OCTOBER 29 Power Failure!
Reading: Genesis 18:20-32
“I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall
so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one” (Ezek 22:30)
The power failure in the Church today is due to Prayer failure.
Churches which boast of the Sunday morning attendance must mourn
the attendance in the midweek prayer meeting. Even prayer meetings
have more of preaching, planning and partying than praying. Isaiah
laments, “He saw that there was no man and wondered that there
was no intercessor” (Isa 59:16). He told God, “There is no one who
calls on Your Name, who stirs himself up to take hold of You” (64:7).
Our Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples to pray, but who teaches
the art of praying in Church or seminary? Preachers are interested to
get people write to them for prayer, but who teaches the people to
pray for themselves through situations? There is nothing wrong in
helping others in sickness and sorrow (Js 5:14), but we preachers
have an awesome responsibility of producing God-dependent warriors
and not preacher-dependent weaklings. “Is anyone among you
suffering? Let him pray” (Js 5:13).
Several ministries are duplicated but there is still no competition
for the ministry of prayer. The Lord has convicted me more than once
of being too busy with the things of God to find time to be with Him in
solitary prayer. There had been great blessings in all these years of
my preaching but I am also aware of the blunders I have committed,
invariably due to lack of private prayer. When leaders neglect personal
prayer, they cause unspeakable harm to the ministry, the fellow-
workers and the people.
Let us study the prayer life of the leaders of the Bible again.
Abraham, the father of all believers, was a mighty intercessor (Gen
18:20-24,32). Moses, the greatest prophet, who led the Israelites out
of Egypt, was a prayer warrior (Ex 32:30-32). Paul was
perhaps the greatest of all apostles. He was a mighty
intercessor (Rom 9:1-3; 10:1). There is no other way !
Where are men like John Knox (1514-1572), the Scottish
Reformer, who prayed, “Lord, Give me Scotland or I
die?” At his funeral was declared, “Here lies a man who
in his life never feared the face of man!”
Pray on, pray on, believing ones, God’s promised Word is sure,
That they shall overcome by faith who to the end endure;
Pray on, pray on; oh, weary not, the Cross with patience bear;
And though its burdens weigh us down, the Lord will answer prayer!
(Fanny J. Crosby, 1823-1915)
PRAYER: NEXT NOV 13 343
OCTOBER 29 PRAYER Subject: Prayer
Reading: Gen 18:20-32 Memorising: Ezek 22:30
A Prayer for the Church
God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit, Three in One, hear us from Thy
heavenly Throne, spare us, Holy Trinity!
Jesus, with Thy Church abide, be her Saviour, Lord and Guide, while on earth
her faith is tried: We beseech Thee, hear us.
Arms of love around her throw, shield her safe from every foe, comfort her in
time of woe: We beseech Thee, hear us.
Keep her life and doctrine pure, grant her patience to endure, trusting in Thy
promise sure: We beseech Thee, hear us.
May her voice be ever clear, warning of a judgment near, telling of a Saviour
dear: We beseech Thee, hear us.
May she one in doctrine be, one in truth and charity, winning all to faith in
Thee: We beseech Thee, hear us.
May she guide the poor and blind, seek the lost until she find, and the broken-
hearted bind: We beseech Thee, hear us.
Save her love from growing cold, make her watchmen strong and bold, fence
her round, Thy peaceful fold: We beseech Thee, hear us.
Judge her not for work undone, judge her not for fields unwon, bless her works
in Thee begun: We beseech Thee, hear us.
For the past give her deeper shame, make her jealous for Thy Name, kindle
zeal’s most holy flame: We beseech Thee, hear us.
May her lamp of truth be bright, bid her bear aloft its light through the realms of
heathen night: We beseech Thee, hear us.
May her scattered children be, from reproach of evil free, blameless witnesses
for Thee: We beseech Thee, hear us.
Arm her soldiers with Cross, brave to suffer toil or loss, counting earthly gain
but dross: We beseech Thee, hear us.
May she soon all glorious be, spotless and from wrinkle-free, pure, and bright,
and worthy Thee: We beseech Thee, hear us.
Fit her all Thy joy to share, in the home Thou dost prepare, and be ever
blessed there: We beseech Thee, hear us. Amen!
—Selected
(Eph 4:1-6; 5:25-27; 6:17; Js 5:9; Lk 4:18; Isa 2:2,3; 56:10,11; Rev 2:4,5;
Mt 5:16; Acts 24:16; Phil 3:8-12; Jn 14:1-3)
306 PRAYER: NEXT NOV 13
