Scripture for Meditation:  Luke xviii, 1-8.

One of the highest privileges of the Christian life is the privilege of intercession for the unsaved.  Every Christian may be an intercessor, and bear to the mercy-seat, in the arms of prayer, some unsaved friend every day.  Have a prayer list.  In a little memorandum-book write the names of those whom you are anxious to see saved.  Spread these names before the Lord daily until your prayers are answered.

One of the greatest Christian movements of modern times started with a prayer-list carried in the vest-pocket of a commercial traveler, Mr. E.R.  Graves, traveling for a paper-house in New York City.  He secured permission from a merchant to allow his name to be entered on his prayer-list.  The merchant wrote his name in the traveler’s book, and then proceeded to inform Mr. Graves that he had determined not to be a Christian, and that he had taken too big a contract if he expected to pray him into the kingdom.  But the traveler simply said, “I confidently expect my prayer to be answered.”  When they met again the merchant had been converted, and, amid tears of rejoicing, another name was checked off the list.  The merchant’s name was Samuel M. Sayford.  Mr. Sayford became a secretary in the Young Men’s Christian Association, and shortly after met C.K.  Ober, then a student at Williams College, and pushed him out into Association work.  Mr. Ober, in turn, found John E. Mott in Cornell University, persuaded him to enter Association work among students; and Mr. Mott, in the course of time, started on his journey around the world, organizing the World’s Christian Student Federation.

STUDY XXVI.

WORK AMONG STUDENTS.

Memory Verse:  “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did
    beseech you by us:  we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled
    to God.”—­(2 Cor. v, 20.)

Scripture for Meditation:  1 Cor. ii.

No more fruitful and important field for personal work can be found than in our educational institutions, and Christian students who make soul-winning a habit of life may win many rich trophies for the Master.  Bishop H.W.  Warren, when a Freshman in college, was led to an open confession of Christ through a Saturday morning walk with a Junior, who talked to him about his soul.

Dr. J.W.  Bashford, in The Christian Student, tells about “a Senior in the Ohio Wesleyan University who was smitten with conviction because he had neglected personal work for the Master.  He intended to be a minister, but had been indifferent to the spiritual welfare of his student friends.  He offered himself to Christ in full consecration, and made a list of sixteen friends for whom he felt personal responsibility.  He engaged in systematic personal work with these friends, and had the satisfaction before the year was completed of seeing every one of them begin the Christian life.  Six of his sixteen friends entered the ministry, and some of them are even more talented and successful than the student friend who led them to Christ.”