moment only for Him, will receive a Divine liberty to claim
Christ's _whatsoever_ in all its fulness, and a Divine wisdom and
humility to use it aright. He will live and pray, and claim the Father's
promises, even as Christ did, only for God's glory in the salvation of
men. He will use his boldness in prayer only with a view to power in
intercession, and getting men blessed. The unlimited devotion of the
branch-life to fruitbearing, and the unlimited access to the treasures
of the Vine life, are inseparable. It is the life abiding wholly in
Christ that can pray the effectual prayer in the name of Christ.

Just think for a moment of the men of prayer in Scripture, and see in
them what the life was that could pray in such power. We spoke of
Abraham as intercessor. What gave Him such boldness? He knew that God
had chosen and called him away from his home and people to walk before
Him, that all nations might be blessed in him. He knew that he had
obeyed, and forsaken all for God. Implicit obedience, to the very
sacrifice of his son, was the law of his life. He did what God asked: he
dared trust God to do what he asked. We spoke of Moses as intercessor.
He too had forsaken all for God, "counting the reproach of Christ
greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt." He lived at God's
disposal: "as a servant he was faithful in all His house." How often it
is written of him, "According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so
did he." No wonder that he was very bold: his heart was right with God:
he knew God would hear him. No less true is this of Elijah, the man who
stood up to plead for the Lord God of Israel. The man who is ready to
risk all for God can count upon God to do all for him.

It is as men live that they pray. It is the life that prays. It is the
life that, with whole-hearted devotion, gives up all for God and to God,
that can claim all from God. Our God longs exceedingly to prove Himself
the Faithful God and Mighty Helper of His people. He only waits for
hearts wholly turned from the world to Himself, and open to receive His
gifts. The man who loses all will find all; he dare ask and take it.
The branch that only and truly lives abiding in Christ, the Heavenly
Vine, entirely given up, like Christ, to bear fruit in the salvation of
men, and has His words taken up into and abiding in its life, may and
dare ask what it will--it shall be done. And where we have not yet
attained to that full devotion to which our Lor