These six points I wish to notice:Why we should pray, when we should pray, how we should pray,
who should pray, to whom we should pray, and for whom we should pray.

I. Why should we pray? Can we make God change His mind or purpose by our prayers? I answer,
yes! Does this startle any? It need not, for I have three scriptures to show how, in the past, prayer
has caused God to change His mind or repent. I allude to the prayers of Moses, Hezekiah, and
the captive Jews at Babylon. Moses first. Turn to Exodus 32. The people have turned aside to
worship a golden calf, and Jehovah is about to destroy them. He says to Moses, "Let Me alone,
that My wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them …. And Moses besought
the Lord his God." His prayer prevails; and in verse 14 we read the wonderful statement, "And
the Lord repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people." Is it not marvelous! The
prayer of a man moves the almighty God of heaven and earth to change His mind. God is, of
course, unchangeable in an absolute sense. "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son
of man, that He should repent" (Num. 23:19). He is not like fickle man; and His eternal counsels
will and must forever stand. Yet in a certain sense He does repent; and prayer is the mighty
"power that moves the throne."

The second scripture is Jeremiah 26:18, 19. Micah the Morasthite prophesied against Jerusalem
in the days of King Hezekiah. But the king "besought the Lord, and the Lord repented Him of the
evil which He had pronounced against them."

Finally, look at Psalm 106:44, 45. When the people were "brought low for their iniquity," and
delivered into the hands of their enemies by Jehovah, they resorted to prayer. And "He heard their
cry, and He remembered for them His covenant, and repented according to the multitude of His
mercies." The prayers of God’s people cause Him to repent. This gives the deathblow to fatalism,
and furnishes the saints of God with a most powerful incentive to prayer.

II. When should we pray? Unceasingly, according to the fourfold testimony of the Word.
"Continuing instant in prayer" (Rom. 12:12). "Praying always" (Eph. 6:18). "Continue in prayer"
(Col. 4:2). "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17). We cannot be always on our knees, I know.
Prayer is to be our habit of life. A spirit of prayer should characterize us. We are only safe as we
are dependent; and dependence expresses itself in prayer. Who is so strong, or so secure in
circumstances as to have no need of continual prayer?

III. How shall we pray? The answer is sevenfold.

1. Boldly. "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace" (Heb. 4:16). God invites us
to make known our requests, and we should pray fearlessly.

2. Believingly. "Let him ask in faith" (James 1:6). The prayer of unbelief is never answered. "Let
not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord."

3. Intelligently. "If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us" (1 John 5:14). "His

will" must qualify our every request. Will you give your child your razor when he asks, or even
cries for it? God is too wise and good to answer many of His children’s prayers. How many ask
for earthly prosperity or easier circumstances. These would often be their ruin, spiritually, and
a Father’s love withholds them from His children.

4. Holily. "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and
do those things that are pleasing in His sight" (1 John 3:22). The Psalmist says, "If I regard
iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Psalm 66:18). The apostle wills that "men pray
everywhere, lifting up holy hands" (1 Tim. 2:8).

5. Persistently. The parable of the unjust judge should encourage us to persevere in prayer (Luke
18:1-8). We need more "stick-to-it-iveness" in prayer.

6. Thankfully. "In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known unto God" (Phil. 4:6). Remembrance of past mercies and answers to prayer will
encourage us to expect further blessing. And God loves a thankful spirit.

7. Briefly. "Lord, save me" (Matt. 14:30), was the three-worded prayer of Peter. Long prayers
will kill a prayer meeting quicker than almost anything else I know of. They were not the most
spiritual men in the world who made "long prayers" (Matt. 23:14). Pray in your closet all night,
if you wish, but prayers in public edify most when brief.

IV. Who are to pray? All believers, young and old, male and female. None are excluded from this
happy privilege. Every child of God will pray almost involuntarily. "Behold he prayeth," it was
said of the newly converted Saul of Tarsus.

At the prayer meeting, of course, the sisters are to "keep silence." But no brother should think he
cannot pray in public. Some say they have "no gift" for prayer. But I do not need a gift to beg if
I am starving. Bestir yourselves, my silent brethren, and do not sit like dumb images on the
benches from one year’s end to another. It is only the sisters who are to "keep silence in the
churches."

V. To whom should we pray? Paul bows his knees "to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ" (Eph. 3:14). Stephen prays, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (Acts 7:59). We have no
example or precept for prayer to the Holy Spirit in Scripture. We read of praying in the Holy
Spirit, but nothing of prayer to the Holy Spirit.

VI. For whom should we pray? "All men" (1 Tim. 2:1).

1. Sinners. "[God] will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth"
(1 Tim. 2:4).

2. Saints. "Supplication for all saints" (Eph. 6:18). "Pray one for another" (James 5:16).

3. Servants of Christ_Evangelists, pastors, and teachers. They need our prayers. Let us not forget

them in our closets or in the prayer meetings. Paul repeatedly asks for the prayers of the saints.

4. Backsliders. We have no direct scripture for praying for wandering saints. But we have our
Lord’s example. He says of poor backsliding Peter, "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not"
(Luke 22:32).

5. Enemies. "Pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" (Matt. 5:44).

6. Rulers. "For kings, and for all that are in authority" (1 Tim 2:2).

In conclusion, our subject is a large one, and I have left many things unsaid. Such a study can
only be suggestive, never exhaustive. Study the subject for yourselves.

In considering the deeply important subject of prayer, two things claim our attention:first, the
moral basis of prayer; secondly, its moral conditions.

From passages such as John 15:7, 1 John 3:21, 22, and Heb. 13:18 we learn that the basis of
effectual prayer is an obedient heart, an upright mind, and a good conscience. If we are not in
communion with God, we cannot expect answers to our prayers; for we shall be "asking amiss."
There is a terrible amount of unreality in our prayers, a sad lack of the moral basis, a vast amount
of "asking amiss." Our God will have reality; He desires truth in the inward parts. He, blessed
be His name, is real with us and He will have us real with Him. He will have us coming before
Him as we really are, and with what we really want.

How often it is otherwise both in private and in public! How often are our prayers more like
orations than utterances of need! It seems, at times, as though we meant to explain principles to
God and give Him a large amount of information. These types of "prayers" cast a withering
influence over our prayer meetings, robbing them of their freshness, their interest, and their value.
We deeply feel the want of reality, sincerity, and truth in our prayers and prayer meetings. Not
infrequently it happens that what we call prayer is not prayer at all, but the utterance of certain
known and acknowledged truths and principles, to which one has listened so often that the
reiteration becomes tiresome in the extreme. What can be more painful than to hear a man who
is supposedly praying explaining principles and unfolding doctrines? The question forces itself
upon us, "Is the man speaking to God, or to us?" If to God, surely nothing can be more irreverent
than to attempt to explain things to Him; but if to us, then it is not prayer at all, and the man
would do better to give a lecture.

What are the moral conditions or attributes of prayer? In Matt. 18:19 we read, "Again I say unto
you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be
done for them of My Father which is in heaven." Thus, one necessary condition of our prayers
is unanimity. If we come together to pray for something, we must be of one mind in the matter,
we must make one common sound before God. It is very questionable indeed whether any of us
have given sufficient attention to this point. Have we not to deplore the objectless character of our
prayer meetings? Ought we not to come together more with some definite object on our hearts,
as to which we are going to wait together upon God?

Matthew 18:19 is our warrant for coming together to pray for anything that may be laid on our
hearts. Whatever may be the spiritual need in us or around us, if at least two of us feel that need
let us come together "with one accord in one place" and pour out our hearts to God as the heart
of one man. Let us wait on God, in holy concord, and the blessing is sure to come.

In Matthew 21:22 we find another essential condition of effectual prayer. "And all things
whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." If our prayers are to have an
answer, they must be prayers of faith. It is one thing to utter words in the form of prayer and
another thing altogether to pray in simple faith, in the full, clear, and settled assurance that we
shall have what we are asking for.

It is greatly to be feared that many of our so-called prayers never go beyond the ceiling of the
room. In order to reach the throne of God, they must be borne on the wings of faith and proceed
from hearts united and minds agreed in holy purpose to wait on our God for the things which we
really require.

Now, the question is, are not our prayers and prayer meetings sadly deficient on this point? Is not
this deficiency manifest from the fact that we see so little result from our prayers? Ought we not
to examine ourselves as to how far we really understand these two conditions of prayer, namely,
unanimity and confidence? If it be true that two persons agreed to ask in faith can have whatever
they ask, why do we not see more abundant answers to our prayers? Must not the fault be in us?
Are we not deficient in concord and confidence?

How vastly different it would be if our prayer meetings were the result of a cordial agreement on
the part of two or more believing souls to come together and wait upon God for a certain thing
and to persevere in prayer until they receive an answer! How little we see of this!

Instead of merely attending the prayer meeting from week to week, ought we not to be exercised
before God as to how far we are agreed in reference to the object or objects which are to be laid
before the throne? The answer to this question brings us to another of the moral conditions of
prayer.

