EFFECTUAL PRAYER
No man will reach the kingdom without prayer, and prayer to be effectual must proceed from lips which are sincere and upright (Ps. 145:18). God will not hear men who keep not His commandments (Prov. 15:29; Ps. 66:18). The prayers of the disobedient are worse than useless - they are an abomination in God's ears (Prov. 28:9). Let us then examine ourselves, and pray simply, fervently, unceasingly. Let us pay no heed to the objections of men who tell us that prayer is beneath the notice of a Great Creator, that it is superfluous, and, if answered, would mean a violation of Nature's laws. Till the Bible is demolished we can afford to let such objections severely alone. The Bible is full of encouragement in the matter of prayer. Hannah prayed for a child, and got one (1 Sam. 1:11,20); Abraham's servant prayed for a good wife for Isaac, and met with a favourable response (Gen. 24). Hezekiah asked for longer life, and received it (Isa. 38). Moses and David petitioned for the destruction of their enemies, and were answered. Therefore there is power in prayer. But someone may say, "I have often prayed, and obtained no reply." What of that? Has not God coupled with His promises an intimation that at times He will refrain from answering prayer. No prayer will be heeded which is opposed to His will (1 John v. 14). Can we not trust God to pick and choose for us in the things that we are to have? Much that is beyond the power of finite man to see and grasp has to be taken into account before his prayer can be answered. We sometimes forget this when things do not go just as we would wish. Let us remember, too, that this is a day for walking by faith, and that all prayer is answered in harmony with this divine arrangement.

THE PRIVILEGE OF WORSHIP
Gentile believers (not unbelievers) possess the same worshipping privileges as did Israel in bygone days. They, as Israel should have been (Exod. 19:6), are a "royal" or "holy" priesthood. Peter, referring to the disciples of Christ, says: "Ye also, as lively (living) stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to o God by (or through) Jesus Christ." Our sacrifices (which embrace prayer and praise) are well pleasing to the Father through our connection with His son - a connection established by belief and baptism. The alien are not so connected. They are in the position of being "without Christ" and "without God in the world" - they are "afar off," and not "nigh," and without "access by one spirit unto the Father" (Eph. 2:12-19). Let us be careful not to deceive our unbelieving friends upon this point. Unsanctified man cannot have communion with God; his sins must first be covered. The teaching concerning the mediatorship of Christ leads to the same conclusion. Our Lord's ministrations are confined to his household. He is "the Apostle and High Priest of our profession" - "an high priest over the house of God" (Heb. 3:1,6; 10:21). On the basis of this fact Paul enjoins us (not the world) to "draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith" (Heb. 10:22). On the basis of the same fact the Scriptures remind us that all prayer (whether thanksgiving or request) is to be offered in the name of the Lord Jesus (Col. 3:17; 1 John 2:1; Heb. 13:15; John 16:23,24). No such instructions are given to those out of Christ.

AN ESSENTIAL CONDITION
God holds intercourse only with the contrite - "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word" (Isa. 66:2; 57:15; Ps. 34:18). Are we contrite? What is contrition? Let us not confound contrition with mere feeling - with that irrational emotion which is so common at revival meetings; or with that tearful frame of mind which is often the accompaniment of a low condition of health. Contrition, from God's point of view, is repentance, practical and intelligent - a sensible humble recognition of one's own native sinfulness and unworthiness, coupled with a careful and firm resolve to strive diligently to adjust one's ways to scriptural requirements. The opposite mind to this is to be seen in the self-satisfied, self-righteous Laodicean ecclesia; in the self opinionated, Bible-nullifying worshippers of our times; and in the proud and haughty scorners who scruple not to sit in judgment on the Word of God, and give it the lie direct. Contrition is called for, not only at the epoch of our immersion; nor only when we sin outrageously; it is a life-long requisite. Little reflection on our many and varied failings should produce in us the needed disposition. If we will but face fairly the commandments of Christ, and measure ourselves by them; if we will but set before us his perfect example, and note our tremendous shortcomings, we shall quickly become contrite, and so secure the ear and favour of God. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken heart, 0 God, thou wilt not despise."

