BOOKS BY REV. W. V.

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Books by Rev. W. V. Grant

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Chapter I DRA W NEAR TO GOD Recently I was told about a woman that came to her pastor and asked what to do for her husband that was so wicked. "Have you tried heaping coals of fire upon his head?" asked the godly pastor. "No," answered the sister, "but I have poured hot coffee down his neck, but it did not seem to help." Like many people today, the sister did not know that she could pray for him and help the matter. Jesus said that if we would pray for them that despitefully use us we could win them to God. He said in so doing it would be heaping coals of fire on their heads. 'They would become restless and dissatisfied. They would be under conviction and could not rest until they made peace with God. Why Is It Necessary for One To Pray in Secret? I pray in secret so I can talk over secrets with the Lord. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him (Ps. 25:
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I pray in secret so I can recognize God's presence. His Spirit lingers near and rests upon me. I feel His presence when there is nothing to disturb. I pray in seclusion because I want to commune with God in an intel1igent way. I can hear His voice in a better and clearer way if I am not listening to other sounds. r would not enter into the presence of a king with a divided interest. I would give my full attention to the supreme ruler of a country. If we are not conscious that we are in the presence of God, we would not know when we made contact. We would not know when our prayer was heard. We would not know when we had His attention. We must address the Lord as if we were talking to Him in person, because we are. He is on earth. He is where we are. He is with us always. He is in the room where we are, listening to each word we utter. If we do not recognize that we have an audience with Him, then we are apt to use vain repetitions as the heathens do. We would expect
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to be heard for our much speaking (Matt. 6 :7). The Lord becomes weary with mere words (Mal. 2: 17) . I feel very much unwanted when I start to say something important to a friend and he begins to talk about something else while I am talking. How does the Lord feel when He starts to talk to us and we begin to utter words about our own interests? Let's pray about what the Lord is interested in. This we will do if we let the Spirit guide us and pray through us. One time David thought the Lord was far off (I Sam. 27: 1). When he knew the Lord better he recognized the Lord was by his side. Does The Lord Hear a Silent Prayer? .Before I was saved I could curse and not realize that the Lord was hearing me. After I was saved, I felt like he would hear me if I said a bad word. Before I received the Holy Ghost I could carryon a conversation, not knowing that He was listening. After I was filled with the Holy Ghost I knew that He was right with me, listening to each conversation. I would not dare criticize anyone. I would not say anything that I would not say if he were present. I pray in secret because it is an example that Jesus left. We are to follow in His footsteps. (I Peter 2 :21). If it was needful for Him to pray in secret then it is more needful for me. If you do not need to get alone in prayer then you count yourself better than your Lord. I pray in secret because I am commanded to do so (Matt. 6 :1-6). If we say that we know Him and do not keep His commandments then we are a liar (I John 2 :4). I pray in secret because we absorb that which we come in contact with. We become like that with which we associate. When Moses was alone with God his face shone. (Ex. 34 :33). When Samson laid his head in Delilah's lap he became like the world. When Peter was alone on the house top he heard God's voice. He was used in God's service to help others find this peace. I pray in secret because I know I will see results. Miracles, wonders, signs, and healing will follow my ministry. I can know His will for my life. I can receive guidance each step of the way. Every problem will be solved. I know that I
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will always be rewarded openly. He that prays in secret will be rewarded openly. If he is not rewarded openly then he does not pray in secret. You cannot pray in secret and keep it a secret. As We Pray Is It Necessary for Us To Recognize God's Presence? Our faith is increased when we know that He is by our side listening to us. He knows that we are worshipping Him. He hears our petitions. We know He knows. We know 'He cares. We realize that He is concerned. He is with us always. As the air we breathe He is everywhere. He is omnipresent. He is a present help in time of need. He is the Great I AM. He is never confined to a certain place or a certain time . A group of people one time believed that they must worship God in Jerusalem. Jesus set one woman straight concerning this. He told the woman at the well that the hour would come that the true worshippers would not need to worship the Father in the mountain nor in Jerusalem. He said that they would worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. (John 4 :21-23). As we went through Jerusalem we knew He was there, but we did not feel Him any more there than we do in this country. I went in the empty tomb, but He was not there any more than He is in Africa. I went upon Mount Calvary; He was not there any more than we felt Him in Rome. I knelt in the garden where He knelt, but He was with me as He was in Japan. I tarried in the upper room where the disciples received the Holy Ghost, but that was no more real than the sawdust at Mount Tabor where I received the Holy Ghost Baptism. He is with me alway. Men's lives would be different if they knew that another world was watching. They would act differently if they knew that they were in His presence. We are compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses. Another world is watching us now. The angels are encamping about us (Ps. 34 :7). The presence of God is here. He observes. He sees everything. We can hide nothing from Him (Heb. 4 :13). If God would hear you curse you know that He would hear you pray when you are in need. What kind of God
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are you serving if he hears you say bad words and does not hear your sincere prayer as you are in trouble? What kind of God would He be that would curse you and not be concerned enough about you to bless you? How Close Is The Lord To Us As We Pray? He is closer than your shirt. He is in us. (I Cor. 6 :19). The anointing abides in you. (John 2 :27). He will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13 :5). He dwells in your body. (1 Cor. 3 :17). Our flesh is the tabernacle of God. (1 Cor. 4:7). God is light. (1 John 1:5). Your whole body may be full of light. (Matt. 6 :22) . In Him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17 :28). He is in you and you are in Him. (John 14:11-17). In me He makes His abode. (John 14 :17). This being true then we must not pray to Him as if He were away off in heaven. The heathens pray as if He were asleep or on a journey (1 Kings 18 :27). He wants you to talk to Him like He is present, listening to you. He is a present help (Ps. 46 :1). He is the Word. He is nigh unto thy mouth (Rom. 10 :8). Open your mouth wide and He will fill it. (Ps. 81 :10). What would happen if the dikes would break from around the Mississippi river? The water would flood the Mississippi Delta. You would not need to stand and beg the water to come and cover the delta. It would automatically flood the whole valley. When you break the dikes from around your soul the Holy Spirit will automatically come and flood your heart and life. Your soul and body will be saturated. You will not need to stand and beg Him to "come down" and bless you. He is here. He is near. This week here in Mobile, Alabama, 1 told a city bus driver these words in the morning service. Suddenly he was filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire. He had been seeking the Holy Ghost for a long time, but he did not know he was near trying to come in. When he learned this truth he simply opened his mouth and let Him in. As he breathed in the Lord came in to dwell. The Holy Ghost comes by faith (Gal. 3 :2-5). About the time the bus driver received the Holy Ghost
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a Baptist lady saw how simple it was, and how anxious the Holy Ghost was to come in. She broke the dikes and was gloriously filled with God as the disciples were filled at Pentecost. There were streams in the desert (lsa. 35 :6). The parched grounds became flooded. The barren ground was soaked. The Lord gave her rain in the time of the latter rain (Zech. 10 :1). A little lady was there who had picked cotton to get money to come to that meeting. She lived hundreds of miles away, but she picked cotton for money to pay her fare. She began to open the gates to her soul. The glory flooded her life. Her whole body was instantly filled with God because her faith was inspired as she saw the others filled. The virtue of Christ went into her blind eye. Instantly she could see. She had been blind since she was a little girl. He is near. He is anxious to enter. He will come into a vessel that is empty. If the doubts and sin are gone. If you will break down your rebellious nature He will enter instantly. Can We Know That He Is Present To Hear Us Pray? The Holy Spirit prays through us. He searches out the deep things of God. He makes intercession according to the will of God. (Rom. 8 :20-32). When we pray according to His will we know that He hears us. (I John 5:14-15). If we know that He hears we know that we have the answer. In other words, as we let the Holy Spirit pray through us we are not praying contrary to His will. Then the Holy Spirit immediately drops the assurance into our soul. Sometimes we feel the assurance until we feel like laughing. We feel the joy and the nearness of God. Then we can delight ourselves in the Lord and He will give us the desires of our heart. (Ps. 37 :4). Night before last, as I lay in the bed the Holy Spirit was interceeding through me. It was revealed to me that a lady was crippled. I was made to know that arthritis had fastened itself to her. It went all around her in her legs and in her hips. Yesterday morning in service I told the people of the lady. She was here. She was healed instantly as she moved
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out and obeyed the Lord. All the congregation rejoiced with her. She demonstrated to the people how she was completely free! When we recognize that He is near it is not hard to pray. It is .easy to have faith. It is a delight. Is it Scriptural for Men To Recognize God's Presence? We have teeming thousands of people today, who are pastoring churches and going to Bible school, who will tell you that all we have to go by is the printed Bible. They say that wexcannot receive a revelation from God. They say that God cannot speak to us or call us to preach. They don't believe that you will know it when you are born again. I beat them to the crossing. I found out for myself. They came too late to tell me. At one time Moses seemed to think it was all right to work for God without knowing that He was present. He did not wait on the leading of the Spirit when to move. He relied on his training. In his own strength he tried to liberate God's people. He made a miserable failure. Then after he had learned his lesson he told the Lord that he would only go and work for Him if His presence went up with him. He said if God's presence did not go up with him, he would not go (Ex. 33 :11-15). The Lord revealed to Moses that His name is "I am that I am" (Ex. 3 :14). That is still His name. His name is never "I was" or "I will be." He says "I am with you alway." Just before I enter into a service where there are hundreds of people waiting to be delivered from sin, sickness, and demons, I feel like saying the same thing that Moses said. I tell Him I cannot go unless His presence goes with me. When I feel that assurance then I walk boldly before the people. I see them delivered; for God is in our midst. r felt my inability in a tent meeting in Oklahoma the other night. I refused to get out of the car until I was conscious that I AM was leading me. When I began that service the opposition was so great that it was like a wall before me. I knew the One Who Knows was there. Soon the walls began to crumble. Deaf people heard. The blind saw again. Devils were cast out. Many people surrendered to Jesus.
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Daniel was a man of prayer. He saw the Ancient of Days ascend the throne. He saw Jesus. He was brought near (Dan. 7 :13). While he was in the presence of kings Daniel felt the presence of the King of Kings with him. In the midst of lions he recognized Jesus walking through the den with him. The disciples were sad when they learned that Jesus was leaving them. Jesus told them that it would be better for them if He went away. He said if He left them He would send the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost. He said at that time He and the Father would come in and take up their abode. He told them He and the Father would dwell in them (John 14 :17-23). It is better since the Holy Ghost came, because Jesus could be only with them. Now He can be in us. He could be at one place at a time then. Now He can be with all of us at all times. Where two or three of us are gathered together He is in our midst. When I am alone He is in me. Begin now. Practice the presence of God. In your daily life recognize Him. He is in us now. Why Don't People Pray for the Sick More Than They Do? We seldom see men of God praying for the sick in Bible times. They gave a command, or spoke a word, and the healing came as the afflicted person obeyed the man of God. Naaman went and washed in the Jordan. The blind man washed in the pool. A man stretched forth a withered hand. Hezekiah used a poultice of figs. A sick man carried his bed. The lame man arose and walked. As people obeyed the command of the Lord's servants they were delivered. Bear in mind that there was much praying before the men of God were able to move with the Spirit of God enough to give the command, or to speak the word that brought healing. They communed with the Lord before the healing service until they knew the will of God and the mind of the Spirit. Abraham told the people of Kadar that Sarah was his sister. She was his half sister. ( Gen. 20: 12) . He did not want them to know that she was his wife. He was afraid that they would kill him and take her. He discerned their spirits, but his faith was not strong enough to believe for
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divine protection. So he fell on the scheme to make the people think that this beautiful woman was not his wife. Abimelech, the king of the country, decided to take Sarah to be his wife. The Lord appeared to Abimelech in a dream and told him that he would soon be a dead man because he had another man's wife. That is what God thinks about a man taking a woman that belongs to some other man. According to God's Word the death sentence is passed on them. (Lev. 20 :10). "You are but a dead man." Many of such men die. Because of God's mercy, or because some prayer warrior prayed, some lives have been spared for awhile. God gives them one more chance. Since Abimelech did this horrible thing in ignorance, and had not yet defiled her, the Lord gave him a chance to make things right. Because of this evil deed a plague had come upon Abimelech and his household. All the women had become barren. The plague would have brought on the death of the king. (Gen. 20 :7) . The Lord told the king that if he would restore the man's wife and ask for prayer they would be healed. When Abimelech made restitution, and Abraham prayed for him, all the women of the country received healing. Abraham prayed a short prayer, but how many long nights did he pray before the Lord began to speak to the king? We need more intercessors as Abraham. (Gen. 20: 17) . Will The Way We Live Hinder Prayer from Being Heard? We know by now that sickness comes as a curse and not a blessing. Moses' sister Miriam was cursed with leprosy because she murmured against God's servant. There is a connection between sin and sickness. The twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy proves this to you without a doubt. Sickness is not always the result of sins. It is the result of sin. It is not caused always by the sin of the afflicted one, but by sin that entered into the world. Because of one man's sin death passed upon all men. (Rom. 5 :12). Many times we must search our own heart and life to find the solution to our problems. There we may find the key that unlocks healing for our body. Miriam saw a fault in Moses' wife (Ex . 4 25) . Sh e 1..~ . 114:1r8