In Luke 11:5-10 we read of the importunate man who at midnight asked his friend for three
loaves. These words are part of the Lord’s answer to His disciples’ request, "Teach us to pray."
What do we learn from Luke 11? First it teaches us to be definite in our prayers. The man
confines himself to one request, "Lend me three loaves." Must we not admit that our reunions for
prayer suffer sadly from long, rambling, desultory prayers? Do we not frequently give utterance
to a whole host of things of which we do not really feel the need and which we have no notion of
waiting for at all? We believe it would impart great earnestness, freshness, reality and power to
our prayer meetings were we to attend with something definite on our hearts, to which we could
invite the fellowship of our brethren. Some of us seem to think it necessary to make one long
prayer about all sorts of things; many of the things may be very right and good, no doubt, but the
mind gets bewildered by the multiplicity of subjects. How much better to bring some one object
before the throne, earnestly urge it, and pause, so that the Holy Spirit may lead out others in like
manner, either for the same thing or something else equally definite.

There is another important moral condition set forth in Luke 11 and that is "importunity." The
man succeeded in gaining his object simply by his importunate earnestness. Importunity prevails
even where the claims of friendship prove inoperative. The man is bent on his object; he has no
alternative. In short, he will not take a refusal. How far do we understand this great lesson? It is
not that God will ever answer us "from within." He will never say to us, "Trouble me not." He
is ever ready to give. Still, He encourages importunity, and we need to ponder His teaching.
There is a sad lack of importunity in our prayer meetings. Indeed, it will be found that in
proportion to the lack of definiteness is the lack of importunity. Where the thing sought is as
definite as the "three loaves," there will generally be the importunate asking for it and the firm
purpose to get it. The fact is, we are too vague and too indifferent in our prayers and prayer

meetings. We do not seem like people asking for what they want and waiting for what they ask.
This is what destroys our prayer meetings and renders them powerless.

Another moral condition is found in Luke 18:1, "And He spake a parable unto them to this end,
that men ought always to pray, and not to faint." The condition found here is perseverance. This
is closely connected with the definiteness and importunity to which we have already referred. We
want a certain thing; we cannot do without it. We importunately, unitedly, believingly, and
perseveringly wait on our God until He graciously sends an answer, as He most assuredly will if
the moral basis and the moral conditions be duly maintained. But we must persevere. We must not
faint and give up though the answer does not come as speedily as we might expect. It may please
God to exercise our souls by keeping us waiting on Him for days, months, or perhaps years.
Daniel waited for an answer to prayer for "three full weeks" (Dan. 10:2) during which time
Daniel continued to pray.

We, too, may have to wait long in the holy attitude of expectancy and in the spirit of prayer, but
we shall find the time of waiting most profitable for our souls. Very often God, in His wise and
faithful dealing with us, sees fit to withhold the answer, simply to prove us as to the reality of our
prayers. The grand point for us is to have an object laid upon our hearts by the Holy Spirit_an
object which corresponds with some distinct promise in the Word_and to persevere in prayer until
we get what we want. "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching
thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Eph. 6:18).

Let us all unite in earnest prayer and supplication. Let us seek to get together according to God;
to come as one man and prostrate ourselves before the mercy seat and perseveringly wait upon
our God for the revival of His work, the progress of His gospel, and the upbuilding of His people.
Let our prayer meetings be really prayer meetings. The prayer meeting ought to be the place of
expressed need and expected blessing, of expressed weakness and expected power. It ought to be
the place where God’s people assemble with one accord to take hold of the very throne of God,
to get into the very treasury of heaven and draw thence all we want for ourselves, our households,
the whole Church of God, and for the vineyard of Christ.

Such is the true idea of a prayer meeting if we are to be taught by Scripture. May the Holy Spirit
stir us all up and press upon our souls the necessity of unanimity, confidence, definiteness,
importunity, and perseverance in all our prayers and prayer meetings.

(Condensed from "Prayer and the Prayer Meeting," Miscellaneous Writings, Volume 3.)

There are several Greek words which are translated "ask" in the New Testament. The two most
prominent of these are aiteo and erotao. Aiteo means to ask, beg, crave, or demand something.
Erotao often means to interrogate, to ask a question, but is also used in the context of making a
petition or a request. In Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words the following
distinction is made:"Aiteo more frequently suggests the attitude of a suppliant, the petition of one
who is lesser in position than he to whom the petition is made; e.g., in the case of men in asking
something from God. . . . Erotao more frequently suggests that the petitioner is on a footing of
equality or familiarity with the person whom he requests."

