I do wish to impress it strongly as on my own mind, so on yours, my brethren:never forget that
we as believers have to do with what is supernatural every day. In no case allow yourselves to be
beaten out of the true groundwork of faith for yourselves, nor permit men cf the world to drag you
down from God’s word to what they call "good common sense"_an excellent thing for the world,
but wholly short and misleading for the Christian in that which concerns God. And the simple
reason is, that we are bound to walk by faith. It is our call. We are entitled to confide in God and
His word. What to man looks so foolish as that? If God is still "the unknown God" to the world,
His ear is open to us.

There is a word the apostle uses which perhaps you may never have weighted well, never have
had it so before you as to make an impression on your mind; and that is where scripture tells us
that every creature of God is sanctified to us by the word of God and prayer. The Greek word
here is not the ordinary word for "prayer". There is a reason for that; because in I Tim. 4 it is not
the expression of mere want. This indeed is not the idea at all. Ordinary prayer is the drawing
near to Gcd, and asking Him for what we have not got; but in this case it is clearly not that,
because it is supposed we may have the thing in; our possession. But is there therefore to be no
going out of the heart to God about it? Suppose now it is what we have actually in the house.
Common sense would say, "You cannot ask God for what you have got".

The fact is, it is the expression of a heart open, not only for God to speak to us, which was always
true, but for us to draw near to God. It is intercourse with God that is the point, and not only the
expression of want:free, simple, happy, communication with God_ such is the idea. And this
should be our thought and feeling and way in partaking of anything that God’s mercy grants to us,
whether we have it at the present moment or not. If .we have it not before our eyes, it is before
His eyes. He loves us, and cares for us:_why should we trouble? Does He really hear us as we
speak to Him? We have only to bethink ourselves for a moment in order to rebuke our unbelief.

But suppose we have the things needed:are we to be independent? God forbid. If there be no
wants to present to God now, have you no wish to speak to God now?_no sense of the blessing
of God on you? Do you not want to tell Him how greatly He loves you, how truly He is caring
for you? This is what is specified here; and in this sense to us every creature of God is sanctified
by the word of God and prayer.

The word translated "prayer" here, you may not have perceived, is the opening of this intercourse
with God by which we can speak to Him about anything and everything_even the commonest
matters which concern us day by day. I refer to it because all this is very intimately connected
with the strength of our testimony. Abram knew its principle well; but now God has revealed
Himself incomparably more fully than in the days of Abram, and our familiarity with God ought
to be in the measure of His communications to us. The Scripture tells us that every creature of
God is sanctified by the word of God. It must begin with Him. It is first He who speaks to us; then
we speak to Him; and the consequence of His so speaking to us, that we freely speak to Him. It
was just the want of simplicity and vigor, if not reality, the want of living thus before God, that
enfeebled the testimony of Lot. Assuredly power of public testimony depends, after all, on faith

in what is unseen, and the resulting intercourse that goes on between God and our souls.

Here (Gen. 13:10-11) it comes out plainly. God reminds us that Lot dwelt in Sodom. This would
at once disclose or recall what Lot’s behaviour and unbelief had been; how little his soul could
taste in daily life of "the word of God and prayer". Was there not the very reverse? It was not Lot
standing only for God, but striving to care for himself. The consequence is, when the strife and
turmoil of the battle between the powers of the world take place,, there is an end of Lot’s settling
down for the present. But that which was no small rebuke to Lot was the occasion for Abram to
come out as one who walked with God, confiding in Him, and who shows us, too, that power of
grace which rises above whatever had been personally wrong. There was no doubt about Lot’s
failure in testimony. But Abram thought nothing about his faults now. What he looked at was a
righteous man (for no doubt Lot, spite of all, was righteous) swept away by the contending
potsherds of the earth. (See 2 Peter 2:8). This drew out his feelings of loving desire for Lot’s
rescue. "When Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants,
born in his own house, three hundred eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan." (Gen. 14:14).