'thank you' when they are granted.  Likewise our Heavenly Father deals in His

grace and loving -kindness with us and teaches the true reason for prayer, to

realize our utter dependence upon Him for all things necessary to Christian

life and service, and a desire to be filled with a knowledge of His will in

all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Col. 1:9).

This lesson is not peculiar to the dispensation of the Mystery.

Through the prophet Ezekiel God had made known His will to Israel and showed

what He was willing to do for them in restoration and blessing (Ezek. 36:24 -

36).  But, although this was true, the earthly people had to learn the lesson

of prayer:

'I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it

for them' (verse 37).

There are two opposing schools of thought among believers regarding

prayer.  One stresses the fact that God is sovereign and is working all

things after the counsel of His own will (Eph. 1:11) and that nothing can

hinder the fulfilment of His plans.  To such, prayer cannot forward or retard

His purposes and is likely to be undervalued.  The other lays stress upon the

responsibility of the believer and the fact that unbelief limits the Holy One

of Israel (Matt. 13:58).  Such will talk of God being unable to work because

of prayerlessness and of true prayer 'moving the Hand that moves the world'.

It is very much like the arguments for free will set up against election.

The truth lies, as it so often does, midway between these two extremes.  It

is important to realize that God has a glorious plan for both the heavens and

the earth, and that, finally, this plan cannot possibly miscarry.  Not to

appreciate this would cause utter despair and make mockery of all Christian

At the same time, if redemption means anything at all,

it signifies that the believer is not only alive spiritually,

but free; free to choose the way of the flesh and self -gratification, as

well as the will of the Lord.  And it is here that the supreme importance of

prayer becomes manifest.  If God is working to a plan and chooses to use

redeemed human lives to carry it out, then the question arises as to what

part each of us is going to play in its unfolding.  The importance of this

can hardly be overemphasized.  Does it not mean that we must go to the Throne

of Grace constantly and ask 'Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?' (Acts 9:6).

We are assured by the apostle Paul that it is according to the 'effectual

working in the measure of every part' that the Body grows (Eph. 4:16), and

this will only take place when every member of the Church is doing just the

work intended by our Heavenly Father and none other.  What this involves can

only be discovered by prayer and waiting upon God.

As there are no useless members in the physical body, so there should

be none in the spiritual Body.  That prayer does make a difference, the

following Scriptures make abundantly clear:

'Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have

free course, and be glorified ... and that we may be delivered from

unreasonable and wicked men' (2 Thess. 3:1,2).

Now it could be argued that it was obviously the Lord's will that His

Word should run unhindered and be glorified.  If so, then why the need for

prayer?  But the apostle knew how easily the human factor could enter in and

the flesh and the Devil intrude, and so hinder God's work: