The power of prayer and the pleasure of praise

‘Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.’ 2 Corinthians 1:11

Suggested Further Reading: Acts 1:12–15

We cannot all preach; we cannot all rule; we cannot all give gold and silver, but we can all contribute our prayers. There is no convert, though he be only two or three days old in grace, who cannot pray. There is no bedridden sister in Jesus who cannot pray; there is no sick, aged, illiterate or penniless believer, who cannot add his supplications to the general stock. This is the church’s riches. We put boxes at the door that we may receive your offerings to God’s cause—remember there is a spiritual chest within the church, into which we should all drop our loving intercessions, as into the treasury of the Lord. Even the widow, without her two mites, can give her offering to this treasury. See, then, dear friends, what union and communion there are among the people of God, since there are certain mercies which are only bestowed when the saints unitedly pray. How we ought to feel this bond of union! How we ought to pray for one another! How, as often as the church meets together for supplication, should we all make it our bounden duty to be there! I would that some of you who are absent from the prayer meeting upon any little excuse would reflect how much you rob us all. The prayer meeting is an invaluable institution, ministering strength to all other meetings and agencies. Are there not many of you who might come among us a little oftener? And what if you lose a customer now and then, do you not think that this loss could be well made up to you by your gains on other days? Or if not so, would not the spiritual profit much more than counterbalance any little temporal loss? ‘Not forgetting the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is.’

For meditation: United congregational and group prayer is of vital importance (2 Chronicles 7:14; Ezra 8:21–23; Daniel 2:17–19; Matthew 18:19–20; Acts 1:14,24; 2:1,42; 4:24,31; 12:5,12; 1 Timothy 2:1,8). How much of a contribution do you make to the prayer meeting?

Sermon no. 507
3 May (1863)