"But Abraham stood yet before the Lord.., and said,
Wilt Thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? " - GEN. xviii.
22, 23.
WHATEVER there may be to be proud of at the present day with reference to
the world's progress in science and art compared with former ages, we have
to admit that the Church has been slow to improve upon the examples of Old
Testament saints in the power of intensified prayer. Their prayers are still
looked upon as the outstanding wonder of all the ages.
In the study of the characters of some of these Old Testament heroes there
are three things of which they seem to have had considerable knowledge.
Firstly, they knew how to repent; secondly, they knew how to pray; and,
thirdly, they knew how to make the best of their failures, as well as the
most of their victories. And it would seem that their genuine repentance,
as well as their faith, lay at the foundation of all their success. When
they repented they burnt the bridges behind them. Perhaps they had discovered
that where provision was made for the flesh or for some cherished idol or
some sinful indulgence to fall back upon, it meant complete failure in the
prayer-life (Josh. vii. 1-13; Ps. lxvi. 18). There is no reason, when, under
the influence of God's Spirit, we peruse the victorious prayer-life of these
Old Testament saints and others, why we may not gather inspiration and encouragement
so as to expect to realise greater victories in our own individual prayer-life.
Abraham, the Father of the Faithful, is considered to be a remarkable example
of the power of prevailing prayer. This we may gather from the manner of
his pleading on behalf of Sodom. It is written that "Abraham drew near."
This statement goes to the very root of the matter and explains more than
anything else the real secret of his power in prayer. Had he failed to draw
near to God, his petitions, however earnest or lucid, would have been nothing
better than a lifeless form and not as it was - a living vital force. The
power and victory that are possible in drawing near to God through prayer
are indescribable. In fact, the joy and blessedness of Divine Communion
when brought into close contact with God are often so far beyond human expression
that our very Hallelujahs seem to fall infinitely short of the joy of it.
There are infinite approaches to God even after we have entered the narrow
way - not nearness of being, but of character, and nearness of affinity,
of love, of faith, of communion and conformity to the image of His Son,
Jesus Christ, and more likeness to Him in the ministry of intercession.
It is possible to be so taken up with our standing in Christ as to lose
sight of the privilege of our approaching in likeness to Him. The path of
the just is as the shining light, shining more and more, unto the perfect
day. Then let us take care that we are not found standing when we should
be walking, or walking when we should be running, or even running, when
upon the wings of faith we should be soaring.
Another secret of Abraham's success in prevailing prayer was his deep humility
of spirit. He considered himself to be but dust and ashes. And let us remember
that Abraham at this time was about one hundred years old. Besides this,
he was in the Covenant which God had promised to establish to him and his
seed after him. Therefore he might have felt justified in urging his plea
upon the ground of his position as the chosen of God. But instead of this
he confessed that he was "dust and ashes." Abraham, without the
advantage of any material temple or written form of worship or the privilege
of an open Bible, such as we enjoy, was nevertheless able to meet all the
requirements of God in such a manner as to be admitted into His own Council
Chamber, where he had the privilege of pleading in soul contact with his
God (Gen. xviii. 17).
With reference to Abraham's example in prayer on behalf of Sodom, Mrs. M.
Baxter says: "When prayer is intense, we come to close quarters with
God; it is no time for finely formed sentences; the fine music of ritualistic
services has no place here, where real, intense business is transacted with
God. 'Nothing between' is the heart's cry. 'I must have to do with my God
face to face.'" Abraham drew near, and God did not repel him, or show
him any aloofness: the man was sure of his affair, because God was sure
of him: heart touched heart. And Abraham attempted to turn God from His
purpose. "Wilt Thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?"
Every petition he offered received an answer, neither was the presence of
the mercy of God withdrawn so long as he continued to pray and to make intercession;
which proves that it was possible for even Abraham to have been more intense
and to have gone further with his petitions.
Whenever there are limitations, and we fail to reach the highest possibility
in the prayer-life, the fault is always on the human side and never on the
divine. We get a remarkable picture of this, only under rather different
circumstances, when the prophet Elisha commanded Joash to take a bunch of
arrows and smite the ground with them. "He smote three times and stayed"
(2 Kings xiii. 18, is). The prophet was deeply grieved in spirit and said,
" Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times, then hadst thou smitten
Syria till thou hadst consumed it, whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but
thrice." It is evident that God had intended to give him several signal
victories to the complete overthrowing of Syria; but, through lack of perseverance,
Joash gave in just at the point of a splendid final victory. And, oh! beloved
brethren, is not this the cause of much of the failure and disappointment
in our prayer-life and revival effort at the present day? How often has
it happened that, when a splendid opportunity has been given for the winning
of some glorious victory for Christ and His Kingdom, through the lack of
perseverance or the want of knowing how to make the most of the victory,
we have failed to rise to the occasion! Let us endeavour always to have
a clear and definite aim in our petitions to the Throne of Heavenly Grace,
and look for a victory such as is worthy of God. But, as rightly expressed,
this cannot be done unless we concentrate all our strength and desires into
every stroke of our prayers.
