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Date Submitted: 06/04/2016 10:28 PM
Discovering the Secret of Successful Prayer
How to Pray - Part One
by RA Torrey
In the 6th chapter of Ephesians in the 18th verse we read words which put the tremendous importance of prayer with startling and overwhelming force:
"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints."
When we stop to weigh the meaning of these words, then note the connection in which they are found, the intelligent child of God is driven to say,
"I must pray, pray, pray. I must put all my energy and all my heart into prayer. Whatever else I do, I must pray."
The Revised Version is, if possible, stronger than the Authorized:
"With all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints."
Note the ALLS: "with ALL prayer," "at ALL seasons," "in ALL perseverance," "for ALL the saints." Note the piling up of strong words, "prayer," "supplication," "perseverance." Note once more the strong expression, "watching thereunto," more literally, "being sleepless thereunto." Paul realized the natural slothfulness of man, and especially his natural slothfulness in prayer. How seldom we pray things through! How often the church and the individual get right up to the verge of a great blessing in prayer and just then let go, get drowsy, quit. I wish that these words "being sleepless unto prayer" might burn into our hearts. I wish the whole verse might burn into our hearts.
But why is this constant, persistent, sleepless, overcoming prayer so needful?
1. First of all, BECAUSE THERE IS A DEVIL. He is cunning, he is mighty, he never rests, he is ever plotting the downfall of the child of God; and if the child of God relaxes in prayer, the devil will succeed in ensnaring him.
This is the thought of the context. The 12th verse reads: "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the...