Man is the only earth-born creature capable of intelligent communication with Deity, and this communication is a two-way process. God speaks to man, and man speaks to God. The former is by Divine Revelation, and the latter is by prayer. In the Word of God much is said respecting this subject, and the sum of that which is there said constitutes the interest, estimate and will of God as touching man's speaking to Him. Certainly no one can be indifferent toward what God says about this and at the same time repose any confidence in the utility and efficacy of prayer. Except as one-who speaks to God is measurably informed of God's disposition toward such an address to Him, there can be no sensible engagement in addressing God. Faith in both God's ability to hear, and His favorable disposition toward the petitioner, and the content of the petition, must lie back of and be the impelling power moving one to thus appeal to the almighty. Since, however, faith comes by the word of God any intelligent and purposeful approach to the throne of Divine Grace must be prompted and regulated by an enlightened heart. On a certain occasion, when Jesus had ceased praying, one of his disciples said to him: "Lord teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." (Luke 11:1.) This reflected an awareness by this disciple that prayer is an intelligent exercise, and therefore required instruction from a capable source as to how it should be performed. We all need to become acutely sensible of this truth.

Furthermore, this request voiced a sensed need of prayer, and the compliance of Jesus suggests his corresponding appraisal of the matter in both of these particulars. It is feared that many of us are ordinarily insensible of the need of prayer, and, consequently, indifferent of its true character and province. The recent decision of the Supreme Court on the issue of prayer in the public schools has evoked widespread comment, mostly adverse in its nature. But with the outburst of criticism it is wondered if those who have been so aroused over the matter have any real and solid appreciation of the scriptural significance of prayer in the life of dependent man. The very act of petition implies a dependency of the petitioner on the petitioned as respects the thing or things requested. We come into this world wholly dependent creatures. The first employment of speech by the infant is devoted to the petitioning of parents, and even the crying of the speechless babies is most often recognized as a petitioning directed to the mother for food, or some maternal attention. So often, too, does the mother know the needs of the little one before any voiced desire is made. Even so does the Father in heaven know what we have need of before we ask him, but such doesn't militate at all against the utility of prayer: rather is this a revealed truth as designed to discourage verbosity. (Matt. 6: 8.)

The disposition of the Father in heaven to hear and grant the petitions of his children is affirmed by Jesus in the following statement: "Ask and it shall be given you; seek. and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matt. 7:7-11.) Every good and perfect gift comes from God who is essentially and consummately good; therefore, there is nothing but good which proceeds from him. Being perfectly good, that which He bestows is both good and perfect as touching the design of the act of giving as wrought by Him. Infinite wisdom enables him to know, and infinite power enables him to bestow that which is both good and perfectly good for those thus blessed. His supreme benevolence impels him to thus employ this wisdom and power to such an end. Faith not only in the being of God, but faith in his rewarding those who diligently seek him are both vital as primary provisions to being pleasing to him. (Heb. 11:6.)

In response to the request by his disciple, as above noted, Jesus taught his disciples "after this manner pray ye." Embodied in this sample prayer is the request for material blessings. "Give us this day our daily bread." This speaks volumes, and particularly should it be noted that we are dependent on God for our bread, even though we are to work for it. Hence, that which even though it be suspended on our own efforts is, nevertheless, dependent on Jehovah for its reception by us. Corresponding thereto is the principle of duality in our salvation -- God's grace and man's obedience. No one thinks for a moment that the fact we are to earn our bread by the sweat of our face nullifies our dependence on God for the sunshine and rainfall, which provides fruitful seasons from heaven in supplying this bread. Some, however, apparently live in such a way as to reflect an unmindfulness of this truth. Also, the fact he taught us to pray for our daily bread forbids an undue concern for long-termed provisions. Having food and raiment we are to be therewith content -- a most difficult lesson to learn. The fool who produced so bountifully as to plan the storing up a sufficiency for life found that his life was of brief duration beyond this resolution. Most of us live, labor and plan as though we expected, to always live here, and that we can so plan and execute this extended purpose without God's assistance and approval. He is not a party to such contemplations and designs, and it may well be supposed that we should not try and make him one.

The needs of man are dual, since he possesses a dual nature. We have material needs as related to our physical life, and spiritual needs as related to our spiritual life. God supplies both, and it is prudent that we maintain a clear distinction as touching these distinguishable needs. I have been told that prayer is a spiritual blessing, and that since all spiritual blessings are in Christ, none but Christians can pray to God, by one in his contention that only children of God will be heard by God. The primary fallacy of this reasoning is the assumption that prayer is a blessing. Prayer is not a blessing, but a means of securing blessings. God is the Saviour of all men and especially the Saviour of those that believe. (I Tim. 4:10.) The distinction here is between the all and the specially and the context establishes the universal Saviorhood of God relates to the physical, whereas the special, being conditioned on faith, relates to the spiritual. I know of no principle revealed which excludes a just and proper reliance on God for the blessings of this physical life from any member of our race, since he sends these blessings impartially on the good and evil, the just and the unjust. (Matt. 5:45.) The heathens were told by Paul and Barnabas that "in the generations gone by (God) suffered all the nations to walk in their own not himself without good and gave you fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness." (Acts 14:16-17.) The providential workings of God in nature bears testimony of His being and goodness, as thus affirmed in this statement. This being true there is the righteous requirement that all acknowledge this source of material benefactions, and thus entreat him for these blessings, and, correspondingly, gratefully express thankfulness for them as received and enjoyed.