bored the resentment against Moses. Soon she began, with others, to question his authority as God's leader (Numbers, chapter 16; Numbers 12 :2-3). Miriam was not satisfied with the honor of being a relative of a man that was mightily used of the Lord. She stirred up trouble. A prophet is not honored among his own kinsfolk; not even Jesus (Mark 6 :4). Moses knew that vengeance belonged to the Lord. So he left this to the Lord as he usually did. The Lord defended Moses. He asked Miriam if she was not afraid to speak evil of His anointed. (N urn. 12: 8) . Miriam, evidently the ring leader of the rebellion, was smitten with leprosy. When she raw that she was shut out of the camp forever she began to make restitution. She had true repentance. She was truly sorry for what she had done. Laying aside her pride she asked her brother, whom she had criticized, to interceed in prayer for her. Moses prayed, "Heal her NOW, 0 God, I beseech thee" (N urn. 12: 13). This is one of the shortest prayers in all the Bible, but one of the most effective. This is proof that it does not take long prayers for us to receive healing from God. When we are in a healing service the more faith we have the shorter our prayers are. It was seven days before this lady was pronounced well. The visible results were not instant. This shows that we must believe God has heard our prayers, regardless if we see no results with our natural eye. We walk by faith and not by sight (II Cor. 5 :7). About a week ago a lady came and asked me to pray for her baby. I prayed until I felt the assurance. After prayer she was still afraid that her baby would die with cancer. The Lord wants us to trust Him and have the assurance that He has heard us. When the lady went for an examination she was pleased to find that there was no trace of the cancer. She found that the baby was recovering. The children of Israel began to murmur and complain in the wilderness. They spoke against God and against Moses, (Num. 21 :12). A plague came on them; they were bitten by deadly serpents. They asked for prayer. Moses prayed
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for their healing (Num. 21 :7). When Moses prayed the Lord told him to hang up a serpent on a pole. Everyone who looked at the brazen serpent was healed (Num. 21 :8). This was a case of both prayer and obedience that brought healing to the people. We learn that healing is a part of the atonement, (John 3:14; Matt. 8:14-17). As we pray we must keep our eyes upon the atonement. We must realize that there is a life for a look. Is Prayer Sometimes Hard on the Physical Body? The natural must be crucified. (Rom. 8 :7). In that way it is hard on our human body. We watch our body to keep it under subjection. (I Cor. 9 :27). Otherwise men would be disinterested in prayer. Prayer is a warfare. We fight against our selfish desires which make us disinterested in Spiritual things. It is the trick of the devil to get us to be at ease with natural comforts, until we forget to seek after Spiritual things. The flesh fights against the Spirit and the Spirit fights against the things of the flesh (Rom. 8: 6-7) . We do not fight against human enemies as people did in Old Testament times. We fight against powers and principalities, against rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph. 6 :12). The Lord told Moses to get up off his face and do something. He told him to arise and stretch forth his rod. When he did the waters rolled back. The people marched across on dry ground, (Ex. 14:15-16). Sometimes there is something for us to do. He opens the prison doors, but He expects us to march out of prison. There is a time to pray and a time to act. Faith without works is dead (James 2: 17) . We can act without prayer and see no results. We can fail to act after we pray and meet defeat. It takes obedience along with prayer. Why do we call Him "Lord, Lord" and do not the thing He says? Does A Prayer Warrior Need the Cooperation of Other People of God? There is a limit in how far an intercessor can go in holding back the enemy. We need to join him in prayer to hold back
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danger many times. We have limitations as long as we are human. As Moses was interceeding for God's people in the middle of the battle, his arms grew weary and fell. The enemy prevailed when his arms dropped. When his arms were in the air God's people conquered the evil powers (Exodus 17: 1). This is a tremendous lesson for the church in our day. Moses was actually fighting against the powers of darkness behind the enemy. He was interceeding in prayer. He was fighting against a much stronger power behind Amelek. Joshua and Hur noticed that God's people were losing each time Moses' hand dropped. They had Moses to sit on a rock. They held us his hands, one on one side and one on the other. The enemy was defeated. As we hold up our leaders' hands in prayer the church will chase every enemy. United prayer is essential for the church today if it moves forward against the opposition. We must overthrow the spiritual darkness that is pressing against the church. If we can overcome the enemy that comes against the church we can also prevail against the enemies that come against our nation. What Are Some More of the Things That Will Hinder The Answers to Our Prayers? Discouragements, personal ambitions, idols, moving out of the will of the Lord, and many other things will hinder the victory from coming. We can learn all these lessons from the account of the battle that Gideon won. (Judges, chapter six) . Gideon first threw down the altar of Baal at the risk of his own life. The Lord is seeking clean hearts and lives. If we want to be a victorious intercessor we must destroy all the idols that keep God from working in our lives. Every habit must fall off. We must have no other God before Him. We must observe the first commandment. We must put God first in everything that we do. Does The Lord Ever Answer Our Prayer While We Are Yet Praying? He said that while we are yet speaking He hears us; before we call He will answer (Isa. 65 :24). David talked to the Lord as one friend would talk to
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another. We read time after time that David "inquired of the Lord". The Lord would answer and tell him what he needed to know. It is a great advantage to us if we know how to inquire of the Lord and have Him to answer us. One time after David became king, the Philistines came down against him in great numbers. He asked the Lord if he must go up against them in battle. He asked if tlie Lord would deliver them into his hands. (II Sam. 5 :19). David moved forward and defeated the Philistines. They fled, leaving their idols behind. Then they camped in the nearby valley. Instead of David feeling self secure and successful, he did not rely on his past victories. He stopped long enough to enquire of the Lord. He asked for, and received, divine guidance. The Lord answered and told him not to go against the enemy as before. He told him to spring a surprise attack on the enemy from behind. He was instructed not to charge against the enemy until he heard a moving sound in the mulberry trees (I Sam. 5 :24). As David moved with the Spirit the battle was won. It is wonderful that the busy king, who was facing a battle, took time out to inquire of the Lord. Far too many people become too busy to pray. They try to fight the enemy without seeking for divine guidance. We must wait for the moving of the Spirit and listen to His voice as we pray. We see here that the Lord does not move in the same way every time. We need a word of wisdom as we move in God's will and in His time. This we will receive if we spend time in communion with the Lord.

