An Unknown Christian

The Kneeling Christian

Chapter 2
Almost Incredible Promises

“WHEN we stand with Christ in glory, looking o’er
life’s finished story,” the most amazing feature
of that life as it is looked back upon will be its
prayerlessness.

We shall be almost beside ourselves with astonishment that
we spent so little time in real intercession. It will be
our turn to “wonder.”

In our Lord’s last discourse to His loved ones, just
before the most wonderful of all prayers, the Master again
and again held out His kingly golden sceptre and said, as
it were, “What is your request? It shall be granted
unto you, even unto the whole of My kingdom!”

Do we believe this? We must do so if we believe our
Bibles. Shall we just read over very quietly and
thoughtfully one of our Lord’s promises, reiterated so
many times? If we had never read them before, we should
open our eyes in bewilderment, for these promises are
almost incredible. From the lips of any mere man they would
be quite unbelievable. But it is the Lord of heaven and
earth Who speaks; and He is speaking at the most solemn
moment of His life. It is the eve of His death and passion.
It is a farewell message. Now listen!

“Verily, verily I say unto you, he that believeth on
Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works
than these shall he do: because I go unto the Father. And
whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that
the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask
anything in My name, that will I do” (John xiv. 13,
14). Now, could any words be plainer or clearer than these?
Could any promise be greater or grander? Has anyone else,
anywhere, at any time, ever offered so much?

How staggered those disciples must have been! Surely they
could scarcely believe their own ears. But that promise is
made also to you and to me.

And, lest there should be any mistake on their part, or on
ours, our Lord repeats Himself a few moments afterwards.
Yes, and the Holy Spirit bids St. John record those words
again. “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you,
ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bare much fruit; and
so shall ye be My disciples” (John xv. 7, 8).

These words are of such grave importance, and so
momentous, that the Savior of the world is not content even
with a threefold utterance of them. He urges His disciples
to obey His command “to ask.” In fact, He tells
them that one sign of their being His “friends”
will be the obedience to His commands in all things (verse
14). Then He once more repeats His wishes: “Ye did not
choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that ye
should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide:
that whatsoever ye shall ask the Father, in My name, He may
give it you” (John xv. 16).

One would think that our Lord had now made it plain enough
that He wanted them to pray; that He needed their prayers,
and that without prayer they could accomplish nothing. But
to our intense surprise He returns again to the same
subject, saying very much the same words.

“In that day ye shall ask Me nothing” — i.e.,
“ask Me no question” (R.V., marg.) —
“Verily, verily I say unto you, if ye ask anything of
the Father, He will give it you in My name. Hitherto have
ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive,
that your joy may be fulfilled” (John xvi. 23, 24).

Never before had our Lord laid such stress on any promise
or command — never! This truly marvelous promise is given
us six times over. Six times, almost in the same breath,
our Savior commands us to ask whatsoever we will. This is
the greatest — the most wonderful — promise ever made to
man. Yet most men — Christian men — practically ignore
it! Is it not so?

The exceeding greatness of the promise seems to over-whelm
us. Yet we know that He is “able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph. iii.
20).

So our blessed Master gives the final exhortation, before
He is seized, and bound, and scourged, before His gracious
lips are silenced on the cross, “Ye shall ask in My
name . . . for the Father Himself loveth you” (verse
26). We have often spent much time in reflecting upon our
Lord’s seven words from the cross. And it is well we
should do so. Have we ever spent one hour in meditating
upon this, our Savior’s sevenfold invitation to pray?

Today He sits on the throne of His Majesty on high, and He
holds out to us the sceptre of His power. Shall we touch it
and tell Him our desires? He bids us take of His treasures.
He yearns to grant us “according to the riches of His
glory,” that we may “be strengthened with power
through His Spirit in the inner man.” He tells us that
our strength and our fruitfulness depend upon our prayers.
He reminds us that our very joy depends upon answered
prayer (John xvi. 24).

And yet we allow the devil to persuade us to neglect
prayer! He makes us believe that we can do more by our own
efforts than by our prayers — by our intercourse with men
than by our intercession with God. It passes one’s
comprehension that so little heed should be given to our
Lord’s sevenfold invitation — command — promise! How
dare we work for Christ without being much on our knees?
Quite recently an earnest Christian “worker” — a
Sunday-school teacher and communicant — wrote me, saying,
“I have never had an answer to prayer in all my
life.” But why? Is God a liar? Is not God trustworthy?
Do His promises count for nought. Does He not mean what He
says? And doubtless there are many reading these words who
in their hearts are saying the same thing as that Christian
worker. Payson is right — is Scriptural — when he says:
“If we would do much for God, we must ask much of God:
we must be men of prayer.” If our prayers are not
answered — always answered, but not necessarily granted —
the fault must be entirely in ourselves, and not in God.
God delights to answer prayer; and He has given us His word
that He will answer.

Fellow-laborers in His vineyard, it is quite evident that
our Master desires us to ask, and to ask much. He tells us
we glorify God by doing so! Nothing is beyond the scope of
prayer which is not beyond the will of God — and we do not
desire to go beyond His will.

We dare not say that our Lord’s words are not true.
Yet somehow or other few Christians really seem to believe
them. What holds us back? What seals our lips? What keeps
us from making much of prayer? Do we doubt His love? Never!
He gave His life for us and to us. Do we doubt the
Father’s love? Nay. “The Father Himself loveth
you,” said Christ when urging His disciples to pray.

Do we doubt His power? Not for a moment. Hath He not said,
“All power hath been given unto Me in heaven and on
earth. Go ye . . . and lo, I am with you alway . . .”?
(Matt. xxviii. 18-20). Do we doubt His wisdom? Do we
mistrust His choice for us? Not for a moment. And yet so
very few of His followers consider prayer really worth
while. Of course, they would deny this — but actions speak
louder than words. Are we afraid to put God to the test? He
has said we may do so. “Bring Me the whole tithe into
the storehouse . . . and prove Me now herewith, saith the
Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of
heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be
room enough to receive it” (Mal. iii. 10). Whenever
God makes us a promise, let us boldly say, as did St. Paul,
I believe God (Acts xxvii. 25), and trust Him to keep His
word.

Shall we begin today to be men of prayer, if we have never
done so before? Let us not put it off till a more
convenient season. God wants me to pray. The dear Savior
wants me to pray. He needs my prayers. So much — in fact,
everything — depends upon prayer. How dare we hold back?
Let every one of us ask on our knees this question:
“If no one on earth prayed for the salvation of
sinners more fervently or more frequently than I do, how
many of them would be converted to God through prayer
?”

Do we spend ten minutes a day in prayer? Do we consider it
important enough for that?

Ten minutes a day on our knees in prayer — when the
Kingdom of Heaven can be had for the asking!

Ten minutes? It seems a very inadequate portion of our
time to spend in taking hold of God (Isa. lxiv. 7) !

And is it prayer when we do “say” our prayers,
or are we just repeating daily a few phrases which have
become practically meaningless, whilst our thoughts are
wandering hither and thither?

If God were to answer the words we repeated on our knees
this morning should we know it? Should we recognize the
answer? Do we even remember what we asked for? He does
answer. He has given us His word for it. He always answers
every real prayer of faith.

But we shall see what the Bible has to say on this point
in a later chapter. We are now thinking of the amount of
time we spend in prayer.

“How often do you pray?” was the question put to
a Christian woman. “Three times a day, and all the day
beside,” was the quick reply. But how many are there
like that? Is prayer to me just a duty, or is it a
privilege — a pleasure — a real joy — a necessity?

Let us get a fresh vision of Christ in all His glory, and
a fresh glimpse of all the “riches of His glory”
which He places at our disposal, and of all the mighty
power given unto Him. Then let us get a fresh vision of the
world and all its needs. (And the world was never so needy
as it is today.)

Why, the wonder is not that we pray so little, but that we
can ever get up from our knees if we realize our own need;
the needs of our home and our loved ones; the needs of our
pastor and the Church; the needs of our city — of our
country — of the heathen and Mohammedan world! All these
needs, can be met by the riches of God in Christ Jesus. St.
Paul had no doubt about this — nor have we. Yes! “My
God shall supply all your need according to His riches in
glory, in Christ Jesus” (Phil. iv. 19). But to share
His riches we must pray, for the same Lord is rich unto all
that call upon Him (Rom. x. 12).

So great is the importance of prayer that God has taken
care to anticipate all the excuses or objections we may be
likely to make.

Men plead their weakness or infirmity — or they declare
they do not know how to pray.

God foresaw this inability long ages ago. Did He not
inspire St. Paul to say: “The Spirit also helpeth our
infirmity, for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the
Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings
which cannot be uttered; and He that searcheth the hearts
knoweth what is in the mind of the Spirit, because He
maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of
God” (Rom. viii. 26, 27).

Yes. Every provision is made for us. But only the Holy
Spirit can “stir us up” to “take hold of
God.” And if we will but yield ourselves to the
Spirit’s promptings we shall most assuredly follow the
example of the apostles of old, who “gave themselves
to prayer,” and “continued steadfastly in
prayer” (R.V., Acts vi. 4).

We may rest fully assured of this — a man’s influence
in the world can be gauged not by his eloquence, or his
zeal, or his orthodox, or his energy, but by his prayers.
Yes, and we will go farther and maintain that no man can
live aright who does not pray aright.

We may work for Christ from morn till night; we may spend
much time in Bible study; we may be most earnest and
faithful and “acceptable” in our preaching and in
our individual dealing, but none of these things can be
truly effective unless we are much in prayer. We shall only
be full of good works; and not “bearing fruit in every
good work” (Col. i. 10). To be little with God in
prayer is to be little for God in service. Much secret
prayer means much public power. Yet is it not a fact that
whilst our organizing is well nigh perfect, our agonizing
in prayer is well nigh lost?

Men are wondering why the Revival delays its coming. There
is only one thing that can delay it, and that is lack of
prayer. All Revivals have been the outcome of prayer. One
sometimes longs for the voice of an archangel, but what
would that avail if the voice of Christ Himself does not
stir us up to pray? It seems almost impertinence for any
man to take up the cry when our Savior has put forth His
“limitless” promises. Yet we feel that something
should be done, and we believe that the Holy Spirit is
prompting men to remind themselves and others of
Christ’s words and power. No words of mine can impress
men with the value of prayer, the need of prayer, and the
omnipotence of prayer.

But these utterances go forth steeped in prayer that God
the Holy Spirit will Himself convict Christian men and
women of the sin of prayerlessness, and drive them to their
knees, to call upon God day and night in burning,
believing, prevailing intercession! The Lord Jesus, now in
the heavenlies, beckons to us to fall upon our knees and
claim the riches of His grace.

No man dare prescribe for another how long a time he ought
to spend in prayer, nor do we suggest that men should make
a vow to pray so many minutes or hours a day. Of course,
the Bible command is to “Pray without ceasing.”
This is evidently the “attitude of prayer” — the
attitude of one’s life.

Here we are speaking of definite acts of prayer. Have you
ever timed your prayers? We believe that most of our
readers would be amazed and confounded if they did time
themselves!

Some years ago the writer faced this prayer question. He
felt that for himself at least one hour a day was the
minimum time that he should spend in prayer. He carefully
noted down every day a record of his prayer-life. As time
went on he met a working-man who was being much used of
God.

When asked to what he chiefly attributed his success, this
man quietly replied, “Well, I could not get on without
two hours a day of private prayer.”

Then there came across my path a Spirit-filled missionary
from overseas, who told very humbly of the wonderful things
God was doing through his ministry. (One could see all
along that God was given all the praise and all the glory.)
“I find it necessary, oftentimes, to spend four hours
a day in prayer,” said this missionary.

And we remember how the Greatest Missionary of all used
sometimes to spend whole nights in prayer. Why? Our blessed
Lord did not pray simply as an example to us: He never did
things merely as an example. He prayed because He needed to
pray. As perfect Man, prayer to Him was a necessity. Then
how much more is it necessary to you and me?

“Four hours a day in prayer!” exclaimed a man
who is giving his whole life to Christian work as a medical
missionary. “Four hours? Give me ten minutes and
I’m done!” That was an honest and a brave
confession — even if a sad one. Yet, if some of us were to
speak out as honestly –?

Now, it was not by accident that these men crossed my
path. God was speaking through them. It was just another
“call to prayer” from the “God of
patience,” who is also a “God of comfort”
(Rom. xv. 5). and when their quiet message had sunk into my
soul a book came into my hands, “by chance,” as
people say. It told briefly and simply the story of John
Hyde — “Praying Hyde,” as he came to be called.
Just as God sent St. John the Baptist to prepare the way of
our Lord at His first coming, so He sent in these last days
St. John the Pray-er, to make straight paths for His coming
again. “Praying Hyde” — what a name! As one read
of this marvelous life of prayer, one began to ask,
“Have I ever prayed?”

I found others were asking the same question. One lady,
who is noted for her wonderful intercession, wrote me,
saying, “When I laid down this book, I began to think
I bad never in all my life really prayed!”

But here we must leave the matter. Shall we get on our
knees before God and allow His Holy Spirit to search us
through and through? Are we sincere? Do we really desire to
do God’s will? Do we really believe His promises? If
so, will it not lead us to spend more time on our knees
before God? Do not vow to pray “so much” a day.
Resolve to pray much, but prayer, to be of value, must be
spontaneous, and not from constraint.

But we must bear in mind that mere resolutions to take
more time for prayer, and to conquer reluctance to pray,
will not prove lastingly effective unless there is a
wholehearted and absolute surrender to the Lord Jesus
Christ. If we have never taken this step, we must take it
now if we desire to be men of prayer.

I am quite certain of this fact: God wants me to pray:
wants you to pray. The question is, are we willing to pray
?

Gracious Savior, pour out upon us the fullness of the Holy
Spirit, that we may indeed become Kneeling Christians.

To God your every want
In instant prayer display.
Pray always; pray and never faint:
Pray! Without ceasing, pray.