Spiritual blessings are those, which are identified as serving the best interest of the spirit of man, and bears directly on one's relation to God as His children. Therefore by the very nature and design of these blessings they are Restricted touching their accessibility to those in Christ. In Christ we have access to His Grace, wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Every petition, therefore, for a spiritual blessing must find its answer within the gracious provisions of the gospel of Christ. While one out of Christ might ask for Divine assistance looking to spiritual blessings, yet the realization of such can never be attained and secured, and thus enjoyed, out of Christ. There have been those out of Christ whose prayers were heard. Cornelius being one (Acts l0: 31), but in bringing about the fulfillment of that desired there was the hearing, believing, and being baptized as prerequisites to its attainment. Paralleling this, in the material realm, there is the petition for food and raiment, and the proper compliance with the conditions by which these are procured. The blessings God bestows on man, material or spiritual, are conditionally extended, and this fact doesn't nullify the acceptability of prayer or impeach its utility in respect thereto.

The key passage on prayer is the expressed confidence voiced by John when he says: "And this is the confidence we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will he heareth us." (l Jno. 5:14.) In harmony with this, the intercessory work of the Holy

Spirit is conditioned according to the will of God. (Rom. 8: 2 7.) Surely God is not averse to responding to the pleadings of any anxious soul when such entreaties conform to His will, whereas it is inconceivable that he would be receptive toward any such appeals as are contrary thereto. God's will toward us involves not only what we do but the motivations back of our desires and actions. James tells us that "Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." (Jas. 4:3.) To seek for that which otherwise would be legitimate request, when moved by wrong motives, is to render such a request unacceptable to God. On the other hand, the best of motives does not transmute an unlawful request into a lawful one. The answer of prayers does not entail the suspension, circumvention or contravention of law, either natural or spiritual.

True, in some recorded conversions there are instances of the miraculous in the circumstantials, but in no instance, was there such as bearing on what the one saved did in order to be saved. Paul's prayer for Israel was that they be saved, but he also recognized that the gospel was God's power to save those that believed, both Jew and Gentile. Hence, though he prayed for their salvation, he voiced no expectation they would be saved short of their faith and obedience to the truth. Jesus prayed that those who crucified him be forgive,. but they were not saved except as they, on believing, repented and were baptized. (Acts 2:38.)

The character of those who entreat the favor of God must be consistent with their professed reliance and faith in God. To pursue a course of life in violation of the will of God, and while persisting in it, makes null and void the prayers of such ones. Instructions to husbands and wives, in their just, and proper relation to each other embodies the incentive "that your prayers be not hindered." (I Peter 3:7.) True, indeed, is prayer adequate for the needs of those who sin, but only as it is accompanied by repentance as a necessary antecedent. The demand that Simon "repent of this thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of shine heart be forgiven thee" clearly establishes this as true. Too, it further reveals that sin may consist of thoughts as distinguished from overt acts. Repentance essentially involves the expectation and requirement of a change I course of behavior. Herein lies the fearful fact that many prayers we offer are impotent: we ask forgiveness with no determination to cease the practice of that for which we are seeking forgiveness. Therefore as long as one persists in the practice of a sin his prayers are unavailing in securing its forgiveness.

As thus noted this involves not only deeds of omitted duties and committed offences, but of thoughts, which are evil. We are to bring into captivity every thought to the "obedience of Christ." (2 Cor. 10:5.) This must mean that the thoughts, intentions, ideals and purposes of one's life must all be subordinated and rendered subservient to the supreme will of the Lord. Hence, the entertaining of an attitude of mind toward the absolute sovereignty of Christ as depreciative of it will make of one's prayers a hollow mockery. When men of perverse minds and unholy ambitions seize, and control the church, altering it to their own will by any corruption of its faith and practice, its work and worship, they are wasting their time praying for Divine guidance, favor and forgiveness. When, in the pursuit of their vain objectives, they malign those they cannot control and bring on the people of God the deep distress occasioned by their disturbance and disruption of the peace and goodwill, which obtained in the family of Cod, their prayers are empty and vain.

In conclusion, there is much we all need to do, in our private lives, constantly, in order to secure for our prayers before God that acceptance so much needed and desired. And those who have destroyed the peace of Zion are under the imperative necessity of undoing all they have done, insofar as they can of the harm wrought before they need to place any reliance in the efficacy of their prayers, Prayer is the avenue God provides for our access to his immeasurable blessings, which he is able to bestow in an abundance far exceeding all that we can ask or think.

Let us strive to keep this open, free from the blockage created by ourselves, and thus enjoy this access to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Truth Magazine VII: 2, pp. 4-6
November 1962