0060. Prayer and Fellowship

Prayer and Fellowship

"Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My Words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him" (Joh_14:23).

The one who never prays is the one who knows nothing of walking with God, or with his Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ.

If we really love the Lord, we would often seek His face.

How beautifully did Miss Havergal write:

In the secret of His presence.

How my soul delights to hide;

O how precious are the lessons

That I learn at Jesus’ side.

The man who is never at home with his wife and children; the man who purposely allows this and that and the other thing to keep him away from the family fireside, has certainly lost the ardor of his first love.

The Christian who never steps aside from business or from pleasure, who never gets alone with God and looks up into His face, who never communes with God in prayer; is certainly not in love with Christ.

Prayer is not merely a bank window which we approach to present and to cash the check made out according to our needs. Prayer presses beyond the cashier’s window, and goes inside and fellowships the president of the bank.

Petition is not as precious as praise. Praise is an avenue of worship; it is ofttimes a Jabok where God wrestles with us, or it may be a Bethel where the angels of God ascend and descend with visions of God.

Let us cultivate prayer in its highest privilege–fellowship. God will delight to come in and take His abode with us; Christ will delight to come in and sup with us, if we will keep open the doorway of prayer.

"What various hindrances we meet

In coming to the mercy-seat!

Yet who, that knows the worth of prayer,

But wishes to be often there?

Prayer makes the darkened clouds withdraw,

Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw,

Gives exercise to faith and love,

Brings every blessing from above.

Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;

Prayer makes the Christian’s armor bright;

And Satan trembles when he sees

The weakest saint upon his knees."

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR