The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor yet those who can explain about prayer. I mean those people who take time and pray.
They have not time. It must be taken from something else. This something else is important. Very important, and pressing, but still less important and less pressing than prayer. These are people that put prayer first, and group the other items in life’s schedule around and after prayer.
These are the people today who are doing the most for God; in winning souls, in solving problems, in awakening churches, in supplying both men and money for mission posts, in keeping fresh and strong those lives far off in sacrificial service on the foreign field where the thickest fighting is going on.
It is wholly a secret service. We do not know who these people are, though sometimes shrewd guesses may be made. I often think that sometimes we pass some plain-looking woman quietly slipping out of a church meeting, and we hardly give her a passing thought, and do not guess that perhaps she is doing far more for her church, and for the world, and for God than a hundred who would claim more attention and thought, because she prays, truly prays as the Spirit of God inspires and guides.
Prayer opens a whole planet to a man’s activities. A man may go aside today, and shut his door, and really spend a half hour in India–I am thinking of my words as I say them. It seems so much to say, and yet it is true–as really spend a half hour of his life in India for God as though he were there in person. Is that true? If it be true, surely you and I must get more half hours for this secret service.
Without any doubt he may turn his key in the lock and be for a bit of time as potentially in China by the power of prayer, as though there bodily. Of course not actually present, but in the power exerted upon men he may be truly present at the objective point of his prayer.
He may give a new meaning to the printed page being read by some national in Africa. He may give a new tongue of flame to the preacher or teacher. He may make it easier for men to accept the story of Jesus, and then to yield themselves to Him–yonder men swept and swayed by evil spirits, and by prejudices for generations–make it easier for them to accept the story, and if need be, to cut with loved ones, and step out and up into a new life.
Prayer is striking the winning blow at the concealed enemy. Service is gathering up the results of that blow among the men we see and touch.
Shall we follow for a day one who has gotten this true perspective? Here is the outer side: a humble home, a narrow circle, tending the baby, sewing, cooking, calling; or, measuring dry goods, working at a typewriter, checking up a ledger, feeding the swift machinery, tending the stock, doing the chores, tiresome examination papers–and all the rest of the endless, endless doing, day by day, of the commonplace treadmill things that must be done.
This one whom we are following unseen is doing quietly, cheerily his daily round, with a bit of sunshine in his face, a light in his eye, and lightness in his step. And the commonplace becomes uncommon by reason of the presence of this man with the uncommon spirit.
He is working for God. No, better, he is working with God. He has an unseen Friend at his side. That changes all. The common drudgery ceases to be common, and ceases to be drudgery because it is done for such an uncommon Master.
That is the outer side of this life.
Now, hold your breath, and look, for here is the inner side where the larger work of life is being done. Here is the quiet bit of time alone with God, with the Book. The door is shut, as the Master said. Now it is the morning hour with a bit of artificial light, for the sun is busy yet farther east. Now it is the evening hour, with the sun speeding towards western service, and the bed invitingly near. There is a looking up into God’s face; then keen but reverent reading, and then a simple intelligent pleading with its many variations of this: “Thy will be done, in the Victor’s name.”
God Himself is here, in this inner room. The angels are here. This room opens out into and is in direct touch with a spirit space as wide as the earth. The horizon of this room is as broad as the globe. God’s presence with this man makes it so.
Today a half hour is spent in China, for its missionaries, its native Christians, its millions, the printed page, the personal contact, the telling of the story, the school, the dispensary, the hospital. And through the petitions runs this golden thread: “Victory in Jesus’ name. Victory in Jesus’ name, today, today. Thy will be being done; the other will undone. Victory in Jesus name.”
Tomorrow’s bit of time is largely spent in India perhaps. And so this man with the narrow outer horizon and the broad inner horizon pushes his spirit-way through Japan, India, Iran, Arabia, Turkey, Central Africa, Europe’s lands, the South American States, the homeland, its cities, frontiers, slums, the hometown, the home church, the man across the alley; in and out; out and in; the tide of prayer sweeps quietly, resistlessly day by day.
This is the true Christian life. This man is winning souls and refreshing lives in these far-off lands and in nearby places as truly as though he were in each place. This is the Master’s plan. The true follower of Jesus has as broad a horizon as his Master. Jesus thought in continents and seas. His follower prays in continents and seas. This man does not know what is being accomplished. Yes! He does know, too. He knows by the inference of faith.
There comes to this man occasional, yes frequent, evidences of changes being wrought, yet he knows that these are but the thin line of glory light which speaks of the fuller shining. And with a spirit touched with glad awe that he can and may help God, and heart full alike of peace and of yearning, and a life fragrant with an unseen Presence, he goes steadily on his way, towards the dawning of the day.