005. UNION IN PRAYER FOE THE UNCONVERTED.
CHAPTER IV.
UNION IN PRAYER FOE THE UNCONVERTED.
IT may seem presumptuous to pray for others when we so greatly need the prayers of others for ourselves. This must not keep us from praying for them. Prayer on their behalf is a solemn duty, with which our Blessed Lord has entrusted us. Kather will it be well for us to think of our selves as those who in a time of pestilence, though sick themselves, have to tend others who are sick. It is a false humility which would make us think we could not pray, or that, at any rate, we should not pray for others. We must advance in the power of prayer by the practice of prayer, and we must pray one for another, “ that all may be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4.) Since Christ calls us to the work of prayer in union with Himself, we must each one of us take up the solemnresolution of Samuel the prophet, when he said to the people, “ God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you!” (1 Samuel 12:23.)
It was under a deep sense of this obligation that some few joined together to form and Association for Prayer on behalf of the Unconverted; “that is, for all who neglect God?"
Well, then, we are to spend a quarter oy an hour daily in prayer for the unconverted. This must, first of all, remind us how far our own conversion is from being complete. Unless we set out with this acknowledgment our prayer will not be acceptable to God. It is as sinners, trusting with penitent faith in Christ, and seeking to be conformed to Him, that we must pray for others to be brought from their sins into conformity with the life of Christ.
Secondly, in prayer for the unconverted we must remember that they have been called into the grace of Christ, although they have neglected it, resisted it — it maybe, well-nigh quenched it. This must make us watchful for ourselves, and remind us how insecure our ownposition is. “ Consider thy self, lest thou also be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1.) We must be careful, lest in our anxiety for others, we fall back ourselves through negligence. We must feel our need of increased conversion of the heart to God, and our danger of falling away from that grace which we have already received.
How many are included in our prayer, if we pray for the unconverted! How many hear God’s call without ever attending to it! We pray for all of these. Each person should endeavour to bring the matter as practically before himself as possible. This may be done, either by looking to society at lerge or specially interceding for those whose dangers we personally know the best. For in stance: We may take the various large cities of the world, and let the eye of the mind traverse the various districts of each, and so we may pray for persons of every class throughout those cities who are living in forgetfulness of God, in ignorance or inadequate sense of their own nothingness.
Or, again, in whatever sort of neighbourhood we may be living, we may take the several classes which people it; some tempted by riches to for get God; others, by poverty, held back from loving Him; some, with temptations of the intellect, weaning them from Divine truth, and settling down in unbelief; others with temptations of the passions and of the appetites, making little or no effort to abstain from bodily sin.
Or, again, we may take individuals whom we know to be addicted to anything definitely sinful, or wanting in some plain and necessary virtue. Those who are most dear to us will naturally be the chief object of our prayers. So S. Paul prayed for his kinsmen according to the flesh. If individuals in every family, knowing some habitual sin in those near to them, were to pray for the conversion of their near relations guilty of those sins, negligences, or ignorances, how many souls would be saved to God!
Again, in steamboats, railways, omnibuses, public meetings, and in the streets as we walk through them, we are often brought accidentally into contact with multitudes, whom we must know to be needing conversion to God. What an atmosphere of blessing we might carry about with us, if at such times, and in such places, we were to be praying for the conversion of those round about us, and remembering the work we have promised to undertake in joining the union which has to pray for the unconverted.
People would not find waiting times so tedious as they do, if they would take up heartily with the work of this Association, which can be done in any place and at any time. The more people accustom themselves to pray for others the better they will do it. God does not need many words from us. S. Paul is wellnigh satisfied with enumerating the names of persons when he sends his salutations. So we may well be satisfied with bare enumerations of classes or individuals when we speak to God, and say for them and for ourselves, “ Lord, have mercy upon us.”
Add to this as much as possible the minor but most necessary efforts of ejaculatory prayer.
If you are really anxious for God’s glory in the conversion to Him of souls which are now doing despite to His grace, you will certainly lift your own heart up to Him without ceasing.
One word more to those who join this Asso ciation. If prayer is real, it will not be empty.
If it is real, so as to move God, it will move your self. Love will lead you on to do something for those who are the objects of your prayer. If you have not opportunity of doing something for those individuals, yet you will try and do some thing which may help the unconverted to seek the means of grace. If you do not know how to Bet about the work now, you will think till you do know how to set about it. “ Where there is a will there is a way.” Your hand will help in some good work for them. While you pray to God for them, seek, by some act of self-denial, to bring the means of grace more within their reach, and more within their knowledge; and take heed that your own life is ordered by such a careful solicitude for God’s glory, that the imperfection of your own conversion may not be a stumbling-block to those who are wandering out of the way. If you would speak to God, you must live with God. If you would pray for men, you must live for God. You will succeed in drawing others away from self in proportion as you have sacrificed self in the love of Christ.
You will succeed in becoming dead to the thought of self in proportion as you are earnest in the desire to bring others to the love of Christ. The blessing of prayer consists in the very fact of the soul being brought under the gracious in fluences belonging to a close communion with God. The blessedness of such communion, its present blessedness and its permanent result, is the same, whether we pray for others or for our selves. But then we shall probably realize the Divine power more fully, and so we shall hold better communion with God, if we have definite objects of prayer external to ourselves, than if we merely spend our time in aspirations after a holy life. We must avoid selfishness, even in praying for ourselves. There may be a mere dreamy desire of our own good without effort at improvement. Nothing will benefit ourselves or correct selfishness more than an earnest habit of intercession for the spiritur 1 frdvancement of others. What you realize as desirable for others you will desire for yourself. If you ask God to help others to attain it, He will help you. If you have any definite purpose which brings you really into communion with God, you will find His power gradually drawing your whole self more perfectly under His influence, so that all your energies will be sanctified, quickened, strengthened, controlled, illuminated, and made to triumph by Him. The more you pray that others may be better, the more you will work by the help of God’s grace, to make yourself better. Prayers without a purpose may leave us unchanged, but if we have a real purpose in our prayers we shall get a real purpose in our lives.