10. CHAPTER. V - THE BURDEN OF PRAYER�AND ITS SURE RESULT
CHAPTER. V THE BURDEN OF PRAYER—AND ITS SURE RESULT THE most wonderful week of my life was the one spent in Murree with Mr. Hyde and several others of like spirit. Murree is a hill station on the way to Cashmere. In the year 1907 several mission. aries arranged to spend three or four weeks of the hot weather in this place, and the Spirit moved them to arrange for a week or ten days of waiting on the Lord while there. Others heard of this and joined them and I had the great privilege of being with them. When I say that several of the leaders (or a better word would be, the intercessors) from the Sialkot Convention were there one can understand the privilege. I had the joy of sharing a tiny room with Hyde, and that room was a little Heaven to me, and the memories of it will never be effaced. We were entertained by the Rev. and Mrs. McCheyne Paterson, and all the other guests in the same house were of kindred spirit, so that the fellowship was almost perfect. Mr. Hyde was very full of humour which was under perfect control. The sad burdened features relaxed when he was in the company of those that shared his prayer life, and his face was lit up with joy—a Heavenly joy. The conversation at the table was most uplifting, and Hyde and others led us into green pastures ’ and some of us who were only beginning to understand this life feasted on the thoughts that passed through the lips of those dear saints who lived in the secret of His Presence. But Hyde’s place was often vacant ; we knew where he was, no one enjoyed the company of men and women more than he did, but Jesus came first, He was afraid lest the fellowship of the saints should come between him and his Saviour.
He was always on his knees clothed in a heavy overcoat when I went to bed, and on his knees long before I was up in the morning, though I was up with the dawn. He would also light the lamp several times in the night and feast on some passage of the word and then have a little talk with the Master. He sometimes remained on his knees the whole day. At other times, he would come with us to the services and spend the time in prayer in the vestry adjoining the church. The services were full of power, every word seemed to reach the hearts of men. It was not the power of the messages but the power of prayer that did it all. How easy it was to speak, there was an atmosphere of prayer, I would be in the vestry with him and a few others until the service commenced, and back to the vestry for prayer as soon as the service was over.
One day the burden of prayer for the Europeans of the station had fallen on Hyde ; for two or three days he never went to bed nor did he go down to meals, and the food sent up to his room was generally carried down again untouched. How often he came and knelt by my bed that I might try to help him to bear the burden. On the Saturday night he was in great agony, McCheyne Paterson and myself remained with him, oh how he prayed and pleaded for the Europeans of the station. It was a vision to me of real agonizing intercession ; he seemed to say like Jacob of old, ’ I will not let thee go, ’ and yet in the determination there was such deep humility, such loving pleading. At 2 o’clock in the morning there was a knock at the door, and Mr. McCheyne Paterson quietly whispered to me, I am sure that is my wife reminding me that we ought to go to bed,’ but it was not so, it was a letter from a lady staying at the largest hotel in the place, asking us to have a service for Europeans in the drawing room of the hotel. Hyde heard us reading the letter and he jumped up from his knees and said, That is the answer to my prayers, I know now that the Lord has heard me.’ The servant who was entrusted with the message had gone miles in another direction, and had to come back, and found it very difficult at night to get any one to direct him to us, hence his appearance at 2 o’clock in the morning. He had been told that the message was urgent and a reply absolutely necessary.
Hyde’s face was just full of peace and joy, and he almost commanded us to accept the invitation and arrange for the service, which we did. It was not a large gathering at the hotel, and the service was not a success from a human standpoint, and yet I felt perfectly confident that the Lord was carrying out His plans and purposes, and that He was answering the prayers of His dear servant. Hyde, of course, remained in his room to pray, or rather to praise, for he was full of joy, and was not at all disappointed when we told him that not many of the hotel visitors had attended the service. He said that it was all in the Lord’s Hand and He knew how to carry on His work. One at least that was at the service came to the evening service which was held by us in the Scotch church, and Mr. Hyde was present that night with such heavenly joy in his features, that it was contagious.
What a-privilege it was to be with him for that week! What lessons I learnt 1 His Bible was always in his hand, even when we had our morning cup of tea, he regaled me with manna from the Word. When he knelt to pray, the dear old Book was always open before him and his hands rested on it. Face to face with the Lord and resting on the promises. He had always some dainty morsel or other to give me from the Word, he always led me right to His Presence when we prayed together. How is it that we have so few who live thus at all times in the secret of His Presence ? ’ Why do we not yield ourselves to the Lord and let our life be one of prayer and communion with Him ? Then we could lead others to a higher life. From Murree we all went together to the Sialkot Convention and probably that was one of the most wonderful Conventions ever held—Mr. Hyde took some of the morning Bible readings, which- proved so helpful to those present
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverence and supplication for all saints.
Ephesians vi. 18.
Be careful for nothing ; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Philippians iv. 6.
Pray without ceasing !
—1 Thessalonians v. 17.
Prayer is to the spiritual life what air is to the physical. Make it a rule never to see the face of man until you have seen the face of God. Each day is a new life ; make sure of a good beginning. The devil may be so thoroughly beaten in the morning, that his assault will be feeble all the rest of the day. . The spirit of prayer should also be militated until we form the habit of associating prayer with all we do. Our petitions need not always be uttered in words. Prayer 2-92 the farm of a silent aspiration of the soul should be continually breathed out to God, whether we are in solitude or surrounded by the busy crowd. . . . We should finish each day as we begin it on our knees. Before retiring to rest always review the day, and ask pardon for the wrong you have done.. .. Be men and women of prayer. None are eminent for piety and usefulness who neglect this duty, All who would win great victories for God in public must first prevail in the solitude of their 07207 chambers.
—THOMAS COOK.