If a man will go through Matthew 16:24, and habitually live there he may ask what he wills to ask, and that thing will come to pass.  The reason, without question, why many people do not have power in prayer is simply because they are unwilling—­I am just talking very plainly—­they are unwilling to bare their breasts to the keen-edged knife in these words of Jesus.  And on the other side, if a man will quietly, resolutely follow the Master’s leading—­nothing extreme—­nothing fanatical, or morbid, just a quiet going where that inner Voice plainly leads day by day, he will be startled to find what an utterly new meaning prayer will come to have for him.

The Controlling Purpose.

Vital relationship is always expressed by purpose.  The wise ambassador has an absorbing purpose to further the interests of his government.  Jesus said, and it at once reveals His relationship to God, “I do always those things that are well pleasing to him.”

The relationship that underlies prayer has an absorbing purpose.  Its controlling purpose is to please Jesus.  That sentence may sound simple enough.  But, do you know, there is no sentence I might utter that has a keener, a more freshly honed razor-edge to it than that.  That the purpose which controls my action in every matter be this:  to please Him.  If you have not done so, take it for a day, a week, and use it as a touch stone regarding thought, word and action.  Take it into matters personal, home, business, social, fraternal.  It does not mean to ask, “Is this right? is this wrong?” Not that.  Not the driving of a keen line between wrong and right.  There are a great many things that can be proven to be not wrong, but that are not best, that are not His preference.

It will send a business man running his eye along the shelves and counter of his store.  “The controlling purpose to please Jesus ... hm-m-m, I guess maybe that stuff there ought to come out.  Oh, it is not wrong:  I can prove that.  My Christian brother-merchants handle it here, and over the country:  but to please Him:  a good, clean sixty per cent, profit too, cash money, but to please Him—­” and the stuff must go down and out.

It would set some woman to thinking about the next time the young people are to gather in her home for a delightful social evening with her own daughters.  She will think about some forms of pastime that are found everywhere.  They are not wrong, that has been conclusively proven.  But to please Him.  Hm-m.  And these will go out.  And then it will set her to work with all her God-given woman-wit and exquisite tact to planning an evening yet more delightful.  It will make one think of his personal habits, his business methods, and social intercourse, the organizations he belongs to, with the quiet question cutting it razor-way into each.