Victory Through the Prayer Life
By Norman B Harrison
Prayer is the means [of victory in Christ] mentioned in the second or Love section of 1 John (1 John 3:21, 22; 5:14,15). Prayer is not merely, nor chiefly, getting things from God—although it is that. Prayer is God’s provision for drawing out the love of His children toward Himself. He bids them come boldly. As they thus come, the heart-life is laid bare before Him. He has opportunity to search it, lift it to a higher level, make it altogether pleasing to Himself, then turn it into channels of self-sacrificing love to fellow-men. No Christian loves deeply, worthily, unselfishly, who is neglecting the prayer-life. Prayer, while conditioned upon the Abiding Life, has a gloriously quickening [life-giving] effect upon that life.
As our Lord prayed, in the mount, He was transformed; out from His whole being, suffusing the veil of flesh, shone the life divine [Matthew 17:2]. Something of that same [phenomenon] takes place in the soul and shines out through the face, whenever we have truly prayed. It slays the self-life; it quickens the spirit-life; it gives the love of God free rein over the heart-life.
We need a new evaluation of prayer for its incomparable work within our own being, for the contribution it makes to the Abiding Life, in the constant, transforming communion of Father and child.[1]
In episode 92 of Glimpses of Grace audio podcast Mark McKeehan and John Woodward discuss prayer principles. Listen to this conversation through your preferred podcast platform.
[1] From LIFE, LOVE and LIGHT: The Gospel of John and First Epistle of John. By Norman B. Harrison, D.D. Pastor, Bible Teacher and Evangelist. Minneapolis: The Harrison Service, 1929. Edited and republished courtesy of http://www.baptistbiblebelievers.com/
