The New Life by Andrew

Andrew Murray on The New Life: Words of God for Young Disciples Text
to grow in the certitude that we are acceptable to the Father, and that our prayer has power, in the
confidence which knows that our prayer is according to His will and is heard. We must not suppose
that we know well enough how to pray, and can but ask, and then it is over. No: prayer is converse
and fellowship with God, in which God has time and opportunity to work in us, in which our souls die
to their own will and power, and become bound up and united with God.
4. For encouragement in persistent prayer, the following instance may be of service. In an address
delivered at Calcutta, George Muller recently said that in 1844 five persons were laid upon his heart,
and that he began to pray for their conversion. Eighteen months passed by before the first was
converted. He prayed five years more, when the second was converted. After twelve years and a half,
yet another was converted. And now he also already prayed forty years for the other two, without
letting slip a single day; and still they are not converted. He was, nevertheless, full of courage in the
sure confidence that these two also would be given him in answer to his prayer.
XXXV. THE PRAYER MEETING
'Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask,
it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered
together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.' -- Matt. 28:19,20
The Lord Jesus has told us to go into the inner chamber and hold our personal converse with God by
prayer in secret, and not to be seen of men. The very same voice tells us that we are also to pray in
fellowship with one another. (Matt. 6:6; Luke 9:18,28)
Mt 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door,
pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee
openly.
Lu 9:18 And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked
them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
Lu 9:28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and
James, and went up into a mountain to pray.
And when He went to heaven, the birth of the Christian Church took place in a prayer meeting which
one hundred and twenty men and women held for ten days. (Acts. 1:14)
Ac 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and
Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
The Day of Pentecost was the fruit of unanimous persevering prayer. Let every one who would please
the Lord Jesus, who desires the gift of the Spirit with power for his congregation or Church, who
would have the blessing of fellowship with the children of God, attached himself to a prayer meeting,
and prove the Lord whether He will make good His word and bestow upon it a special blessing. (2
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