w into the
believer's heart, and His outflow in the rivers of living water, ever
still depend upon the law: "Ask, and it shall be given." In connection
with our confession of the lack of prayer, we have said that what we
need is some due apprehension of the place it occupies in God's plan of
redemption; we shall perhaps nowhere see this more clearly than in the
first half of the Acts of the Apostles. The story of the birth of the
Church in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and of the first freshness
of its heavenly life in the power of that Spirit, will teach us how
_prayer on earth_, whether as cause or effect, _is the true measure of
the presence of the Spirit of heaven_.

We begin with the well-known words (i. 13), "These all continued with
one accord in prayer and supplication." And then there follows: "And
when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord
in one place. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. And the same
day there were added to them about three thousand souls." The great work
of redemption had been accomplished. The Holy Spirit had been promised
by Christ "not many days hence." He had sat down on His throne and
received the Spirit from the Father. But all this was not enough. One
thing more was needed: the ten days' united continued supplication of
the disciples. It was intense, continued prayer that prepared the
disciples' hearts, that opened the windows of heaven, that brought down
the promised gift. As little as the power of the Spirit could be given
without Christ sitting on the throne, _could it descend without the
disciples on the footstool of the throne_. For all the ages the law is
laid down here, at the birth of the Church, that whatever else may be
found on earth, the power of the Spirit must be prayed down from heaven.
The measure of believing, continued prayer will be the measure of the
Spirit's working in the Church. Direct, definite, determined prayer is
what we need.

See how this is confirmed in chapter iv. Peter and John had been brought
before the Council and threatened with punishment. When they returned to
their brethren, and reported what had been said to them, "all lifted up
their voice to God with one accord," and prayed for boldness to speak
the word. "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken, and they were
all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with
boldness. And the multitude of them that believed were one heart a