Chapter II PRAYERS THAT PREVAIL I heard that one man was seeking the Holy Ghost. About the time he almost had the answer, the devil whispered, "Did you leave the back lot gate open?" He went to see. He almost had the victory again when the devil said, "Is the calf out with the cow?" He went to see. Net, Satan whispered, "The chickens are in the garden." he next time he said, "Is a cow's horns in front of her ears or behind?" He went to see. he next time he was almost prayed through, Satan said, "If a cow is lying down, and starts to get up, does she get up on her front feet first or her hind feet?" SHOULD OUR RULERS PRAY? It is good for our rulers to pray, but they are not going to receive the answers to their prayers unless they believe in Christ. We are taught to pray in the name of Jesus if we want the answer to our prayers (John 16 :23). The other night I heard a speech by the president of the United States. He did not recognize Jesus. He said that we must ask for help "in the name of God." Have you ever heard a president make a speech and recognize Jesus Y The Bible plainly teaches that there is none other name given whereby men may be saved (Acts 4 :12). If men try to climb up any other way they are thieves and robbers (John 10 :1-6). Jesus is the door. We must come in by the door if we are saved. If we ask in the name of Jesus we are promised the answer to our prayers. Professing Christians are worried about a supreme court decision. They are afraid the court will take the "In God We Trust" off the coins, discard the National Anthem, or not let prayers be said in our schools. Why worry? Christ has been left out of those prayers and slogans years ago. If this nation gets where it will not recognize Christ it will be an antichrist nation. Why don't you pray that they will put "Jesus Saves" on our coins? Why don't they close the prayers that are said in the schools with HIn Jesus' Name"? Hezekiah was a godly king. He prayed to God when Sen13