THE NEED FOR PRAYER
Never was there a time when prayer was more called for than in these trying, perilous, closing days of the Gentiles. Prayer is one of our most precious privileges. "Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest and causeth to approach unto Thee." Its acceptability, however, is conditional. The teaching of the Spirit upon the subject is solemn and explicit. God delighteth in the prayer of the upright (Prov. 15:8), but the utterances of a sinner He abominates (Prov. 28:9; Ps. 66:18). For prayer to be efficacious it must be offered in the spirit of reverence (Lev. 10:3), sincerity (John 4:23), humility (Isa. 66:2), simplicity (Ecc. 5:1-2; Matt. 6:6-8), confidence (1 Tim. 2:8), Scripture enlightenment (Ps. 145:18), and in the name of God's exalted Son (Col. 3:17; 1 Pet. 2:5; Rev. 8:3-4). Let us be careful -let us not forget the consequences of the vain lip service of Israel (Isa. 1:15-17; Jer. 14:12). Let us engage heartily and intelligently in prayer, not thoughtlessly and mechanically. Before we address our Father in heaven let us try to place ourselves en rapport with Him - let us remember that we are not only speaking to One who can hear and answer, but One who is a "discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Prayer is not a matter to be resorted to as a kind of last chance, with the hope that it will succeed when other means have failed. Neither is it to be engaged in with a doubtful or wavering mind. Assuming that we are acceptable worshippers, let us pray, and pray unceasingly. And what greater comfort could we have in this time of weakness and perplexity than to know that we have the ear and regard of the great and good God in heaven?

WORSHIP AND THE ALIEN
God does not require the alien to seek Him before He seeks them; for them to attract His notice before He will regard.
Where God wills His Word to go, it goes, and He does not wait to be entreated for it. He knows what his children want before they ask Him, and He knows what His to-be children want before they are in a position to ask Him. In regard to the latter, the evidence is that He will bestow good upon them unasked; in return for which He demands their obedience. God's requirements run: "Hear," "Believe," "Repent," "Be baptized," "Continue in well-going." Upon this point Dr. Thomas has well said, "God has spoken from heaven, and we must acquaint ourselves with what He has said; prayer comes afterwards." (Christadelphian, Vol. 6, p. 274). When the divine commands are observed (and not until) may a well-grounded scriptural confidence be entertained that God, Who is of "purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on iniquity," will take pleasure in prayer and praise. So far as the saints are concerned, God will be inquired of. Let such forsake prayer and praise, and they will soon be forsaken by God. If in this life, and in the life to come, they would receive good from above, they must "in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let their requests be made known unto God." The standing of the unsanctified is otherwise. During the Mosaic dispensation worship was confined to those in covenant relationship with God, and it is the same under the present dispensation. The alien are called upon to first give themselves to the Lord before they engage in worship. The Scripture idata upon which we can alone rightly reason, everywhere emphasizes this all-important fact.

PRAYER AND PRAISE - PRAY FOR WISDOM
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5). This is definite, but let not brethren and sisters - those entitled to commune with God - lose sight of the conditions which underlie the promise. No request for wisdom will be heeded unless the one who makes it is moved by a pure motive, and goes in the direction from which wisdom alone can come. Upon the first of these points further words of James are relevant: "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." In our prayers for wisdom, let us have clearly before the mind an object for wanting it which is pleasing to God, and when the blessing has been received, let us employ it in that way, and in no other. How many prayers, may be, remain unanswered, how many brethren and sisters, possibly, advance no further than babyhood in relation to the Truth, solely on account of the fact that God knew that His gift would be employed in unworthy ways, as a power to smite and wound unlawfully, or to "show off to the glory of self. As to the second point, divine wisdom comes through the channel of the Scriptures, and the man who turns from these can expect no response to his prayer. God may require him to dig deep and search much, but it will not be in vain (Hos. 14:9; James 1:5; Matt. 7:7; Isa. 66:2). How God will help him to right knowledge we cannot tell, but help He will. It was not a matter of chance that Lydia, Apollos, Cornelius, and the Ethiopian eunuch, were further enlightened in the way of salvation. It is as easy for God to instruct in a providential as in a miraculous manner. Let us examine ourselves in these matters, and act the part of true and sensible beings.

