S. D. Gordon - Quiet Talks on Prayer

2013 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.

Editorial assistance by Jill Jones.

Print ISBN 978-1-62029-798-8

eBook Editions:
Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-62416-082-0
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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.barbourbooks.com

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Printed in the United States of America.

Everybody wants to pray with powerbut how?

This classic volume, Quiet Talks on Prayer, identifies prayer as the worlds greatest outlet of power, encouraging a vibrant, two-way communication with the God who longs for communion with His people. It explains the meaning and mission of prayer, hindrances to prayer, the how-tos of praying, and Jesus habits of prayer.

Author S. D. (Samuel Dickey) Gordon was born in Philadelphia in 1859 and went on to author twenty-five books, all but three with Quiet Talks in the titleon service, about Jesus, on Johns Gospel, on following the Christ, etc. But his Quiet Talks on Prayer may be his best known.

Gordon has been described as a plain man who earned no educational degrees beyond his public school diploma. But his own deep study of the Bible and his earnest method of communicating his findings led him to travel and speak widely, as far away as England and the continents of Europe and Asia. His quiet talking style contributed to the titles of his books. A leader in the Young Mens Christian Associations of Pennsylvania and Ohio in the late nineteenth century, Gordon lived until 1936, dying at age seventy-six.

This edition of Quiet Talks on Prayer has been lightly updated for ease of reading. It has also been abridged, to approximately two-thirds of its original length.

A great sorrow has come into the heart of God. One of His worlds is a prodigal! Ours is that prodigal world, and we have consented to the prodigal part of the story. But He has won some of us back with His strong, tender love. And we won ones may be the pathway back to God for the others. That is His earnest desire. That should be our dominant ambition. For that purpose He has endowed us with unique power.

There is one inlet of power in the lifethe Holy Spirit. He is power. He is in everyone who opens his door to God. He eagerly enters every open door. He comes in by our invitation and consent. His presence within is the vital thing.

But with many of us, while He is inside, He is not in control. He is inside as guest, not as host. He is hindered in His natural movements so that He cannot do what He wants. And so we are not conscious or are only partially conscious of His presence. And others are still less so. But to yield to His mastery, to cultivate His friendship, to give Him full swaythat will result in what is called power.

There are five outlets of power through which this One within shows Himself and reveals His power.

First: through the life, what we are. If we are right with God, the power of God will be constantly flowing out of us, though we are not conscious of it. There will be an eager desire to serve. Yet we may constantly accomplish more in what we are than in what we do. We may serve better in the lives we live than in the best service we ever give. The memory of that should bring rest to your spirit when you are tired and disheartened because of that tiredness.

Second: through the lips, what we say. It maybe said falteringly, but if said your best with the desire to please the Master, it will be God blessed. Do your best and leave the rest. If we are in touch with God His fire burns whether the tongue stammers or has good control of its powers.

Third: through our service, what we do. Your best may not be the best, but if it is your best it will bring a harvest.

Fourth: through our money, what we do not keep but release for God. Money comes the nearest to omnipotence of anything we handle.

And fifth: through our prayer, what we claim in Jesus name.

And by all odds the greatest of these is the outlet through prayer. The power of a life touches just one spot, though the touch is tremendous. What is there to be compared with a pure, unselfish, gently strong life? Yet its power is limited to one spot where it is being lived. Power through the lips depends wholly upon the life behind the lips. Power through service may be great, yet it is always less than that of a life. Power through money depends wholly upon the motive behind the money. But the power loosened through prayer is as tremendous as the power of a true fragrant life and may touch not just one spot but wherever in the whole world you may choose to turn it.

The greatest thing anyone can do for God and for man is to pray. It is not the only thing, but it is the chief thing. A correct balancing of the possible powers one may exert puts it first. For if a man is to pray right, he must first be right in his motives and life. And if a man is right and puts the practice of praying in its rightful place, then his serving and giving and speaking will be fragrant with the presence of God.

The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer, nor those who say they believe in prayer, nor yet those who can explain about prayer; but I mean these people who take time and pray. They do not have time. It must be taken from something else. This something else is important, and more pressing than prayer. There are people who put prayer first and group the other items in lifes schedule around and after prayer.

These are the people today who are doing the most for God: in winning souls, solving problems, awakening churches, supplying people and money for mission posts, and keeping the old earth sweet awhile longer.

It is wholly a secret service. We do not know who these people are, though sometimes shrewd guesses may be made. I often think that sometimes we pass some plain-looking woman quietly slipping out of church and we hardly give her a passing thought, not knowing or guessing that perhaps