5 Great Thought Provoking Lessons on Prayer #4

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FIVE LESSONS ON THE FELLOWSHIP OF PRAYER

4. In the Quiet Place

BY T. M. ANDERSON

The duties of the coming day demanded much from the savior. His physical strength was constantly renewed through His
ceaseless prayers. Before the dawn of the busy day our Lord went out and
departed into a solitary place and there prayed.

The example of our Lord enables us to perceive the value of unburdening our
hearts in the quiet hours of the morning. It is difficult to pray when the mind is
filled with the confusion and rush of the day. We must shut the door of our mind
and exclude the cares and burdens of the day in order to prevail with God in the
secret place of prayer.

One will be astonished at the results obtained in the quiet place of prayer. I have
seen the Lord work wonders in answer to prayer offered before Him in the early
hours of the morning. I have known Him to heal people in homes and hospitals
hundreds of miles from the place where I was praying.

5 Great Thought Provoking Lessons on Prayer

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FIVE LESSONS ON THE FELLOWSHIP OF PRAYER

5. MY PERSONAL TESTIMONY
BY T. M. ANDERSON

I was teaching in the department of religious studies in Asbury College when I entered into the covenant of prayer with Christ. It had been my purpose for several months to prepare some written messages on the Epistle of Hebrews. In order to have time to devote to this work it was necessary for me to arise early in the morning and do the writing before the hour I was scheduled to meet my classes. I began this work during the first week of 1950.

I was suddenly awakened about midnight on January sixth. Knowing that I had a full day of work before me, I felt it necessary to sleep a few hours lest I be too weary in mind and body to do the writing and teaching. At that moment the Savior spoke to me. He asked me if I were willing to sacrifice some sleep in order to give Him an opportunity to speak with me in the quiet hours of the morning. He told me that it was necessary to deny myself of sleep in order to prevail in prayer. I realized for the first time that denying myself of sleep was a form of fasting. For five hours I waited before the Lord in sacred worship and Holy Communion. My soul was greatly revived, and I felt refreshed in mind and rested in body.

After this remarkable manifestation of the savior I was constrained to examine my prayer life. I was impressed to consider the time spent in prayer during the average day. I was humbled before the Lord when I discovered how little time had been given to Him in prayer and meditation. It had been my daily practice from the day I was saved to spend some time in prayer morning and evening. I had established the family altar in my home. I had spent time in secret prayer during the years of my ministry. I had never knowingly overlooked the importance of prayer. I am now aware that I had never discovered the possibilities in prayer like they were revealed to me when I waited five delightful hours before the Savior that memorable morning.

5 Lessons on Provoking Thoughts of Prayer Lesson 3

3. The Cost of Prayer

BY T. M. ANDERSON

When I entered into the fellowship of prayer with Christ, I solemnly promised Him that I would not allow my plans and pursuits of daily life to infringe on my time to pray. I vowed to take sufficient time to commune with Him in prayer no matter what duties of the day demanded my attention. I placed my ministry, my teaching, my writings, my vocation, my travel, and my home in heap before the Lord. I separated myself from them in death. I deliberately put these earthly concerns in a place of secondary importance in my life. I counted all things loss for the excellency of the knowledge of the fellowship with Christ in prayer.

I was reminded of how much I had lost through the years because I had not known the value of fellowship with Christ in prayer. But, the Lord is a redeemer. He restores all things in His time.

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Five Great Lessons on Prayer Lesson 2

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2. GOD’S PEACE OBTAINED IN ANSWER TO PRAYER

“….Let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:7

When we make our requests know unto God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving we are assured of receiving His peace through Christ Jesus. The house of prayer is the sanctuary of peace.

It is not necessary for the children of God to enter heaven in order to enjoy the priceless possession of peace.

There will be times when our feelings will contradict our faith. Sickness can depress our emotions to such an extent that we are disposed to doubt even our relationship with Christ. There will be times when we stand on the brink of an impassible gulf, which the human understanding cannot cross. But, the Savior has paid a great price to redeem all. He will not withhold His saving grace and mercy from any seeking soul longing with all the heart to please Him in all things. The peace of God will prevent us from becoming the hapless prey of distraught minds if we will pray without ceasing, and continue to believe on the name of Jesus. If we continue to make our requests known unto God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, He will not suffer us to be moved by the forces of evil in this earth.

T.M. Anderson

Five Great Lessons on Prayer Lesson 1

FIVE LESSONS ON THE FELLOWSHIP OF PRAYER

1. PRAY ABOUT ALL THE THINGS
BY T. M. ANDERSON

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know unto God.” Phil. 4:6
God’s people should consult with Him in every matter pertaining to life. Unless they see the imperative necessity of prayer, and give it an important place in daily life, they cannot expect to be maintained by the ample resources of a generous Savior. It is apparent that we cannot obtain the things essential to life unless we make everything pertaining to life a matter of earnest prayer. It is impossible to live a consistent Christian life in the sight of God by praying occasionally.
Praying spasmodically, we are like men that gorge themselves with food and drink on special occasions and starve themselves between feasts. We enjoy an unbroken fellowship with Christ when we make our requests known unto Him in daily prayer. Nothing pertaining to our life in this world is unimportant in the sight of God. He is interested in everything that concerns us in life.

Tony Marshall Anderson was born in 1888. He was an evangelist and a college professor, and was associated with the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Church of the Nazarene. He was convinced that the people of God have not explored the boundless possibilities of prayer. He died in 1979.

He wrote one of the seminal works on prayer, Prayer Availeth Much. Out of print, but available on Amazon and selected book outlets online.