Aiteo is found in the following passages:"Ask, and it shall be given you. . . . For every one that
asketh receiveth. … Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a
stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give
good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good
things to them that ask Him?" (Matthew 7:7-11). "Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that
would borrow of thee turn not thou away" (Matt. 5:42). "But the chief priests and elders
persuaded the multitude that they should ask [for] Barabbas, and destroy Jesus" (Matthew 27:20).
"He [Joseph of Arimathea] went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus" (Matthew 27:58). "If
any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God" (James 1:5).

In Matthew 16:13 we find erotao in the context of asking a question:"When Jesus came into the
coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of
man am?" In several places, this word is translated "beseech":"Furthermore then we beseech you,
brethren . . . that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would
abound more and more" (1 Thess. 4:1). "So when the Samaritans were come unto Him, they
besought Him that He would tarry with them" (John 4:40). "And His disciples came and besought
Him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us" (Matt. 15:23).

It is noteworthy that the Lord Jesus never used aiteo when making request to the Father. It was
always erotao, that is, making a request in the consciousness of His equal dignity with the Father.
Thus, for example, "And I will pray [erotao] the Father, and He shall give you another
Comforter" (John 14:16; see also John 16:26 and 17:9,15,20). Martha, on the other hand,
betrayed her poor understanding of the person of Christ when she said to Him, "But I know, that
even now, whatsoever Thou wilt ask [aiteo] of God, God will give it Thee" (John 11:22). Her
thoughts did not rise above Christ begging of the Father, as one of lower position than the Father.

Let us now consider some passages in which both aiteo and erotao are found. First, in John 16:23
we read:"And in that day ye shall ask [erotao] Me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Whatsoever ye shall ask [aiteo] the Father in My Name, He will give it you." The first part of this
verse refers back to verse 19:"Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask [erotao] Him, and
said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see
Me:and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me?" In "that day," that is, after Jesus left them to
return to the Father, the disciples would no longer be asking Him questions. However, they were
not to be left destitute with their Lord, teacher, provider, healer, and Saviour gone. Whatsoever

they asked or begged of the Father in the Name of the Lord Jesus, He would give it to them.

Three verses later we find both words again:"At that day ye shall ask [aiteo] in My Name, and
I say not unto you, that I will pray [erotao] the Father for you" (John 16:26). Here we see the
difference in words used because of the difference in relative position of the petitioner and the one
petitioned. The statement, "I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you," may seem
rather strange at first, but the verse following helps to explain it:"For the Father Himself loveth
you, because ye have loved Me, and have believed that I came out from God." Thus, Jesus was
saying that there was no need for Him to make request to the Father for the disciples, as if the
Father did not know them or love them; for indeed the Father Himself did love them dearly, just
as they dearly loved Jesus.

The final example is found in 1 John 5:16:"If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto
death, he shall ask [aiteo], and He shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is
a sin unto death:I do not say that he shall pray [erotao] for it." In this verse it might seem as if
aiteo should have been used in the last clause instead of erotao. But on careful consideration we
can see a solemn rebuke connected with the use of the word erotao in this passage. The purpose
of that last clause is to put a guard on what has gone before. The subject of verses 14 to 16 is
petitioning God and interceding for our brethren. But if a brother has committed a sin unto death,
then it would betray a lack of communion with God to pray that such a soul should live. If we
discern it to be a sin unto death, then we must bow to God instead of interceding for the brother.
The use of the word erotao suggests that when we pray for that which is contrary to God’s will,
we are, in a sense, putting ourselves on the same level as or above God; that is, we are implying
that His will is not the best.

How needful it is for us to pray, not haphazardly, but intelligently, according to the mind of God.
This can only be accomplished through continual communion with the Father. P. L. Canner

The inventor of the telegraph, Professor Samuel F. B. Morse, was asked, "When you were
making your experiments, did you ever come to a standstill, not knowing what to do next?"

"Oh yes, more than once," he replied.

"And at such times what did you do next?"

"Whenever I could not see my way clearly, I prayed for more light."

"And the light generally came?"

"Yes," answered Morse. "And when flattering honors came, I never felt I deserved them. I have
made a valuable application of electricity, solely because God who meant it for mankind must
reveal it to someone, and was pleased to reveal it to me."

The first message sent by the inventor in Morse code was, "What hath God wrought!" (Numbers
23:23).

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My Name, He will give it
you" (John 16:23).

What liberty is given here! However, an unqualified "whatsoever" would leave us unrestricted,
and the Lord would thus have opened the door to all the desires of unbroken, self-serving wills
among His people. But He adds, "In My Name." This is His limit_that which He sets up.