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nacherib's army came against him. The Assyrian Kingdom was taking over the world. The king of Assyria served notice on Hezekiah that he was going to take Judah into captivity (II Kings 18 :36). King Hezekiah took the threatening letter and spread it before the Lord (II Kings 19 :18). He prayed until he received an answer from the Lord. After he received encouragement from the Lord he encouraged his people, (II Chron. 32 :7-8). He explained to them that they had the heavenly army on their side. He told them they were not leaning on the arm of flesh. He joined with the prophet Isaiah in earnest prayer for deliverance (II Chron. 32 :20). God heard the earnest prayers of a prophet and a king. An angel came on the scene and slayed 185,000 of the enemy in one night. The next morning there were 185,000 dead men lying on the ground. The Assyrian Army was defeated. God fought for His people. Why Do People Wait So Long About Praying? They seem to think they can depend on their own strength. They wait until they get into trouble before they earnestly pray. I heard that one brother prayed like this, "Lord, I have not asked you for anything in ten years. If you will only answer this prayer I promise you that I will never bother you again". It does not bother the Lord for us to pray. Hezekiah waited almost too long to pray. He tried to buy the enemy off with gold. He tried to appease Sennacherib. For years he had tried to compromise with the heathen king. He had shown him all the gold in the temple. He even cut off the gold door knobs from the beautiful temple which Solomon had built. He gave the gold door knobs to this wicked king. This proves to us that we cannot compromise with the enemy. If we give him an inch he will take a mile. The King of Assyria accepted the gold, but he was not satisfied. That was just bait for him. He came for the whole temple as well as the riches, the country, and the people. Give no place to the devil. Sometimes you start to pray and you think of a hundred things that need to be done. If you give up ten minutes of your prayer today Satan will demand twenty minutes of it tomorrow. You cannot bribe the devil and get rid of him.
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When Hezekiah prayed earnestly a miracle took place. Did Other Kings Pray? King Jehosphaphat prayed. This was another king of Judah that depended on human help. He almost waited too long to pray (IT Chron. 18 :31). He finally prayed just in time for the Lord to save him. At one time Elisha prayed and saved the life of the king while he was in battle (II Kings, chapter

