not be wrong for another.  Sometimes it is not the thing involved but the One involved that makes the issue.  If that faithful quiet inner voice has spoken and I know what the Master would prefer and I fail to keep in line, that to me is sin.  Then prayer is useless; sheer waste of breath.  Aye, worse, it is deceptive.  For I am apt to say or think, “Well, I am not as good as you, or you, but then I am not so bad; I pray.” And the truth is because I have broken with God the praying—­saying words in that form—­is utterly worthless.

You see sin is slapping God in the face.  It may be polished, cultured sin.  Sin seems capable of taking quite a high polish.  Or it may be the common gutter stuff.  A man is not concerned about the grain of a club that strikes him a blow.  How can He and I talk together if I have done that, and stick to it—­not even apologized.  And of what good is an apology if the offense is being repeated.  And if we cannot talk together of course working together is out of the question.  And prayer is working together with God.  Prayer is pulling with God in His plan for a world.

Shall we not put out the thing that is wrong? or put in the thing the Master wants in?  For Jesus’ sake?  Aye for men’s sake:  poor befooled men’s sake who are being kept out and away because God cannot get at them through us!

Shall we bow and ask forgiveness for our sin, and petty stubbornness that has been thwarting the Master’s love-plan?  And yet even while we ask forgiveness there are lives out yonder warped and dwarfed and worse because of the hindrance in us; yes, and remaining so as we slip out of this meeting.  May the fact send us out to walk very softly these coming days.

A Coaling Station for Satan’s Fleet.

There is a second thing that is plainly spoken of that hinders prayer.  James speaks of it in his letter.[15] “Ye have not because ye ask not”—­that explains many parched up lives and churches and unsolved problems:  no pipe lines run up to tap the reservoir, and give God an opening into the troubled territory.  Then he pushes on to say—­“Ye ask, and receive not”—­ah! there’s just the rub; it is evidently an old story, this thing of not receiving—­why? “because ye ask amiss to spend it in your pleasures.”  That is to say selfish praying; asking for something just because I want it; want it for myself.

Here is a mother praying for her boy.  He is just growing up towards young manhood; not a Christian boy yet; but a good boy.  She is thinking, “I want my boy to be an honour to me; he bears my name; my blood is in his veins; I don’t want my boy to be a prodigal.  I want him to be a fine man, an honour to the family; and if he is a true Christian, he likely will be; I wish he were a Christian.”  And so she prays, and prays repeatedly and fervently.  God might touch her boy’s heart and say, “I want you out here