1109. The Open Window

The Open Window

"And he said, Open the window eastward: and he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot: and he shot" (2Ki_13:17, f. c.).

After Elisha had placed his hand upon the king's hand, he told him to open the window eastward, and shoot. Then he cried, "The arrow of the Lord's deliverance from Syria." We are taught here that we should be definite in prayer. The Syrian, the enemy of Israel, lay to the east. Joash should not shoot arrows to the north, to the south, to the west when the Syrians lay to the east. Why?

Why should we be vague and indefinite in our prayers? Did not Paul write once and again to certain saints, that he made mention of them in his prayers? Did not Christ say to Peter, "I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not"?

Paul did not just simply say, "O God! Bless everybody, Amen. He said, "God bless Timothy, or, God strengthen Titus, or God support Barnabas."

Christ did not simply pray, "O God! The devil is tempting everybody; help them out," but He said, "O God! Satan desires Peter. Strengthen his faith, bring him through to victory."

When we pray prayers of petitions, let us have an object in view. Let us make a prayer list, put on it the names of our unsaved friends and pray for them, one at a time; then, as they are saved let us mark them off, and add other names. Let us pray for certain missions and certain missionaries; for definite needs in a definite way.

Illustration: A child who wants a pop gun does not climb up into his father's lap and say "O papa! it's such a beautiful day, the birds are singing so sweetly, the flowers are blooming so prettily, the sun is shining so brightly and the winds are blowing so softly; O papa, this is just the nicest, big world; and I like to watch the stars at night as they swing in the firmament; and, papa, please, I want a pop gun." A little child gets to business and is definite in his request.

When Peter was drowning he did not begin with Genesis and pray through to Revelation: he was definite in prayer. He cried, "Lord, save me, I perish." When the woman came, in behalf of her daughter, she did not deliver an oration on the needs of the sick of Jerusalem and the marvelous working powers of Christ; she just said, "Lord help, me, my daughter." When the dying thief prayed he did not discourse concerning the tyranny of Rome, nor elaborate on the glories of Heaven. He simply said, "Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom." Let us be definite in prayer.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR