PRAYERhas to do with the entire man. Prayer takes in man in his whole being,
mind, soul and body. It takes the whole man to pray, and prayer affects
the entire man in its gracious results. As the whole nature of man
enters into prayer, so also all that belongs to man is the beneficiary
of prayer. All of man receives benefits in prayer. The whole man must be
given to God in praying. The largest results in praying come to him who
gives himself, all of himself, all that belongs to himself, to God.
This is the secret of full consecration, and this is a condition of
successful praying, and the sort of praying which brings the largest
fruits.The men of olden times who wrought well in prayer, who brought
the largest things to pass, who moved God to do great things, were those
who were entirely given over to God in their praying. God wants, and
must have, all that there is in man in answering his prayers. He must
have whole-hearted men through whom to work out His purposes and plans
concerning men. God must have men in their entirety. No double-minded
man need apply. No vacillating man can be used. No man with a divided
allegiance to God, and the world and self, can do the praying that is
needed.Holiness is wholeness, and so God wants holy men, men
whole-hearted and true, for His service and for the work of praying.
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your
whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ” These are the sort of men God wants for leaders
of the hosts of Israel, and these are the kind out of which the praying
class is formed.Man is a trinity in one, and yet man is neither a
trinity nor a dual creature when he prays, but a unit. Man is one in all
the essentials and acts and attitudes of piety. Soul, spirit and body
are to unite in all things pertaining to life and godliness.The body,
first of all, engages in prayer, since it assumes the praying attitude
in prayer. Prostration of the body becomes us in praying as well as
prostration of the soul. The attitude of the body counts much in prayer,
although it is true that the heart may be haughty and lifted up, and
the mind listless and wandering, and the praying a mere form, even while
the knees are bent in prayer.Daniel kneeled upon his knees three times a
day in prayer. Solomon kneeled in prayer at the dedication of the
temple. Our Lord in Gethsemane prostrated Himself in that memorable
season of praying just before His betrayal. Where there is earnest and
faithful praying the body always takes on the form most suited to the
state of the soul at the time. The body, that far, joins the soul in
praying.The entire man must pray. The whole man, life, heart, temper,
mind, are in it. Each and all join in the prayer exercise. Doubt,
double-mindedness, division of the affections, are all foreign to the
closet character and conduct, undefiled, made whiter than snow, are
mighty potencies, and are the most seemly beauties for the closet hour,
and for the struggles of prayer.A loyal intellect must conspire and add
the energy and fire of its undoubting and undivided faith to that kind
of all hour, the hour of prayer. Necessarily the mind enters into the
praying. First of all, it takes thought to pray. The intellect teaches
us we ought to pray. By serious thinking beforehand the mind prepares
itself for approaching a throne of grace. Thought goes before entrance
into the closet and prepares the way for true praying. It considers what
will be asked for in the closet hour. True praying does not leave to
the inspiration of the hour what will be the requests of that hour. As
praying is asking for something definite of God, so, beforehand, the
thought arises—"What shall I ask for at this hour?” All vain and evil
and frivolous thoughts are eliminated, and the mind is given over
entirely to God, thinking of Him, of what is needed, and what has been
received in the past. By every token, prayer, in taking hold of the
entire man, does not leave out the mind. The very first step in prayer
is a mental one. The disciples took that first step when they said unto
Jesus at one time, "Lord, teach us to pray.” We must be taught through
the intellect, and just in so far as the intellect is given up to God in
prayer, will we be able to learn well and readily the lesson of
prayer.Paul spreads the nature of prayer over the whole man. It must be
so. It takes the whole man to embrace in its god-like sympathies the
entire race of man—the sorrows, the sins and the death of Adam’s fallen
race. It takes the whole man to run parallel with God’s high and sublime
will in saving mankind. It takes the whole man to stand with our Lord
Jesus Christ as the one Mediator between God and sinful man. This is the
doctrine Paul teaches in his prayer-directory in the second chapter of
his first Epistle to Timothy.Nowhere does it appear so clearly that it
requires the entire man in all departments of his being, to pray than in
this teaching of Paul. It takes the whole man to pray till all the
storms which agitate his soul are calmed to a great calm, till the
stormy winds and waves cease as by a Godlike spell. It takes the whole
man to pray till cruel tyrants and unjust rulers are changed in their
natures and lives, as well as in their governing qualities, or till they
cease to rule. It requires the entire man in praying till high and
proud and unspiritual ecclesiastics become gentle, lowly and religious,
till godliness and gravity bear rule in Church and in State, in home and
in business, in public as well as in private life.It is man’s business
to pray; and it takes manly men to do it. It is godly business to pray
and it takes godly men to do it. And it is godly men who give over
themselves entirely to prayer. Prayer is far-reaching in its influence
and in its gracious effects. It is intense and profound business which
deals with God and His plans and purposes, and it takes whole-hearted
men to do it. No half-hearted, half-brained, half-spirited effort will
do for this serious, all-important, heavenly business. The whole heart,
the whole brain, the whole spirit, must be in the matter of praying,
which is so mightily to affect the characters and destinies of men.The
answer of Jesus to the scribe as to what was the first and greatest
commandment was as follows:"The Lord our God is one Lord; And thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with thy soul, and with
all thy mind, and with all thy strength.”In one word, the entire man
without reservation must love God. So it takes the same entire man to do
the praying which God requires of men. All the powers of man must be
engaged in it. God cannot tolerate a divided heart in the love He
requires of men, neither can He bear with a divided man in praying.In
the one hundred and nineteenth Psalm the Psalmist teaches this very
truth in these words:"Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and
that seek him with the whole heart.”It takes whole-hearted men to keep
God’s commandments and it demands the same sort of men to seek God.
These are they who are counted "blessed.” Upon these whole-hearted ones
God’s approval rests.Bringing the case closer home to himself the
Psalmist makes this declaration as to his practice: "With my whole heart
have I sought thee; O let me not wander from thy commandments.”And
further on, giving us his prayer for a wise and understanding heart, he
tells us his purposes concerning the keeping of God’s law:"Give me
understanding and I shall keep thy law; Yea, I shall observe it with my
whole heart.”Just as it requires a whole heart given to God to gladly
and fully obey God’s commandments, so it takes a whole heart to do
effectual praying.Because it requires the whole man to pray, praying is
no easy task. Praying is far more than simply bending the knee and
saying a few words by rote."’Tis not enough to bend the knee,And words
of prayer to say;The heart must with the lips agree,Or else we do not
pray.”Praying is no light and trifling exercise. While children should
be taught early to pray, praying is no child’s task. Prayer draws upon
the whole nature of man. Prayer engages all the powers of man’s moral
and spiritual nature. It is this which explains somewhat the praying of
our Lord described as in Hebrews 5:7:"Who in the days of his flesh, when
he had offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and
tears, unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in
that he feared.”It takes only a moment’s thought to see how such praying
of our Lord drew mightily upon all the powers of His being, and called
into exercise every part of His nature. This is the praying which brings
the soul close to God and which brings God down to earth.Body, soul and
spirit are taxed and brought under tribute to prayer. David Brainerd
makes this record of his praying:"God enabled me to agonise in prayer
till I was wet with perspiration, though in the shade and in a cool
place.”The Son of God in Gethsemane was in an agony of prayer, which
engaged His whole being:"And when he was at the place, he said unto
them, Pray ye that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn
from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down and prayed, saying,
Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not
my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him, from
heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony, he prayed more
earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling
down to the ground.” Luke 22:40-44.Here was praying which laid its hands
on every part of our Lord’s nature, which called forth all the powers
of his soul, His mind and His body. This was praying which took in the
entire man.Paul was acquainted with this kind of praying. In writing to
the Roman Christians, he urges them to pray with him after this
fashion:"Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake,
and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your
prayers to God for me.”The words, "strive together with me,” tells of
Paul’s praying, and how much he put into it. It is not a docile request,
not a little thing, this sort of praying, this "striving with me.” It
is of the nature of a great battle, a conflict to win, a great battle to
be fought. The praying Christian, as the soldier, fights a
life-and-death struggle. His honour, his immortality, and eternal life
are all in it. This is praying as the athlete struggles for the mastery,
and for the crown, and as he wrestles or runs a race. Everything
depends on the strength he puts in it. Energy, ardour, swiftness, every
power of his nature is in it. Every power is quickened and strained to
its very utmost. Littleness, half-heartedness, weakness and laziness are
all absent.Just as it takes the whole man to pray successfully, so in
turn the whole man receives the benefits of such praying. As every part
of man’s complex being enters into true praying, so every part of that
same nature receives blessings from God in answer to such praying. This
kind of praying engages our undivided hearts, our full consent to be the
Lord’s, our whole desires.God sees to it that when the whole man prays,
in turn the whole man shall be blessed. His body takes in the good of
praying, for much praying is done specifically for the body. Food and
raiment, health and bodily vigour, come in answer to praying. Clear
mental action, right thinking, an enlightened understanding, and safe
reasoning powers, come from praying. Divine guidance means God so moving
and impressing the mind, that we shall make wise and safe decisions.
"The meek will he guide in judgment.”Many a praying preacher has been
greatly helped just at this point. The unction of the Holy One which
comes upon the preacher invigorates the mind, loosens up thought and
gives utterance. This is the explanation of former days when men of very
limited education had such wonderful liberty of the Spirit in praying
and in preaching. Their thoughts flowed as a stream of water. Their
entire intellectual machinery felt the impulse of the Divine Spirit’s
gracious influences.And, of course, the soul receives large benefits in
this sort of praying. Thousands can testify to this statement. So we
repeat, that as the entire man comes into play in true, earnest
effectual praying, so the entire man, soul, mind and body, receives the
benefits of prayer.
omg! can’t imagine how fast time pass, after August, ber months time already and Setempber is the first Christmas season in my place, I actually love it!