PRAYING IN PUBLIC
PRAYING IN PUBLIC
It appears that any brother who is led by the Spirit has liberty to pray in public: “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Timothy 2: 8); and I believe it will always be found that the man who is becoming the most fitted to speak the word of God to man, in preaching and teaching, is the one who has first begun with God by prayer in public - that is, his public service has begun at the prayer meeting. I fear the man who would preach, but whose voice is never heard in prayer. I believe that the one most fervent at the prayer meeting, is the one who will most persuasively arrest men.
Now, in the prayer meeting, we come together to wait upon God, that we may be led to act here for His glory, and that the interests of Christ, in the fullest way, may command our attention. The state of souls, sorrow, sickness, and sin may occupy us in measure, but there should also be the deepening sense on our hearts of our responsibility to make known the truth of the gospel, not in part only, but the whole truth, the “mystery of the gospel”. I believe that when there [p. 531] is full heart in the prayer meeting, there must be an earnest entreaty to God that souls may be blessed, and that the good pleasure of His will may be known and followed by the saints; as is said of Epaphras, “Always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God”, (Colossians 4: 12). I cannot pray in the assembly beyond my knowledge, but it is a very serious mistake when I think that there is nothing to be desired beyond the measure of my knowledge. I can understand the pastor confining his attention in prayer to the state of souls for whom he is interested; and the teacher to the subjects most on his heart for the saints; and that the evangelist would pray for the conversion of souls. Each is right, and doing true service; but surely, if one were to assert that his line of interest was enough there would be a quenching of the Spirit. On the contrary, the servant most true to his own work is the one who would delight to see prosperity in every other work, because it is his Lord’s; and he is ever longing to know more fully the counsel of the Lord, for that shall stand. It is always a good prayer meeting when souls are carried, as it were, like Moses, to mount Pisgah, to see the scope of God’s purpose, “able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3: 19); for then surely there will be a greater desire and prayer that the saints should know the “mystery of God”, for which Paul had “great conflict” (Colossians 2), “and for me [the testimony had been especially committed to him], that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6: 19) The Lord grant it.