THE MODEL PRAYER
"Lord, teach us to pray." What an interesting petition. How much more interesting is the answer. Do not pray, says Christ, "that ye be seen of men." This suggests that prayer has a special object. What is the object? Christ indicates it in his words: "Enter into thy closet," "the Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." Thus the object of prayer is the securing the ear and favour of God. Christ did not intend to decry public prayer (his example inculcates this), but to emphasize that the only ligitimate aim in prayer is the supplication of the Deity. Let us bear this well in mind. Let us not prostitute the exercise by making it a means of parading our piety, of displaying our eloquence, of giving an air of respectability to our meetings, or of imparting first-principle instruction to the alien. Christ proceeds to say, do not indulge in "vain repetitions." That is to say, we are not to repeat the same idea a dozen times. We should not think of addressing man in this way; we should know full well that it would incur displeasure. If ever there is a time for brief, unstrained, simple language, it is when speaking with God. Then Christ follows with the model prayer, and says, "After this manner pray ye." How much this prayer presents for thought. How it evinces the earnest, holy, God-loving mind we should have. "Our Father" - how near to God this brings us. "Hallowed be thy name" - an earnest request for the increase of glory to God's name. "Thy Kingdom come" - the promises, the uppermost thought in mind, and a longing for their fulfilment. And so we might continue. What hypocrites men must be to pray this prayer and continue in fellowship with the ways and aspirations of the world.

CHILDREN AND PRAYER
Shall we teach our little ones to pray? This question, for a reason easy to explain, has troubled many a God-fearing parent. Worship according to the Scriptures, is the privilege of the saints - none else is invited by God to share in it. Such being the case, the troubled ones have asked: Is it consistent with the divine institution to instruct unbaptized children to pray? Dr. Thomas contended that, in view of the scriptural conditions which are attached to acceptable worship, children should not be asked to pray (Herald, Vol. 2, page 23; Vol. 9, p. 132). Brother Roberts thought it permissible for them to do so, provided the children were made to understand that they had "no spiritual relationship whatever" - that their approach to God was simply that of creatures to a Creator (Ambassador, Vol. 3, 184, 185; Christadelphian, Vol. 20, 177). When we ponder the scriptural argument of these two brethren, we have, for our own part, to confess that God has neither invited prayer from any out of Christ nor directly forbidden such approach. Let those who say they follow brother Roberts in teaching their children to pray be careful to heed the qualifications he mentions. God is not pleased with words uttered unintelligently, nor "the mere mutterings of unreasoning animals." Prayer must ascend from minds instructed and obedient. Both the Doctor and brother Roberts counsel in harmony with God's own arrangements in Israel, that the children should be kept near to witness our religious exercises (at the meal table and in our assemblies) but especially should they be encouraged to become true worshipping saints by learning, believing, and obeying the Truth.

IN THE AGE TO COME
"0 Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth" (Ps. 8:1). How profoundly significant are the Psalmist's words. What a beautiful picture they present to the enlightened mind. They are a guarantee to us (for the Scripture cannot be broken) that God is yet to become the subject of universal thought and adoration. What a refreshing contrast to the present benighted condition of things. In that day God's name will not be kept in the background as it is now. In every calculation He will have a place and a voice. There will be a universal effort to enhance His glory. Every law enacted, every custom instituted, every work performed, every recreation and pleasure arranged, in fact, whatever is done will be done to the glory of God. In that day Christ - Emmanuel - will reign, and great will be the appreciation of his work. For him shall prayer be made continually (Ps. 72:15). "From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised" (Ps. 113:3). This recognition of the excellencies of Yahweh's name will involve a kindly feeling between man and man. "Man's inhumanity to man" will be a tale of the past. The spirit of Boaz and his reapers will be general - "The Lord be with you" - "The Lord bless thee" (Ruth 2:4). Into that "most holy and blessed Constitution of the thousand years" no God-ignoring ruler, and no God-ignoring subject, will be allowed to exist. Participation in this time is the joy that God has set before His children of every generation. Let us remember, as we contemplate this time, that if we would attain to it, we must now exhibit the spirit that will then prevail (1 Cor. 10:31).