ry of God consistently with selfish aims.
These two can no more coexist than light and darkness in the same cubic
space. The glory of God will ever triumph at our cost. It is equally
certain that none of us can truly pray for the glory of God, unless we
are living for it. It is only out of the heart that has but one
purpose in life and death, that those prayers emanate which touch the
tenderest chord in the Saviour's nature, and awaken all His energies to
their highest activity, "That will I do."

(2) _In Christ's Name._--"Whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name" (John
xiv. 13). Throughout the Holy Scriptures, _name stands for nature_.
The Master says, "You must ask My Nature." In other words, when we
pray, it must not be as the self-nature, but as the Christian-nature
dictates. We always know when that is paramount. It excludes
boasting; it is pure, peaceable and loving; it is far removed from the
glare and gaud of the world, it is full of Calvary, Olivet, and
Pentecost. There are days in our life when we feel borne along on its
tidal current; when Christ is in us, the hope of glory; when a power is
working within us beyond what we can ask or think; when we live, yet
not we, but Christ in us--these are the times most propitious for
prayer. Pour out your heart before God. Let Christ, who is in you by
the Holy Spirit, speak to the Christ who is above you on the throne.
Let the living water, which has descended from the eternal city, return
back to its source through the channel of your heart. This is praying
in His Name, and according to His Nature.

Before we can expect our prayers to prosper, let us sit quietly down,
and, putting aside all other voices, permit the Christ-nature to speak.
It is only in proportion as it countersigns our petitions that they
will reach the audience-chamber of eternity. Surely, if this test were
properly applied, many of the petitions we now offer so glibly would
never leave our lips, and we should be satisfied about the fate of many
another prayer which, like some ill-fated barque, has left our shores,
and never been heard of again. But again let it be remembered that
none can pray in the name of Christ who do not live for that name, like
those early evangelists of whom John says that for the sake of the Name
they took nothing of the Gentiles. The name of Christ must be
predominant in life, if it is to be efficacious in prayer.

(3) _Abide in Christ._--"If ye abide in Me, . . .