Satan Laughs at our Toiling, Mocks at our Wisdom, but Trembles When We Pray

Tip! “Asking of God” and “receiving” from the Lord - direct request to God, immediate connection with God - that is true prayer.

Fellow-Christians, it is time for us to wake up! The devil is blinding our eyes. He is endeavoring to prevent us from facing this question of prayer. These articles are written by special request. I have been told that the books and articles I have written are not the truth by people who have not studied the Holy Bible. But it has been many months since that request came. Every attempt to begin to write has been frustrated, and even now I am conscious of a strange reluctance to do so. There seems to be some mysterious power restraining my hand and my mind.

Do we realize that there is nothing the devil dreads so much as prayer? His great concern is to keep us from praying. He loves to see us "up to our eyes" in work — provided we do not pray. He does not fear because we are eager and earnest Bible students — provided we are little in prayer.

Someone has wisely said, "Satan laughs at our toiling, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray." All this is so familiar to us — but do we really pray? If not, then failure must dog our every footstep, at whatever signs of apparent success there may be.

Tip! Our ability to work for God, and to pray to God, and live for God, and affect others for God, will be dependent on the measure of the Holy Spirit received by us, dwelling in us, and working through us.

Let us never forget that the greatest thing we can do for God or for man is to pray; for we can accomplish far more by our prayers than by our work. Prayer is omnipotent; it can do anything that God can do! When we pray God goes to work. All fruitfulness in service is the outcome of prayer — of the worker's prayers, or of those who are holding up holy hands on his behalf. We all know how to pray, but perhaps many of us need to cry as the disciples did of old, "Lord, teach us to pray."

O Lord, by Whom ye come to God,

The Life, the Truth, the Way,

The path of prayer Thyself hast trod;

Lord, teach us now to pray.