The Necessity of Prayer
Edward M. Bounds
VIII. PRAYER AND CHARACTER AND CONDUCT
"General Charles James Gordon, the hero of Khartum, was a truly
Christian soldier. Shut up in the Sudanese town he gallantly held out for one
year, but, finally, was overcome and slain. On his memorial in Westminster
Abbey are these words, 'He gave his money to the poor; his sympathy to the
sorrowing; his life to his country and his soul to God.'" -- HOMER W.
HODGE.
PRAYER governs conduct and conduct makes character.
Conduct, is what we do; character, is what we are. Conduct is the outward life.
Character is the life unseen, hidden within, yet evidenced by that which is
seen. Conduct is external, seen from without; character is internal --
operating within. In the economy of grace conduct is the offspring of character.
Character is the state of the heart, conduct its outward expression. Character
is the root of the tree, conduct, the fruit it bears.
Prayer is related to all the gifts of grace. To character and conduct its
relation is that of a helper. Prayer helps to establish character and fashion
conduct, and both for their successful continuance depend on prayer. There may
be a certain degree of moral character and conduct independent of prayer, but
there cannot be anything like distinctive religious character and Christian
conduct without it. Prayer helps, where all other aids fail. The more we pray,
the better we are, the purer and better our lives.
The very end and purpose of the atoning work of Christ is to create religious
character and to make Christian conduct.
"Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all
iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good
works."
In Christ's teaching, it is not simply works of charity
and deeds of mercy upon which He insists, but inward spiritual character. This
much is demanded, and nothing short of it, will suffice.
In the study of Paul's Epistles, there is one thing which stands out, clearly
and unmistakably -- the insistence on holiness of heart, and righteousness of
life. Paul does not seek, so much, to promote what is termed "personal work,"
nor is the leading theme of his letters deeds of charity. It is the condition of
the human heart and the blamelessness of the personal life, which form the
burden of the writings of St. Paul.
Elsewhere in the Scriptures, too, it is character and conduct which are made
preeminent. The Christian religion deals with men who are devoid of spiritual
character, and unholy in life, and aims so to change them, that they become holy
in heart and righteous in life. It aims to change bad men into good men; it
deals with inward badness, and works to change it into inward goodness. And it
is just here where prayer enters and demonstrates its wonderful efficacy and
fruit. Prayer drives toward this specific end. In fact, without prayer, no such
supernatural change in moral character, can ever be effected. For the change
from badness to goodness is not wrought "by works of righteousness which we have
done," but according to God's mercy, which saves us "by the washing of
regeneration." And this marvellous change is brought to pass through earnest,
persistent, faithful prayer. Any alleged form of Christianity, which does not
effect this change in the hearts of men, is a delusion and a snare.
The office of prayer is to change the character and conduct of men, and in
countless instances, has been wrought by prayer. At this point, prayer, by its
credentials, has proved its divinity. And just as it is the office of prayer to
effect this, so it is the prime work of the Church to take hold of evil men and
make them good. Its mission is to change human nature, to change character,
influence behaviour, to revolutionize conduct. The Church is presumed to be
righteous, and should be engaged in turning men to righteousness. The Church is
God's manufactory on earth, and its primary duty is to create and foster
righteousness of character. This is its very first business. Primarily, its work
is not to acquire members, nor amass numbers, nor aim at money-getting, nor
engage in deeds of charity and works of mercy, but to produce righteousness of
character, and purity of the outward life.
A product reflects and partakes of the character of the manufactory which
makes it. A righteous Church with a righteous purpose makes righteous men.
Prayer produces cleanliness of heart and purity of life. It can produce nothing
else. Unrighteous conduct is born of prayerlessness; the two go hand-in-hand.
Prayer and sinning cannot keep company with each other. One, or the other, must,
of necessity, stop. Get men to pray, and they will quit sinning, because prayer
creates a distaste for sinning, and so works upon the heart, that evil-doing
becomes repugnant, and the entire nature lifted to a reverent contemplation of
high and holy things.
Prayer is based on character. What we are with God gauges our influence with
Him. It was the inner character, not the outward seeming, of such men as
Abraham, Job, David, Moses and all others, who had such great influence with God
in the days of old. And, today, it is not so much our words, as what we really
are, which weighs with God. Conduct affects character, of course, and counts for
much in our praying. At the same time, character affects conduct to a far
greater extent, and has a superior influence over prayer. Our inner life not
only gives colour to our praying, but body, as well. Bad living means bad
praying and, in the end, no praying at all. We pray feebly because we live
feebly. The stream of prayer cannot rise higher than the fountain of living. The
force of the inner chamber is made up of the energy which flows from the
confluent streams of living. And the weakness of living grows out of the
shallowness and shoddiness of character.
Feebleness of living reflects its debility and langour in the praying hours.
We simply cannot talk to God, strongly, intimately, and confidently unless we
are living for Him, faithfully and truly. The prayer-closet cannot become
sanctified unto God, when the life is alien to His precepts and purpose. We must
learn this lesson well -- that righteous character and Christlike conduct give
us a peculiar and preferential standing in prayer before God. His holy Word
gives special emphasis to the part conduct has in imparting value to our praying
when it declares:
"Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt
cry, and He shall say, Here I am; if thou take away from the midst of thee the
yoke, the putting forth the finger, and speaking vanity."
The
wickedness of Israel and their heinous practices were definitely cited by
Isaiah, as the reason why God would turn His ears away from their prayers:
"And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes
from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full
of blood."