3).
Two great nations, the descendents of two brothers, Ammon and Moah, came against King Jehoshaphat. As far as the natural was concerned there was no chance for Judah. Jehoshaphat turned to the Lord with all his heart. He really prayed (II Chron. 21 :3-4). He proclaimed a fast throughout the nation. People came out of every city of the nation to seek the Lord. Instead of mobilizing an army and fighting he led all the p~ople in prayer. He prayed an earnest and sincere prayer, direct to the Lord. He knew that he was out numbered (II Cbron. 20 :11-12). He admitted to the Lord that he was helpless. He cried to God. He knew there was no protection for the women, children, and all the homes. Divine protection was his only hope. Suddenly a prophet of God brought him a message from heaven. He told him that he would not need to fight at all. He said the battle was the Lord's and not his. He gave him instructions exactly what to do to win the battle. . The king had already prayed, so he just marched his people out before the enemy with the most powerful weapon in the world. This weapon is more powerful than the atomic bomb. It is stronger than the rockets from Russia. It is the weapon of praise. They marched before the army with "Praise the Lord". Each man on the enemy side began to destroy another. The fear of the Lord fell on them. Praises confuses the enemy. When the people in the upper room began to praise the Lord the enemy was confounded. He will be confounded if we will pray to the place where we can praise. Would the Lord Answer the Prayers of Rulers Today? If all the people of America would become Christians; if they would march out in front of the enemy praising the Lord,
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in the name of Jesus, no enemy could stand before them. Suppose our commander in chief of the American Army would spread the enemy's letter out before the Lord. Suppose he would receive the Holy Ghost Baptism and fail to leave his prayer room until God showed him what to do and how to do it. Suppose he would listen to a Holy Ghost preacher who had heard from God. Suppose he confessed his sins and quit them and tried to enforce prohibition. Suppose he confessed his own weakness and made God some promises as did J ehoshaph at. The Lord would fight for him and move the enemy back. The teaming thousands of our boys would not have died in Korea if our leader had led his people before the enemy as the King of Judah did. The cold war would be over. We could spend what we spend for income tax to evangelize the world and hasten the return of our Lord. After the war was over these people continued to praise the Lord with their musical instruments and with singing. If we would pray in time of peace the next war would not press itself upon us. When the Prince of Peace comes the wars will be over. We will have a thousand years of peace and quietness. There will be no income tax. The enemy will stampede and kill one another . We will keep praising and shouting the victory. Does God Ever Fail to Answer Our Prayers? God cannot fail. If there is any failing it is always on our part. The first thing we must learn in prayer is to never blame the Lord. He is always faithful. Why insult the Lord by blaming Him and accusing Him of not answering your prayer? One woman said she had all kinds of faith but could not receive her healing. That is the same thing as saying, "I did my part, but God failed on His part". If you are looking for a fault you must always search your own life. The Lord is always faithful. There are certain spiritual laws that must not be ignored. If we want our prayers to be honored in heaven we must respect those laws. Prayer may fail but God will never fail. Can Prayers Sometimes Be Prayed Out of The Will of The Lord? The Holy Spirit will never lead us to pray a prayer that is
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not in God's will. He always prays through us according to God's will (Rom. 8 :26-32). We are taught to pray, "Thy will be done" (Matt. 6 :10). Some people pray earnestly for things that are not the win of God. Others do not pray in earnest the prayer that is God's perfect will. They beg God to change His mind about things they want to do. Yet they pray "Lord, heal me if it be thy will." We find healing in God's will. His Word is His will. It is fully revealed in His will. He forgives all our sins (that is His will). He heals all our disease (that is His will). (Ps. 103: 1-3) . Moses prayed unto the Lord to let him go over into Canaan land. The Lord made it known to him that it was not His will (Deut. 3 :25). The Lord would not hear this prayer that Moses prayed. Rather the Lord told him to stop praying like that (v. 26). Peter was so enthused while he was on the mountain top that he prayed that he could just stay up there (Matt. 17 :4). He did not receive the answer to such a prayer. It is not God's will for us to stay on the mountain top all the time. Peter soon found that when he came down off the mountain that he met some people that were needing deliverance. A little devil possessed boy was brought to him. A voice even spoke from heaven to Peter and told him to heed the instructions from Jesus (Matt. 17 :5). He was not to ask Moses and Elijah for wisdom. He had Jesus with him. Too many times people pray to stay on the mountain top. They want to enjoy the blessings when the Lord wants them to go where the afflicted, diseased, and lame are and deliver them. The kind of spirit that Jesus was dealing with only came out by prayer and fasting. You don't do much praying and fasting while you remain on the mountain top rejoicing. Must We Pray for God's Plan? One time Jesus went over into the country of the Gadarenes. There he met a man that had a legion of devils. This man would not wear any clothes. After Jesus delivered him from devils the man was clothed and in his right mind. When people lose their right mind they try to go with little or no clothes. Notice the man who was delivered prayed to go with Jesus.
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He wanted to travel with the minister in His campaigns. Jesus told the man that he must go and carry the glad news to his own people (Mark 5 :18). Many people today pray to stay in the biggest revival and shout when Jesus wants them to go to their own people and start a revival of their own. We see some people who want to hang out in the large, established churches and enjoy the blessings when they should go to the next town and dig out another church. They wonder why God does not answer their prayers when they ask for unity in the church. Many times they are praying against God's will. He wants them to go and tell others. They want to get a blessing when God wants them to be a blessing. There arose a persecution in the large church at Jerusalem. People were scattered everywhere preaching the gospel (Acts 8 :1-4). Then Philip went down to Samaria and had a great deliverance revival. This "deacon" would probably have stayed in the big church had the Lord answered his prayers there. If you are wondering what to do, maybe you should go down to Samaria and preach Christ. You should first pray that you can be guided by the Lord. Many people today are going the way of Balaam (Jude 11). The Lord told him not to go to a certain place and preach just to please a certain man. He kept asking for permission to go, so he could receive honor from men (Num. 23 :1-30). Finally the Lord let him go. He ran into trouble and was later killed for praying against the will of the Lord. (Josh. 13 :22). Why Does Sin Separate People From God? There is no place for sin and faith to go together. Whatever is not of faith is sin (Rom. 14 :23). Faith works by love (Gal. 5 :6). I don't understand that gifts can be worked without love. If we follow after love we must desire spiritual gifts. Love and gifts go together. (I Cor. 14: 1) . Paul said, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels". Evidently he meant, "Though it were possible", in one place he says, "Though an angel from heaven came preaching any other gospel". Of course, an angel from heaven would not do such a thing. The meaning is clear, "Though it were possible". The Bible did not say that sinners would cast out devils in His name. A group of people at the judgment will
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claim to cast out devils. Jesus will say that He never knew them. (Matt. 7 :22-23). To believe that they cast out devils is to believe them rather than Jesus. Satan does no cast out Satan. (Luke 11 :17-22). The Bible definitely teaches that sin will hinder our prayers from being answered (Isa. 58 :1-3). When we try to please ourselves instead of God; when we follow sinful pleasures and crooked dealings, we find that our faith will waver when we start to pray. Faith without works is dead (James 2 :1820). Your iniquities will separate you from your God SG that He will not hear you (lsa. 59 :2). If we are blkewami , will turn us away when He comes (Rev. 3 :1'). Sometimes men may do as Samson, who lived an ....., aM .. down life. They may yield to Satan and then come back aM ask forgiveness from God. The Lord will forgive them and answer their prayers for a long time. He is more merciful than we are. We may remember what a friend did last week when God forgave him last night. If you keep breaking your word with God some day you may become as Samson. He shook himself and learned that the Lord had departed from him. God was not there when he needed Him. (Judges 16 :20). Why Do Some People Blame God When Their Prayers Are Not Answered? To hear some people talk, if you did not know better, you would believe that God is to blame. They say they live right, have the faith, and have met the requirements, but they say that God has turned a deaf ear to their prayers of faith. The reason the answer has not come is because they have insulted the Lord by making Him a liar (I John 5: 10). To plead your goodness and put all the blame on God is to fly in the face of all truth and make the Bible out a lie. To do that is to put yourself in the group of unbelievers and expose your spiritual pride. We must look for the trouble in our own life. As I pen these words my five year old boy is pouting because his mother would not grant his request and carry him to town. I told him the first thing he should learn is that mother knows best. Even if we do not understand it we must remember that the Lord is always right. If anyone is wrong it is you. Joshua complained against God because He did not win the
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battle for him. He accused the Lord and reproached Him (Josh. 7: 7-8). The Lord told him to get off his face and stop praying. He was not pleased with a complaining prayer (Josh. 7 :10). How many people today reproach the Lord and justify themselves in their prayers? They talk to the Lord like there is something wrong with His Word. One woman said, "Lord, you said everything works together for good, but I don't see it that way". Another said, "Lord, you said if I raised up my children in the way they should go they would not depart from it, but it does not work in my case." Another said, "Lord, I was prayed for and was not healed, so I believe it is your will for me to stay sick". The Lord explained to Joshua that the blame was in the camp. Achan had taken the accursed thing, so He could not answer prayer over that kind of sin. When the matter was corrected; when the loose connection was fixed God's power began to work and brought the victory. They had to stop accusing the Lord before He would work. The Lord does not require us to do the impossible, but when we are saved we are willing to straighten up our lives as far as we can. Grace will cover the impossible. The Lord did not tell Zacchaeus to restore what he had taken unjustly, but he did anyway. When he decided to do so Jesus said, "This day salvation has come to your house" (Luke 19:8-9). You only need to search for the trouble on your end of the line. There is no trouble on the other end. David was overtaken in a gross sin. The Prophet Nathan exposed him. David prayed and sought God for the illigitimate child to live; but it died (II Sam. 12 :16-18). Then King David made a great discovery that every Christian should know. "If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me" (Ps. 66: 18) . Does It Always Mean That We Have Sinned Whelt the Answer Does Not Come? Some well meaning people may pray using the wrong motive. Some well meaning preachers may ask God to promote them to a high office in their denomination. The Lord may see that they would have more time to pray and seek Him if they did not have an office. Some of the best apostles Jesus
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had, evidently, used a selfish motive. One time the mother of James and John prayed that Jesus might sit between her two sons in His Kingdom (Matt. 20 :21). They had personal ambitions that were not given to them by the Lord. Jesus let them know that the greatest one of them must be servant of all. Some of these kinds of prayers may not be answered for our own good. One man asked the Lord to persuade his brother to divide the inheritance with him. Jesus refused to grant that request. He said that He was not sent for that purpose (Luke 12 :44) . The man could have been listening to the message of the Lord. He could have been receiving food for his soul. He could have left the legal matters up to the courts to decide. That is what they are for. We must put first things first. Jesus said that if we would seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness all these things would be added to us (Matt. 6 :33). It was not wrong for the rich man to build larger barns and fix a place to store his corn. Where he missed it is putting those things first in his life, and leaving the Lord to be second. What Are Some of the Things It Would Be Better Not to Pray For? There is no use for you to pray for the antichrist not to take over the world. You are wasting time to pray that the tribulation days will not come. You had better pray that you might be counted worthy to escape those things that are coming on the world (Luke 21 :36). When Jeremiah preached that judgment and was going to come the modern ministers rebuked him. They predicted smooth things (Jer. 14 :13). They told the people that good times were just around the corner. They did not tell the people to prepare for judgment. The Lord told Jeremiah that there was no use to keep praying for the people. He said that He would not hear their cry (Jer. 14 :10-12). He said that He would not hear such great intercessors as Moses and Samuel (Jer. 15 :1). Will There Come a Time When It Is Too Late to Pray? At the judgment people will pray, but it will be too late. (Matt. 7 :21-23; 25 :40-48). The rich man in hell prayed for permission to come and warn the unbelievers. God said they
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would not hear a man that came from the dead if they would not hear His prophets (Luke 16 :31) One time God told Samuel not to pray anymore for Saul. God gave him up. Saul prayed but God answered him no more (I Sam. 28 :6). He crossed the point of no return. There was no remedy (I Sam. 28: 6). Some day men will call upen the Lord, but He will not answer (Prov, 1 :24-28). They will seek the Lord, but it will be too late. Today He says, "Come unto me." In that day He will say, "Depart from me" (Matt. 25 :41). Now is the time to seek the Lord. Seek Him while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near (Isaiah 55 :6). In the day that you seek Him with all your heart He will be found (Jer. 29 :13). Is Unanswered Prayer For Our Own Benefit Sometimes? When the Lord sees that we are sincere; when He sees that we are making very foolish requests, sometimes He sees that it is to your own interest to hold back the answer. Such was the case when Elijah prayed to die. The Lord saw that he was over worked and excited. Maybe he was worked down and nervous. Some people today become so discouraged that they pray to die. The Lord knows best. Sometimes He does not answer foolish prayers. It came a time that Elijah was glad that the Lord did not grant such a foolish request, especially when he escaped death by being caught up alive. One time some disciples asked for permission to call down fire from heaven. They wanted to destroy some people. Jesus saw it would be better for them not to start that kind of business, although they were sincere. Suppose Someone Prays a Foolish Prayer and Is Not Sincere? Sometimes the Lord grants their request to their own sorrow. Such was the case when the Children of Israel murmured in the wilderness. The Lord prepared for them a table in the wilderness, but they did not appreciate it. They developed a lustful appetite. They grumbled very bitterly about what they had to eat (Exo. 16:3; Num. 11:4-6; Ps. 78:25; Num. 11 :18-20; 31-33). They tempted God with their gluttony. The Lord gave them their request, but sent leanness to their soul (Ps. 106 :14-15). Day after day a child cries to touch a red hot stove. One 22