If we apply to God for anything in the Name of Christ, it must needs be in keeping with what
Christ is. It is as if Christ Himself were asking it of His Father. He does not want us to make Him
the messenger, as if we had not the liberty to approach. We have the same blessed liberty which
He has, for grace has made us sons, and we are loved of the Father with the same love wherewith
He is loved (John 17:23). He wants us to realize that holy liberty, and to go ourselves with our
requests straight to the Father in His Name, as if it were Christ Himself presenting it_He who is
always heard, because He always does what is pleasing to the Father.

But how could Christ present any request to His Father inconsistent with His own character and
ways? He acted always within the circle of the Father’s will.

To pray in His Name, then, involves our presenting to God only that which Christ could and
would present. It calls for a real setting aside of our own wills and for moving only within the
circle of God’s will, where Christ always was and is. Setting up our own plans, then making use
of Christ’s Name with God, as if He were pledged by it to obey us, is an awful mistake, which
He will rebuke to our shame.

Oh, to have more of that lowly, broken spirit which finds its home in the Father’s will, its delight
in Christ’s interests here, and which, burdened with that, knows how to plead with God, and never
give up! And though the answer may be long in coming, victory is as sure as His throne.
"Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35), and He has promised. "Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My Name, He will give it you" (John 16:23).

Sad to say, however, we are apt to be much more earnest when our will is at work than when it
has been surrendered. How much more earnestly men will work in a business of their own than
in the employ and interests of others! It but reveals that in us (that is, in our flesh) dwells no good
thing (Rom. 7:18). Let us then take courage. Let us lay hold of His business, carry it in our
hearts, make it our own, plead with God about it according to the measure He has given. If Christ
be our Object, let us ask of God_ask much_and we will receive much, and our joy will be full
here and our reward great there.

FRAGMENT. "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and
giving of thanks be made for all men" (1 Tim. 2:1).

The reader will notice the abundance and variety in expression of the saints’ prayers.

"Supplication" implies earnestness in pressing the suit of need; "prayer" is more general and puts
forward wants and wishes; "intercession" means the exercise of free and confiding intercourse,
whether for ourselves or for others; and "thanksgiving" tells out the heart’s sense of favor
bestowed or counted on.

Daniel and his companions (known best as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) probably were
taken to Babylon in their early teens. (They are called "children" but they were old enough to
know God’s law and to decide to obey it. See Daniel 1.) Daniel lived many years in Babylon-years
full of service to God and man. The most famous incident in Daniel’s life, his sojourn in the lions’
den because of his determination to continue praying only to God, occurred when he was an old
man. I would like to point out in this article that Daniel and his companions were men of prayer
while still young.

In Daniel 2 we read that the king had a dream which he not only could not understand, but neither
could he recall it. None of his wise men could tell Nebuchadnezzar the content of his dream, so
he ordered them all to be killed. This edict evidently included Daniel and his companions, even
though the king had not asked them to help him (Daniel 2:13-16). What was Daniel’s first step in
finding the answer to the problem? He and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego prayed. They were
not only praying for the knowledge of the king’s dream; they were praying for their lives. What
was Daniel’s first step after receiving the interpretation of the dream? He prayed again! Only then
did he go to tell the king what he had learned. Daniel was a man of prayer all through his Me.
God rewarded him:"As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning
and wisdom:and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams" (Daniel 1:17).

Would you like to have knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom? Do you have any
problems with school or college studies or with your job? Daniel’s secret of success can be
yours_he prayed and so should you. The author knows from personal experience that God
understands not only dreams and visions and the arts and sciences of ancient Egypt and Babylon,
but also physics, organic chemistry, calculus, and economics. Prayer can provide very practical
help in our work and our studies. Ask God to show you just what to study and what parts of the
material to spend the most time on. If you get bogged down in the middle of an exam, take a
moment out for prayer; ask God to clear your mind and help you recall the material relevant to
the problem. (It is not recommended that one substitute prayer for study. The Book of Proverbs
definitely states that God does not reward laziness in any form. Prayer and study must be used
together.)

After one has finished school and is established in a job, prayer is a great aid in one’s work. God
can not only help us get along with our fellow workers, but can also provide help with very
technical problems. God is the Creator of the material universe and will help us deal with this
creation if we act in subjection to and dependence on Him.

FRAGMENT. Oh, to be men of earnest prayer and simple faith! If there be earnestness with God
in the closet, depend upon it, there will be no lack of fervor in preaching. If our Father sees us
dealing with Him in secret, be certain that He will reward us openly.