^ Blaise Pascal,
ROMANS VIII. 26 83
Him by sin, by unbelief, by selfishness, by unfaithfulness to His voice in conscience. The Holy Spirit Himself is the very power of God to make us obedient. The sin that comes up in us against oar will, the tendency to sloth, or pride, or self-will, or passion that rises in the flesh, our will can, in the power of the Spirit, reject. Let us accept each day the Holy Spirit as our Leader and Life and Strength ; we can count upon Him to do in our heart all that ought to be done there. He, the Unseen and XJnfelt One, but known by faith, gives there, unseen and unfelt, the love apd the faith and the power of obedience we need, because He reveals Christ unseen within us, as actually our Life and Strength. Let us also see to it that we grieve not the Holy Spirit by distrusting Him, because we do not feel His presence in us. Especially in the matter of prayer let us grieve Him not. That is the best and truest prayer, to put ourselves before God just as we are, and to count on the hidden Spirit praying in us. " We know not how to pray as we ought " ; ignorance, difficulty, struggle, mark our prayer all along. But, " the Spirit helpeth our infirmity." " The Spirit Himself " deeper down than our thoughts or feelings, " maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." When we cannot find words, when our words appear cold and feeble let us just believe : The Holy Spirit is praying in us. Let us be quiet before God, and give Him time and opportunity; in due season we shall learn to pray.
(3) Let us be filled with the Spirit. It is only the healthy spiritual life that can pray aright. The command comes to each of us: "Be filled with the Spirit." That implies that while some rest content with the beginning, with a small measure of the Spirit's working, it is God's will that we should be filled with the Spirit. That means, from our side, that our whole being ought to be entirely yielded up to the Holy Spirit, to be possessed and controlled by Him alone ; and, from God's side, that we may count upon and expect the Holy Spirit to take possession and fill us. Has not our failure in prayer evidently been owing to our not having accepted the Spirit of prayer to be our life ; to our not having yielded wholly to Him, whom the Father gave as the Spirit of His Son, to work the life of the Son in us ?
(4) Last of all, let us pray in the Spirit for all saints. The
84 HOW TO PRAY AS WE OUGHT
Spirit, who is called " the Spirit of supplication," is also and very specially the Spirit of intercession. It is said of Him, " the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." "He maketh intercession for the saints." It is the same word as is used of Christ, " who also maketh inter- cession for us." The thought is essentially that of mediation — one pleading for another. When the Spirit of intercession takes full possession of us, all selfishness — as if we wanted to have Him separate from His intercession for others, and to have Him for ourselves alone — is banished, and we begin to avail ourselves of our wonderful privilege to plead for men. We long to live the Christ-life of self-consuming sacrifice for others, as our heart unceasingly yields itself to God to obtain His blessing for those around us. Intercession then becomes, not an incident or an occasional part of our prayers, but their one great object. Prayer for ourselves then takes its true place, simply as a means of fitting us better for exercising our ministry of intercession more effectually.
^ To intercede is to be like the Spirit, to breathe His atmo- sphere and temper, to join hands with the Advocate above. Intercession is a priestly benediction in which the youngest Christian can exercise his priestly office. Intercession is an offering of love. Intercession is sacrificial.^
^ Christ suffers not that one should pray for himself alone, but for the whole community of all men. For He teaches us to say, not, " My Father," but " Our Father." Prayer is a spiritual, common possession ; therefore we must despoil no one of it, not even our enemies. For as He is the Father of us all, He wills that we shall be brothers amongst each other, and pray for one another, as for ourselves.^
She prays so long ! She prays so late !
What sin in all this flower-land
Against her supplicating hand Could have in heaven any weight?
Prays she for her sweet self alone? Prays she for some one far away. Or some one near and dear to-day.
Or some poor, lorn, lost soul unknown? > J. F. Vallinga. ^ Martin Luther.
ROMANS VIII. 26 85
It seems to me a selfish thing
To pray for ever for one's self;
It seems to me like heaping pelf In heaven by hard reckoning.
Why, I would rather stoop, and bear My load of sin, and bear it well, And bravely down to burning hell,