day the mother lets it touch the stove. That is the only way it can learn its lesson. It does not cry for that thing anymore. We must walk softly before the Lord in sincerity. We must at all times pray only for those things that are His will for us to have. Don't let any spirit of selfishness move you to pray for those things which are not for His glory. Do Some People Today Do As Balaam? The Lord plainly stated that there will be such people in the last days (II Peter 2 :1,15). One time Balak, the king of Moab, desired to hire the Prophet Balaam to place a curse on God's people, who were taking the country (Num. 22 :6). Balak had learned that whoever this prophet blessed was blessed and who he cursed was cursed. Some people, who received such a gift as Balaam did, are tempted to compromise with the world and commercialize the gift. The Lord definitely told this preacher that he should not go when Balak sent for him (Num. 22 :12). Balaam prayed about this matter again. He kept praying after the Lord told him not to go. Finally the Lord told him to do whatever he wanted to do. He helped the' wicked king to seduce God's people to commit fornication (Rev. 2 :14). He was killed for doing this (Joshua 13 :22). That was a case of a preacher loving money more than he loved being in God's will. Why Did the Lord Allow His People to Have a King? It was because they kept on requesting a king after He warned them that it would not be best for them. He sent Samuel to tell the people that a king would oppress them with large armies, heavy taxes, and his own interests. Samuel warned them that the king would expect undue service. He told them that their own sons and daughters would be taken for servants. In spite of the warning and pleadings of the prophet the people kept asking for something that was not good for them. They willfully went against God's will. Finally the Lord consented to give them a king. That threw that nation forty years behind times. King Saul led them to defeat. He was rebellious, self-wiped, and stubborn (I Sam. 15 :23). A man warned his teenage boy that it was better for him not to have a car, that he should save his money for college. The teenager insisted that he must have a car. He blamed his 23

daddy for not letting him be like other boys. After the car is torn up and broken down; after all the money is spent on it, then the boy goes to work for low wages on a hard job and misses college. The Children of Israel said they wanted a king so they could be like other people (I Sam. 8 :9). They knew better. They were wrong in their time and motive. Ministers warn Christians not to have worldly deaires. The members say, "We want to be like other people". Against the will of the Lord they soon act, dress, and smell like the world. They miss the blessing God had for them. They know beforehand what it will lead to, but they want their way. Are Some People Surprised When the Answer Comes to Their Prayers? Strange as it may seem they sometimes are. Maybe someone else has prayed the prayer of faith, or maybe the answer did not come in the way they expected. Zacharias and Elizabeth had been praying for a child for a long time. While Zacharias was performing the duty of a priest, and others were waiting for him outside, the angel Gabriel appeared to him, announcing the birth of a son to be born nine months in the future (Luke 1 :13). Zacharias began to express doubt and reason with the Lord's messenger. He said that it was impossible. The angel struck him dumb for nine months. In this way Zacharias could not confess doubt. Some people are in such a habit of using their lips in making negative confessions that it would be better if they were made dumb for a season. God could work better if they would not say anything. It would be good if we would prepare our hearts to accept the answer when it comes. Must We Pray Before We Have a Healing Service? Before Jesus held a healing service He was found in prayer. The same was true with Peter, John, Paul and others. Remember the sons of Sceva, who tried to deliver people from devils in the name of Jesus, as Paul had been doing. It did not work. They fled from the house naked and wounded (Acts 19:11-20). This proves that no one can cast out devils with his own power. The devils will not come out unless a power stronger than them comes in and casts them out (Luke 11 :22). The
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only power stronger than the devil is God's power. Satan does not cast out Satan. We do not use spiritual gifts without the Spirit. We don't use the gifts. The gifts use us. The natives in Africa, who are preaching, can cast out devils. A priest decided that he would cast out devils in order to get his crowd back. The woman in whom the devils were jumped on the priest and almost choked him to death! That was his last healing service.
Will the Lord Hear a Sinner's Prayer? If the Lord would not hear a sinner's prayer then no sinner would get saved. The first prayer that a sinner should pray is, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18 :13-14). That was how the publican prayed. It was only a short prayer, but it did the work. It was a sincere prayer from the heart. The Pharisee prayed a long prayer, but it did no good. We must first seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to us (Matt. 6 :33). We should receive forgiveness of sins before we receive healings (Ps. 103:1-3) - (James 5:14-15). The Lord has not promised to heal a sinner, but He does it sometimes anyway. The Lord healed a woman's daughter, although sbe was not a child of God (Matt. 15 :26). He healed a man when he did not even know who the Savior was (John 9 :36). We have people today who teach the benefits of prayer without teaching repentance. Jesus taught that men should repent or perish. The disciples did the same. Every preacher must preach repentance.