The strongholds of sin and Satan and error will not yield at soft indefinite
blows and soulless petitions. No doubt the chief reason why Abraham discontinued
his request was because he fully expected that ten righteous men could be
found in the city. Otherwise it is possible he would have continued in prayer
until the whole of the city was saved. One writer has said, "We think
that it is great boldness thus to urge the majesty of Heaven, but we much
mistake the God we pray to. He loves to be entreated and commands us to
be urgent."
It is rather remarkable that while communion with God, which is the principal
part of prayer, had continued more or less from the time of Adam onward,
yet the word" prayer "does not appear on the inspired page until
years later, when it will be seen that the first time that either the word
of prayer or divine healing occurs is in connection with Abraham (Gen. xvii.
3; Gen. xx. 17). Then on each occasion we find that his prayers were answered
on the very spot. In consideration of Abraham's success in the ministry
of intercession, we would conclude that his unshaken faith in the Almighty
must have brought a measure of the power of Omnipotence into his prayers.
Indeed Abraham's faithfulness is recognised all through both Old and New
Testament Scriptures. He is made mention of by Nehemiah in his prayers,
who said, "Thou art the Lord the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest
him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham,
and foundest his heart faithful before Thee, and madest a covenant with
him" (Neh. ix. 7, 8). And Paul the Apostle testifies, "Abraham
believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" (Rom.
iv. 3). This, we believe, was the true reason why God was able to take him
into His Council Chamber and make known to him His purpose to overthrow
the cities of the plain; as it is written, "Shall I hide from Abraham
that thing which I do?" It is evident that Abraham would not have known
of Sodom's destruction but for this revelation; therefore he would not have
been able to have prevailed in prayer for them. But one asks, Why did He
make it known to Abraham? Because he was the chosen head of His people;
because through him all the nations of the earth should be blessed, because
Abraham was a faithful and righteous man; and finally with a view that he
might intercede for Sodom. This justifies us in interceding for sinners,
and even though there were not enough righteous men to save the city, yet
Abraham's prayer was effectual in the deliverance of Lot and his daughters;
so that God remembered Lot for Abraham's sake (Gen. xix. 29).
Dr. Murray says, " Intercession is the most perfect form of prayer.
It is the prayer Christ ever liveth to pray on His throne." Doubtless
one chief reason why Lot did not join in this ministry of intercession with
Abraham was because he lacked the divine fellowship; therefore he had not
the capacity to enter into this glorious ministry. Prayer and fellowship
with God went hand-in-hand with Abraham, and it must be so with us if we
expect our prayers to be effective.
The whole history of the Church proves that it is those who live in the
closest fellowship with God to whom He reveals His mind. Abraham had fulfilled
all the conditions that were necessary. As a result, God was well pleased
to draw out from him the intensity of his prayers on behalf of Sodom. The
most godly are always the most powerful both in prayer and in intercession,
for the reason that they, like Abraham, keep most in touch with God; therefore
they have a greater knowledge of His love, power, mercy, and justice, and
have a heart at leisure to think on behalf of others.
But what a contrast to this do we find in the case of Lot! Although a child
of God, he manifested a very different spirit from that of his uncle, Abraham.
No agonising prayer is offered by him on behalf of the doomed city. No display
of godly sympathy for the perishing multitude; no mention of gratitude for
his safe deliverance. What little praying he did was all centred in himself,
and had it not been for the intercession of Abraham, it is possible that
both he and his daughters would have perished with the others. But, as it
was, he was saved, as by fire.
Had God found the same spirit of faith and wholehearted devotion in Lot
as was in the heart of his uncle, Abraham, it is possible that Sodom would
have been saved. And who knows but that there may be a thousand cities in
this the twentieth century just as corrupt as the "cities of the plain."
Yet if the condition of the heathen at home and abroad was even a thousand
times worse, the promise of God and His redeeming grace would be equal to
the occasion. "Ask of Me, and I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine
inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession"
(Ps. ii. 8). This promise, although given to Christ, can be applied by the
Holy Spirit to the Church. It comes to her as a challenge on the ground
of the Father's promise to His Son, so she can "demand" of Him
as the Almighty Father to fulfil it. To say the least, such a promise is
not only an encouragement to our faith, but an everlasting rebuke to our
narrow views and our limited petitions, because the promise practically
embraces the world for Christ.
Just now, as in Abraham's day, God is looking for men whom He can take into
His confidence - men who know how to pray in faith and in the Holy Ghost.
Dr. Cuyler uttered a great truth when he said," Nearly every revival
starts with one or more souls that are filled with the Holy Ghost."
