Right Things in a Wrong Way -- Thoughts on Prayer

          We may ask for right things—indeed, best things—and for what God wants to grant, and not get them because He sees it will not do—it would be furthering us in our selfishness.

          God, most certainly, wants to give revivals when oftentimes he cannot.  When a young lay-preacher, I was invited to a good New England town to hold a series of meetings with a prominent church.  It seemed a good chance to do something.  The society was strong and the situation in the community seemed to be one that promised a good time.

I preached faithfully for a week or more under seemingly favorable circumstances—fine congregations, good attention, divine aid—but I could seem to bring nothing to pass.

One night I requested that, when the service should be over, all the members of that local church should remain after all others had left the building.  This they did.  I then said: “God is certainly with me.  He aids me in preaching, helps me in public prayer and in my private devotions.  Our meetings are good as to attendance and attention, but no results in salvation; we do not seem to be doing anything.  What is the matter?  If it is with me I must find it out at once and get right, or go home.”

          There was silence.  It seemed long.  It certainly was oppressive.  At length a young man, prominent in the life of the church, arose, and with not a little emotion said: “It may not be my place to speak, but I must.  To me the situation is this: Our church has a commanding place in this town and has prospered in the years past.  Of late we have not been holding our own with the other churches.  Our congregations, while good, have dropped off some, as has our Sunday School; and our finances have not been up to the usual.

          He said, “If we can have a revival it will call attention to our church, fill up our Sunday School, increase our congregation and help our finances, etc.  I deplore all this, but I must state this as a confession of my own soul as a man and as an officer in this church.”

          He was hardly done when another said substantially the same thing, as did several others.  There was a genuine spirit of confession and humiliation before God which was striking and searching.

          Of course God was pleased.  The Spirit came and the revival was on in good earnest—a multitude found God in the next few days.

--Rev. Charles Fowler, 1912

What about Self?

Continued from “Why Prayer is Lost”

          The more the idea (for an orphanage) remained with George Muller, the more it grew upon him.  He prayed over it.  And he prayed much.

          And this thought seized him: “Suppose you succeed.  It will give you a great name.  George Muller will be known the world over, and your name will become a household word wherever this institution is known.  How about this?  Is there no Muller in this?  Is there no personal and sinful ambition in view?  Is God, alone, in your thought?”

          Certain things he could well but know.  What he was planning was great.  To succeed in it he knew he must be known.  Was there no self in all this?  Did he really want it with a right motive?

          Mr. Muller said: “I lay on my face before God by the hour, asking Him to search my heart, and I got an evidence from God Himself that my motive was a pure one—that I was acting for His glory and in the interests of His kingdom alone.”

          We may and should take God into all business.  The promises of God relate to temporal affairs and material, as well as to matters that are spiritual.  God, evidently, would be pleased to have His people get ahead in their business affairs.  But few do; more might.  Job was rich, so was Abraham, and not a few more of whom the Scriptures make mention prospered in matters that pertain to this world.

          This at once suggests that God be taken into partnership—that He be given a place in the business.  People say, “Oh, I asked God to aid me in my affairs and give me prosperity, but did not seem to get on much.”  Well, was God made a convenience?  Was He appealed to that one might be furthered in one’s own selfish enterprises?  God is no play thing, neither is He to be used  at the whims of men; but he answers prayer and helps all who go to Him as they should.  To let God direct as to what the vocation shall be, how it shall be followed, give Him a share in the profits, and situations in the world of business even among good people would be quite unlike what they now are.

--by Rev. Charles J Fowler, 1912

 

Why Prayer is Lost

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?  You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. 

You do not have because you do not ask God.  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?  But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
  but shows favor to the humble.”                             --James 4:1-6

          Prayer is a power.  Nothing is more really so.  Gravitation, electricity, wind, are no more really and truly powers in the physical realm, than is prayer in the spiritual.

          And yet James is calling attention to a prayer that is not a power—an asking from which we never hear, and brings no answer.  (James 4:1-6)

          Of this we are certain as we are that prayer avails—that there is a prayer that does not secure its end.

          It will not do to conclude that all prayer not yet answered is lost; still we do well to consider the matter which James is here emphasizing, for it evidently is of practical moment in the church-life of to-day.

          Prayer is lost because of its motive.  The reason for much of prayer is the reason for its failure.  Successful prayer is a great searcher of motives.

          Years ago—thirty or more—I heard the Rev. George Muller deliver in Boston an address concerning his work in Bristol, Eng.  He brought out a point—this point of motive—and in a way I never have forgotten.

          To my mind this man Muller is one of the most remarkable men of the past one hundred years.  Knowing him by what he did, he may be so classed.

          He spoke of the inception of his great work.  He saw the crying need of the poor orphans of his city and his heart was moved to aid them, and aid them in a general and generous way.

          “Oh,” he said, “that God would be the patron of a great institution.”  He saw rich English Lords founding homes and establishments for the poor and getting the credit for it and a great name, and he said, “Would that God would do this for the orphans and Himself get a great name.”

--by Rev. Charles J Fowler, 1912