02.01. Chapter 01. Prayer, A Force
Prayer, A Force "Much prevailing strength has the supplication of a righteous man in its working."
Over half a century since Dr. Fleming Stevenson enriched the church of God with his gracious book Praying and Working. But needful as is the lesson that prayer must be accompanied by all right effort, that book taught also, and impressively, the truth expressed in our own title. What is here written is to prove and illustrate the thought that praying is working, and not merely an adjunct to working. It is a form of working, and not simply a somewhat properly added to our efforts out of reverence to the Almighty; nor is it only an appeal for His blessing to prosper our labours. When a righteous man prays he works. For prayer in the spirit is one agency by which the Spirit of God effects through the believer His will, and is, indeed, a putting forth of His energy.1 Moreover, praying is not only working; it is the very highest order of working.
(a) It is that work to which our glorified Lord is ceaselessly devoting Himself: "He ever liveth to make intercession."2 It is therefore our closest and highest co-operation with Him; at once our most heavenly and effective work.
(b) Prayer is that work which by itself brings to pass results which all other efforts of man cannot effect. Elijah by prayer alone controlled the weather for three and a half years, prohibiting all moisture, both dew and
(c Again, prayer is the highest form of working because it affects the heavens above, and not only the earth-level. The Scripture shows that the forces and operations of nature are under the domination of angels, holy and evil. If these do not regularly control those forces, they do so on occasion.4 Prayer affects their doings in two ways. Firstly, being itself an effort of the spirit of man, it is a setting in motion of a force proper to that realm where the nature of being is spirit: "we wrestle against wicked spirits," and are thus an obstacle to their activities. And then, secondly, prayer is an appeal behind and above those heavenly rulers to the Supreme Ruler Who dominates them, and Who can suspend His rules under which angels ordinarily act. Not that man has warrant for direct appeals to angels; but prayer "moves the hand that moves the world," and can thus set in motion, and modify the workings of, those celestial powers.
Daniel "set his face unto the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes"; and "at the beginning of his supplications the commandment went forth," and Gabriel was sent to instruct him.5 Later,6 Daniel was again in prayer, but no immediate response was gained. Therefore he, like Elijah before him, persisted in prayer, "watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication,"7 and with fasting. After three whole weeks the response came, and with it the explanation of the delay. There had been no delay on God’s part: "from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to humble thyself before thy God, thy words were heard." But a mighty evil spirit, then guiding the destinies of the Persian empire, had obstructed God’s messenger,8 who could not proceed on his errand until reinforced in the conflict by Michael, one of the chief princes" of that kingdom of the heavens.9
1 Ephesians 6:18; Romans 8:26-27. 2 Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34.
It is enough for our present purpose to note how the praying of a righteous man caused motion, and even commotion, in the spirit world. And here again is a result that no other effort of man could effect.
Since therefore the Christian’s greatest influence is exerted by payer he must inevitably be at his weakest when prayerless, and be strongest when prayerful.