Should We Pray for the Lord to Send the Holy Spirit? Before the Holy Spirit was given people were to ask for and receive the Holy Spirit. That was not the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, which had not yet been given (John 7 :37-38; Luke 11 :10-13). At Pentecost the Holy Ghost was given. We do not pray for God to send the Holy Ghost, but pray for the people that they might receive the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:15) . We are not waiting for God to get ready. He is waiting for us to get ready. Each one who obeys God receives the Holy Ghost (Acts 5 :32).
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Should We Pray for Our Brethren? Too many people criticize a wayward brother when they should be praying for him. Samuel said that he would be sinning against the Lord if he failed to pray for the people (I Sam. 12: 13). We can pray for a brother that goes into sin and God will give him life (I John 5 :16). Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail him (Luke 22 :32). That prayer was answered. Peter returned to the faith and made a greater minister than he did before he backslid. There is power in prayer. We are partly to blame if we do not pray for an erring brother or' sister. Are We to Pray for Those People That Treat Us Wrong? Jesus taught us to pray for those that despitefully use us (Luke 6 :28). He said that we would heap coals of fire on their head. Jesus prayed for the people that crucified Him. He called the man "friend" that betrayed him with a kiss. He let Judas kiss him. If we are to pray for our enemies we certainly should pray for those who are serving God. Stephen prayed for the ones who stoned him to death (Acts 7: 60). This very prayer helped convert Saul that had him stoned. When Paul was on his way to put the people in prison for serving God, Ananias prayed for him. Paul received the Holy Ghost and was healed through Ananias' prayer. A man locked Paul and Silas in prison; they prayed for him. He was saved and was baptized (Acts 16 :30-31). Will the World Be Evangelized Unless People Pray? If we do not pray someone else will. Jesus will raise up some people who will. He tells us to pray that He will send laborers into the harvest (Luke 10 :2). When the gospel of the kingdom is preached into all the world the end will come (Matt. 24:14). We are taught to pray "Thy kingdom come." How can the preachers go unless they be sent? When Christians begin to pray and seek the Lord they will support the preachers who have faith and power. Do We Ever Come to the Place That We Are No Longer Tempted? Jesus said the we should pray that we would not enter into
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temptations. Too many people walk into temptations without praying. Then they pray later. Most of our temptations could be avoided if we would pray beforehand. As long as you live you will be tempted. If you pray before you are tempted God will strengthen you until you can overcome the temptations that come your way. If you don't overcome them they will overcome you. "Watch ye and pray lest ye enter into temptations" (Mark 14 :38). We should pray without ceasing (I Thes. 5: 17). Then we will have power to overcome the temptations we meet. Great men, as Daniel, Abraham, Samuel and others knew what to do when temptations came their way. Are We to Pray for God's WiD to Be Done? We must first remember that His Word is His will. If we pray for His will to be done we are praying for Salvation and healing (Ps. 113 :3). Jesus prayed 'Thy will be done." That is when He came to the place that He did not know God's will (Matt. 26 :39). We must pray each day that we will be in God's will. When Jesus prayed for God's will He went from the cross to glory. That is God's will for us.

