It is an utter begging of the question to advance such a theory as a sufficient explanation of prayer.  For prayer in its simplest conception supposes something changed that is not otherwise reachable.  Both from the scriptural, and from a rugged philosophical standpoint the objective is the real driving point of all full prayer.  The subjective is in order to the objective, as the final outward climactic reach of God’s great love-plan for a world.

Six Facts Underlying Prayer.

It will help greatly to step back and up a bit for a fresh look at certain facts that underlie prayer.  Everything depends on a right point of view.  There may be many view-points, from which to study any subject; but of necessity any one view-point must take in all the essential facts concerned.  If not, the impression formed will be wrong, and a man will be misled in his actions.  In these talks I make no attempt to prove the Bible’s statements, nor to suggest a common law for their interpretation.  That would be a matter for quite a separate series of talks.  It clears the ground to assume certain things.  I am assuming the accuracy of these scriptural statements.  And I am glad to say I have no difficulty in doing so.

Now there are certain facts constantly stated and assumed in this old Book.  They are clearly stated in its history, they are woven into its songs, and they underlie all these prophetic writings, from Genesis clear to the end of John’s Patmos visions.  Possibly they have been so familiar and taken for granted so long as to have grown unfamiliar.  The very old may need stating as though very new.  Here is a chain of six facts: 

First:—­The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.[3] His by creation and by sovereign rule.  The Lord sat as King at the flood.[4]

Second:—­God gave the dominion of the earth to man.  The kingship of its life, the control and mastery of its forces.[5]

Third:—­Man, who held the dominion of the earth in trust from God, transferred his dominion to somebody else, by an act which was a double act.  He was deceived into doing that act.  It was an act of disobedience and of obedience.  Disobedience to God, and obedience to another one, a prince who was seeking to get the dominion of the earth into his own hands.  That act of the first man did this.  The disobedience broke with God, and transferred the allegiance from God.  The obedience to the other one transferred the allegiance, and through that, the dominion to this other one.

The fourth fact is this:—­The dominion or kingship of this earth so far as given to man, is now not God’s, for He gave it to man.  And it is not man’s, for he has transferred it to another.  It is in the control of that magnificent prince whose changed character supplies his name—­Satan, the hater, the enemy.  Jesus repeatedly speaks of “the prince”—­that is the ruling one—­“of this world."[6] John speaks in his vision-book of a time coming when “the kingdom (not kingdoms, as in the old version) of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ."[7] By clear inference previous to that time it is somebody’s else kingdom than His.  The kingship or rulership of the earth which was given to man is now Satan’s.