And as one of our leading Church dignitaries prayed, "O Holy Ghost,
fill but one or two hearts with Thy rushing mighty wind, and mitre one or
two brows with the Pentecostal flame.'' To which we heartily say, ''Amen."
During one of his missions the writer came into touch with a minister of
the Gospel whom he had heard preach with great power and unction. But upon
hearing him pray and make intercession (especially in his private room and
at his family altar), he forgot all about the minister's ability as a preacher,
in the blessed realisation of God's presence in answer to his prayers. He
felt fully convinced that the prayers of any two such men, when united,
"would put ten thousand to flight," or possibly start a revival,
the influence of which might be felt to the uttermost parts of the earth,
and gladden the heart of the Saviour in the conversion of multitudes of
the poor heathen. It is hardly possible to come into contact with such without
feeling a deeper sense of one's own responsibility. Many who came in contact
with such men as John Fletcher, Charles Finney and George Muller, and others
of their stamp, have confessed to this. And we have cause to thank God for
such men and women who exist to-day. And the reason we have not more of
the same class is not for want of greater light or better opportunity. The
privileges in these respects were never greater.
If the standard of judgment in our Saviour's day was the greater light and
opportunity than that of former days, which is evident, as when our Lord
upbraided the cities and said, "Woe unto thee, Chorazin! . . . and
thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto Heaven, shalt be brought down to
Hell; for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done
in Sodom, it would have remained until this day" (Matt. xi. 21, 23),
then, in the consideration of the greater light and privileges granted to
us in these days, we would reverently ask (judging according to our deserts),
- Could we expect any other if our Lord returned to-day, than to hear Him
say to us as a nation, "Woe unto you, England," or, "Woe
unto you, Great Britain, so long entrusted with the light of divine truth;
for if the mighty works done in thee had been done in Africa, in India,
in China, or in Japan, etc., they would have repented long ago"? Surely
we have cause to be grateful that God has not entered into judgment with
us. Yet, as remarked by a well-known writer, "There is hope, for God
has not forgotten us. The great Intercessor is still in Heaven pleading;
and the Holy Ghost is still in the world."
Then, in view of our present privileges and in the light of the coming judgment,
let us in the spirit of true penitence and faith call upon God in earnest
prayer that we may be raised to the occasion, and as we offer up our petitions
in reliance upon the Holy Spirit and through the atoning merits of Christ,
He will grant our request and pour out upon us in greater and richer abundance
the spirit of grace and supplication, which always fits the soul for the
ministry of intercession.
And who can tell how many towns and cities have been saved, in answer to
the prevailing prayers of God's people, since the time that Abraham interceded
on behalf of Sodom, from a moral and spiritual destruction which may be
infinitely greater than that of a temporal nature. It is said that at the
time when President C. G. Finney visited Bolton, Lancashire, the whole town
was completely overwhelmed with sin and vice of every kind, and that gross
darkness covered the minds of the people. But during the revival which took
place under the ministry of Mr. Finney, and the united prayers and intercessions
of the Christians, the whole town was brought under such a wave of divine
influence that almost in every house, some one or more was converted to
God.
Hudson Taylor asks: "Should we not do well to suspend our present operations
and give ourselves to humiliation and prayer for nothing less than to be
filled with the Spirit, and made channels through which He shall work with
resistless power? Souls are perishing now for lack of this power. . . .
God is blessing now some who are seeking this blessing from Him in faith.
All things are ready if we are ready." "In Abraham's
God confide,
Who faithful souls prepares,
And with the Holy Spirit's might
Intensifies our prayers."
The following testimony reveals the power of intercessory prayer in a very
remarkable manner. An infidel in London had a wife who possessed a Bible,
which she read daily. Being annoyed at this, he threw the Book upon the
fire; then went out. He afterwards returned to see if the last vestige of
the volume had disappeared. The woman, who was naturally distressed at the
loss, said she thought it must be completely destroyed. Her husband stirred
the ashes to see if such was the case, when he read what fastened itself
upon his mind and led to his conversion, "Heaven and earth shall pass
away, but My Word shall not pass away." The sister of that man was
the wife of a London pastor, and just when the Bible was burning she was
earnestly praying for her brother's conversion. "Is it true,"
asked Canon Liddon, "that prayer is assumed little else than half-passive
play of sentiment, which flows languidly on through the minutes and hours
of easy reverie? " Let those who have really prayed give the answer.
Such sometimes describe prayer, like the Patriarch Jacob, as a wrestling
together with the Unseen Power, which may last not infrequently in an earnest
life, late into the night hours, or even until break of day. They have,
when praying, their eyes fixed on the Great Intercessor in Gethsemane, upon
the drops of blood which fell to the ground in that agony of resignation
and sacrifice. Importunity is of the essence of successful prayer. |