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Chapter III THE PRAYER PATTERN I was told that one brother was praying when he got in earnest. He said, "Lord, I have not asked you for anything in .ten years. If you will just give me this one thing I promise you that I will never bother you again." Too many people seem to think it bothers the Lord for them to ask something of Him. It does not bother Him any more than it bothers you for your baby to ask for food when it is hungry. HOW IS THE BEST WAY TO BEGIN A PRAYER? Jesus taught His disciples to begin a prayer with praise. "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." Instead of having a season of thanksgiving for what the Lord has done for them, many people begin their prayer by telling the Lord the trouble they are in. Instead of being thankful they are murmuring. The Lord wants us to make our request known with thanksgiving (Phil. 4 :6). Prayer should be a part of our worship instead of being something we can fall back on in time of emergency. One man said, "Has it come to that; must we resort to prayer?" Some people come into God's presence with petitions and end their prayer with petitions. Sometimse they present dozens of requests without feeling God's presence. Praise and worship do not serve to get God in a notion to help you, but it helps your faith raise to the place so you can take the answer that God wants you to have. The Lord dwells in the praise of His people (Ps. 22 :3). Praises and worship drive back the powers of darkness and create an atmosphere in which you can pray effectively. Worship changes a weak prayer to a strong one. We are created to worship the Lord. Worship is one thing that we can give to God that He cannot give to us. They that worship the Lord must worship Him in the Spirit. God is seeking that kind of worship (John 4 :23). The disciples had created an atmosphere of praise j ust before they were baptized with the Holy Ghost (Luke 24 :52).
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We can't have a real prayer lite unless we learn to begin our prayer with worship. Why Are We to Pray in the Name of Jesus? Whatever we ask in His name we receive (John 14 :13). The beginning of the Lord's prayer is "Hallowed be thy name." That is the key that unlocks the vault. Suppose you are bankrupt and you go up to a teller in a bank and ask him to cash a check for a hundred thousand dollars. The teller would look and see that you had no account there. Would you stand and wonder? Would you stay and beg? Suppose you go there with a check signed by the richest man in town. You would not need to wonder, beg, or plead. You would boldly draw yOU1' undred thousand dollars. You h would no longer be bankrupt. Some people will fall down before the Lord and tell Him how unworthy they are. They stand condemned in the first place because they are depending on their merits. Your goodness i<.; ot enough to get one check n cashed. Present your check with His name signed to it. We have no righteousness but His. Don't come in your own name. His name has given you access to the bank of heaven (Phil. 4: 19). Come in the name of the one who has an account. If you come trusting your goodness you may be picked up for forgery. Ten thousand times ten thousand angels are praising His matchless name right now in heaven. That is what we will do for millions of years. If you want to please the Lord begin your prayer by praising His name. Is There Any Other Way We May Violate the Laws of Prayer? We must pray "Thy kingdom come". If we want our prayers answered we must pray according to the pattern. Some people pray, "My kingdom come". Few people are interested in the whole kingdom of God. Each one is interested in his own kingdom. It may be his family, his business, his Sunday School, or his organization. It may not reach any further than his relatives. Too many people feel that their denomination is the whole body of Christ. If you are only praying for your denomination you are praying, "our kingdom come". The disciples wanted to forbid a group of peop1e that would not follow them. We must not ignore the whole kingdom of God. We must
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not feel that we have a monoply on God's work. No man can have a gospel franchise on a city or town. We are not dictators over God's people. If we yield to the spirit of sectarianism we violate the law of prayer. We must pray as Jesus prayed, "That they may all be one as thou Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us THAT THE WORLD MAY BELIEVE that thou hast sent me". (John 17:21). If our time is occupied with personal interests; if we exclude part of God's kingdom, we are not praying for the salvation of the world. The world is the field. Pray that the Lord will send laborers into the harvest. Some people wonder why signs do not follow their ministry. The Lord said if we would go into ALL the world with the gospel the signs will follow (Mark 16 :16-18). That promise is not to the ones who pray, "My kingdom come". The Lord has other sheep that are not of this fold. The Holy Spirit will pray through us for the evangelization of the world. He will pray, "Thy kingdom come; even so come Lord Jesus." What Is the Next Step in the Lord's Prayer? After you have come in His name and worshiped Him do not ask any petition of Him until you are willing to conform to His will. "Thy will be done" is the next step. To ask anything out of His divine will is dangerous. It is the height of folly and pride. It is following the spirit that caused the angels to rebel against God and be cast out of heaven. This spirit caused Ad~ to be cast out of the garden. A trail of sickness, sin, and rum followed for thousands of years. The pattern of prayer that Jesus gives is designed to put man back into the will of God. It is designed to destroy sickness and sin. To say that sickness is God's will is to pervert God's plan of redemption. For this purpose the Son of G~d was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil. To be in His will is to have peace of mind; to have healing for soul and body. When we are praying for His will to be done we are praying for sin and sickness to be destroyed. Is It Wrong to Pray for Our Material Needs? In the prayer pattern we are instructed to pray for our daily bread. Most people pray for bread for years to come. The
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sparrows of the field do not worry. They are not afraid that they are going bankrupt. They trust the Lord to supply their daily bread. We are of more value than sparrows. He will care for us. 'Ihe Children of Israel tried to' store up bread and they found it full of worms. If we have faith to believe that the Lord will supply our daily needs then we cease to worry anymore. That is true faith that helps us to believe Him for abundance. The Lord owns all the oil in Oklahoma, all the cattle in Texas, all the oranges in Florida, all the gold in California, all the wheat in Kansas, all the rice in Louisiana, all the diamonds in Arkansas, and all the potatoes in Idaho. He is able, willing, and anxious to supply our daily bread. Believe Him. Are We to Have a Forgiving Spirit As We Pray? In the prayer pattern we are taught to pray," Forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors" (Matt. 6 :12). As you forgive your fellow man that is the way you will be forgiven (Matt. 18:35). If you say, "I can forgive, but I can't forget", your sins will not be forgotten. Some people will accept all the other things that the Lord taught in His sermon on the mount, but when it comes to this they will say, 0, that is under the law and does not belong to the grace dispensation? In other places in the Bible the Lord also made it very clear that if we do not forgive we will not be forgiven (Matt. 18 :22). If you are in grace, then grace is in you, and there will be no limit to the times that you must forgive. When you pray the Lord's prayer you are praying for the Lord to forgive you exactly as you forgive others. Jesus prayed for the forgiveness of His enemies that crucified Him. (Luke 23 :34). If you have the Spirit of Christ you will have a forgiving spirit. If you have not the Spirit of Christ you are none of His. Must We Be on the Alert as We Pray? We must fight an offensive battle as we pray. We must prevent the enemy from forming a beachhead in our lives. A stitch in time saves nine. In the prayer pattern Jesus tells us to pray, "Lead us not into temptations". That is better than praying for a way out after we fall into them. We could avoid most of our temptations if we would be led by the Spirit. Too many people deliberately walk out into
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temptations and then ask the Lord to help them out. We must not dare tread where angels would not go. A man is tempted when be is drawn away of his own lust. (James 1 :14). God never tempts us (James 1 :13). We must pray for Him to lead us around temptations. If you do not pray for God to lead you around temptations you can't blame God. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptations. (Matt. 26 :41). We must not wait until evil comes to pray. We must pray for proection from danger that we know nothing of. If we dwell in the secret place of the Most High there will no evil befall us. If we fear God we do not need to fear men or devils. If we pray a hedge of protection will be built around us. How Must We End Our Prayers? We begin and end our prayers with worship. We dedicate everything to Him. He gets the glory. It is His kingdom and not our own. "For thine is the honor and the glory forever". A college boy was honored. He was given a beautiful robe, a ring, and a medal. When he was called to make a speech he quickly told the people that none of those things belonged to him. He called a little lady out of the audience and said, "Give it to whom it belongs. She is the one that made it possible for me to be here. Give it my mother". We may some day receive a harp, a robe, and a crown. We will feel like casting it at His feet and worshipping Him for the first ten thousand years. We will say, "Thou art worthy to receive honor and blessing for ever and ever". "For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen".

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I am going to send you 60 of my best faith books, on casting out devils, healing the sick, faith, Holy Ghost, prophecy, and almost every subiect of the Bible. You will be on my prayer list every day until Jesus comes. I'll pray that you will have a double portion ministry. I want you to be my partner and pray for me. When you finish reading these books and filling out the test papers we will send you a diploma which you can frame and have on your wall. It will ,emind you that I am praying for you every day, that you are my partner in prayer. If you are a minister you may receive a license to preach. There is no (harge for the packing, boxing, storage, shipping, postage, exam papers, grading, secretary expense, diplomas, or ordination papers. Your dues will be paid up for life. (Others charge $12.00 per year and up). You can pay for them $.50 per week or send in the name of one new student per month, either one you you choose. If you send one name per month all the textbooks are free. Dear TVD Staff:

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Please send the 60 W. V. Grant faith books. If I like them I will send 50 cen per week, or one name per month, of someone who wants this course.

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Put me on your prayer list. P'ray for me at a certain time each day. I'll b your partner. the licens costs no money and my dues will be paid for life.

[1 I want a license to preach when I finish the books. I understand

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