How often you have heard the words, fire begets
fire. And someone has ably written, to bring
fire on earth he came, kindled in some hearts
it is. But oh, that all might catch the blaze
and all partake the glorious bliss. of the heaven
-descended dove, my heart the altar, and I love
the flame. Like everything else in the Christian
life, prayer can become lopsided. You know, sometimes
we get so lopsided in our theology, in our doctrine.
And sometimes I think that prayer can become
very lopsided. Prayer is no substitute for work.
Equally true is the fact that work is no substitute
for prayer. Prayer is the greatest power that
God has given to men and women and never forget
it. Never. There is no greater power that God
has given to the saints of God than prayer. And
there's nothing that the enemy of our soul, that
hell fears more than praying men and praying
women. To live well. One does not have to live
long. Sometimes a man can live 80, 83, 85 years
on this earth. And when he leaves, he will have
accomplished nothing. He has given nothing. And
he has received nothing. He's received nothing
because he's given nothing. And so it isn't a
matter of how long one lives, but how well one
lives. Remember that. A man only 28 years old
may die 100 years old in wisdom, in the spiritual
sphere. The richest garments of the soul are
spun on the looms of prayer, dyed in the travail
that builds up the sufferings of Christ. Oh,
how those fellow missionaries invade Henry Martin's
spirituality. And one says of him, Oh, to be
able to emulate his excellences, his elevation
of piety. His diligence, his superiority to the
world, his love for souls, his anxiety to improve
all occasions to do souls good, his insight into
Christ and the heavenly temper. These are the
secrets of the wonderful impression that he made
in India. But Martin says of himself, The ways
of wisdom appear more sweet and reasonable than
ever, and the world more insipid and vexatious.
The chief thing I mourn over, he continues, is
my want of power, my desire of spiritual power.
and the lack of fervor in secret prayer, especially
when I plead for the heathen. In proportion to
my light, warmth does not increase within me.
Oh, the longing in the heart of a spiritual man.
The longing, the longing. The deeper one goes
spiritually, the more that one has received spiritual,
the deeper, the greater will be the desire for
more and more and more. The longing will be more
intense than ever before. Know that. By its very
nature, fire be... Fire begets fire. The scripture
says, see how great a matter a little fire can
do. Fire begets fire. Fire can never make ice.
The devil certainly cannot make saints. Neither
can prayerless. Men and women produce warriors
of intercession, and yet one spark from an handle
may set a city on fire. From one candle, ten
thousand others may take a light. From the matchless
prayer of one light, take, for example, the life
of David Brainerd, outstanding in his field of
service for the Lord. How many have caught? The
light from his life. Like Carrie. Payson. Oh,
sure. Read the pages regarding the life of God's
precious saints. William Carey. Red Brainerd's
life story. And a dynamo started within the young
soul winner's breast. Finally landing him on
India's coral strand. At the flame of Brainerd's
molden soul, the candle of Edward Payson's heart
was lighted under Todd. Thus from just the diary
of the pain -wracked apostle who served his years,
his ministry to the Northern American Indians,
Payson caught the motivating inspiration and
began at 20 years of age a prayer life that almost
surpassed that of Brainerd's. To add yet another
soul to that of Brainerd's great influence. Another
master of prayer who tuttered into his grave
at the ripe old age of 29, and we speak of Robert
Murray McShay. This marvelous giant in prayer
was first magnetized to this greatest of all
human offices. The greatest. The greatest of
all human offices. That the soul of man can exercise.
By reading about Brainerd. Your influence. My
influence. Your testimony. My testimony. Your
prayer life. The result of your prayer life.
The result of your spiritual influence. Fire
begets. Fire. No man lives unto himself. Know
that. Always remember that. You do not live totally
unto yourself. You have an influence. Every man,
every woman has an influence. Fire begets fire.
Another great soul. The great Jonathan Edwards.
watched Brainerd. As the tides of consumption
grew greater over Brainerd's body, Godly Jonathan
Edwards wrote, I praise God that in his providence
Brainerd should die in my house so that I might
hear his prayer. so that I might witness his
consecration and be inspired by his example.
And when Brainerd was dying, Wesley, John Wesley,
was in about the prime of his spiritual conquest.
And listen to that saint of God, John Wesley,
talking to his conference in England. And this
is what they said. What can be done to revive
the work of the Lord where it has decayed? And
then the rentless, tireless evangelist, who shook
literally three kingdoms, answered his own question
by saying, Let every minister, let... Every child
of God, let every saint read carefully the life
of David Brainerd. You know, the true church
is born from above. And in it, there are no sinners.
Outside of it, no saints. No man can put another
man's name on its... member's role. No man can
cross another's name off that role. This church,
this glorious body of believers of which, thank
God, there is still a glorious remnant in the
world. His church lives, moves, and has its being
in prayer. And prayer is its sole sincere desire.
And there is no substitute in any man's life
for prayer. There is no substitute in the church
for prayer. As an individual, there is no substitute
for prayer in your life. atom bomb shook Hiroshima,
so prayer alone can release that power which
would shake the hearts of men. This culture paganism
at our doors, those idol temples, those fear
-gripped, sin -mesmerized millions can only be
moved to God. as the church is moved of God for
their lost condition. With every possible guile
that he knows, Satan would snatch us from the
closet of prayer, from the life of prayer, from
the power that there is in prayer. For in prayer,
man is linked with God. That's your link. That's
my link with God, prayer. And in that glorious
union, Satan is baffled. Satan is beaten. And
well, he knows this. And so, if the closet of
prayer is shut tightly, the mind is invaded with
legitimate cares or with imaginations as big.
are more real than life itself. Here we need
to plead our main defense, the blood, the precious
blood of Jesus Christ. We need to plead the covering
of the blood for our lives, our household, our
loved ones. Another way to offset wandering thoughts.
And to help concentration is to pray audibly
or to give some utterance at least, though it
may not be loud. After all, prayer is literally
talking to God, our Heavenly Father. When there
is that glorious relationship, and you can look
up and know that you have a Heavenly Father,
and you talk with Him, you don't shout at Him.
You converse with Him. You wait in His presence.
Sometimes you wait silently, for in silence,
in stillness, there's great power, there's great
energy, there's great force. For in the very
stillness, you're strengthened, not only spiritually,
but physically as well. Oh, that glorious power
of prayer. Exceeding great and precious are his
promises. Here we're on concrete foundation.
Here we're trading currencies with heaven. Here
God is pledged and longs to hear and honor our
pleadings. Here we may be engaged in warfare,
not with God, but against principalities, for
Satan delights in loss no more than In the other
being, souls of men are his treasures. Damned
souls, doubting souls, drunk souls, disobedient
souls, sick souls, religious souls, souls of
the young, souls of the old, and all souls outside
the regenerating power of the spirit are mastered
by Satan, though the degrees of his mastery vary.
Souls and degrees of spirituality are... special
targets for his fiery arrows, but the shield
of faith, the shield of prayer, the shield of
love, the shield of hope will brush them all
off and will leave us all unscathed. But remember,
Prayer is not for defense. The shield of faith
is for that. Prayer is our secret weapon. That
glorious secret weapon. We do not conquer Satan
by prayer. Christ conquered Satan 2 ,000 years
ago. Jesus himself said, I give you power over
all the power of the enemy. That, my friend,
is a victory. That is victory in Christ Jesus.
And in this moment, I pray that you'll catch
a new insight to the power that there is. is
in prayer. You cannot live a truly spiritual
life without prayer. You cannot live a victorious
life without prayer. Prayer is the greatest power
that God has given to men and women. Make this
real to hearts for Jesus' sake. Amen.