Download The Inner Chamber and the Inner Life Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1905 edition. Excerpt: ... THE INTERCESSOR "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are."-- Jas. V. 16, 17. There is nothing that so much weakens the force of the call to imitate the example of Scripture saints, as the thought that theirs are exceptional cases, and that what we see in them is not to be expected of all. The aim of God in Scripture is the very opposite. He gives us these men for our instruction and encouragement, as a specimen of what His grace can do, as living embodiments of what His will and our nature at once demand and render possible, It was just to meet the so common error alluded to, and to give confidence to all of us who aim at a life of effectual prayer, that James wrote: "Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are." As there was no difference between his nature and ours, or between the grace that wrought in him and works in us, there is no reason why we should not, like him, pray effectually. If our Prayer is to have power, we must seek to have somewhat of Elijah's spirit. The aspiration, Let me seek grace to pray like Elijah, is perfectly legitimate, is most needful. If we honestly seek for the secret of his power in prayer the path in which he trod will open to us. We shall find it in his life with God, his work for God, his trust in God. Elijah lived with God. Prayer is the voice of our life. As a man lives so he prays. Not the words or thoughts with which he is occupied at set times of prayer, but the bent of his heart as seen in his desires and actions, is regarded by God as his real prayer. The life speaks louder and truer than the lips. To pray well I must live well. He who seeks to live with God, will learn so to know His mind and to please Him, that he...