the Church? Who have you known who was so converted? Prevailing prayer is the link which connects the Church with this
Holy Ghost power. The Church is the connecting link between the Holy Ghost and unsaved men; and unless the Church, the connecting
link, becomes surcharged with Divine power, the unsaved must perish. We are commanded to tarry until we "be endued with power
from on high.”
If
we tarry and offer prevailing prayer, sinners will be saved. If we do not, as certainly as that we live, they will be damned!
What are we going to do about this matter? The responsibility is upon us, and we must meet it now or in the judgment !
IS IT POSSIBLE?
Do
you believe it possible for us to prevail with God for purity and power and the salvation of sinners? If we cannot prevail
for purity, then let us never ask for purity again. If we cannot prevail for power, then let us never ask for power again.
If we cannot prevail with God for the salvation of sinners, then let us never again ask God to save a sinner! Brethren, let
us be consistent; prevail with God or stop asking. I repeat, do you believe it is possible for us to prevail with God for
purity, power, and the salvation of sinners? In the light of God's truth; in the light of Church history, and in the light
of your own experience, you dare not say no! The next question is. When may we prevail? If we ever prevail it will be in the
present tense. This idea that we will prevail sometime never won a victory of faith. Never was a sinner saved till he narrowed
his expectation of salvation down to the present moment! Never was a believer purified till he limited his faith as to time
to the present moment! Never did a believer prevail with God for the salvation of sinners except he looked for the answer
now! Every sentence of God's Book bearing on this subject says ''now!'' Every drop of the atoning blood of Christ, shed to
redeem sinners, cries now! The infinite worth and infinite interests of every lost soul, thunder now! We will never prevail
until we resolve to prevail. Resolution is a very important factor in this matter of prayer — in the whole matter of
salvation. Christians who prevail in prayer, do so because they resolve on victory at any cost. We will never prevail until
we resolve to prevail now! The next question is will we prevail now?
"Frail art thou,
O man, as a bubble on the breaker,
Weak and governed
by externals, like a poor bird caught in the storm;
Yet thy momentary
breath can still the raging waters,
Thy hand may touch
a lever that may move the world.
O, Merciful, we
strike eternal covenant with Thee,
For man may take
for his ally, the King who ruleth kings;
How strong, yet
how most weak, in utter poverty, how rich!
What possible omnipotence,
to good, is dormant in a man!
Prayer is a creature's
strength, his very breath and being;
Prayer is the golden
key that can open the wicket of Mercy.
Prayer is the magic
sound that saith to Fate, "so be it;"
Prayer is the slender
nerve that moves the muscles of Omnipotence."
— M.
F. TUPPER.
