Good News 
June 1961 
Vol. X, Number 6 
 
 
              PRAYER Can Help Solve Your Problems! 
 
Many spend hours in prayer with no apparent results.  Troubles 
seem to continue to mount.  Why?  Here is the surprising answer 
from one of our local elders from Headquarters. 
 
                      by Selmer. L. Hegvold 
 
 
   THIS has been a critical season for most of the world -- and 
for many of us! 
   Serious and strange viruses and respiratory ailments have 
undermined the stamina and health of some! 
   Unemployment has sapped the ability to provide for our own 
families in certain cases! 
   Persecution has threatened the peace and security of some of 
our loved ones! 
   Those who HAVE escaped these troubles are wondering why the 
others HAVE NOT!  What is wrong?  Why do problems seem to stalk 
continually, not only the world, but the people of God as well -- 
the VERY PEOPLE God has CALLED OUT of a very sick and confused 
world? 
 
Prayer -- A Key? 
 
   God has promised to bless, to prosper, to make life full, 
abundant and a joy to every one of us here and now!  In some 
cases that promise has not materialized.  Why? 
   In one way or another it has affected the entire Church of 
God, the Body of Christ.  When one member suffers, the whole Body 
suffers (I Cor. 12:24-27). 
   In visiting and counseling with many members, we have found a 
common condition that reveals a vital key to most of these 
unpleasant circumstances! 
   That key? -- OUR PRAYER HABITS! 
   Yes!  FAULTY prayer habits are a primary cause of these 
serious problems in God's Church! 
   One man, after becoming embittered against the Church, 
insisted he was praying more at that time than at any time 
before.  Yet he left the Church!  Others, too, have claimed they 
had never been closer to God in their prayer habits than at that 
particular time!  COULD THIS BE TRUE?  Lack of understanding this 
subject could be fatal to our own spiritual development! 
   We need to examine ourselves! 
 
Respect Authority 
 
   Many of us accept teachings of Christ's Church readily -- 
UNTIL one of those decisions strikes at the core of some aspect 
of our own lives.  Then we begin to doubt the wisdom of Christ, 
of God's ministers!  It becomes easy for us to forget that they 
are ordained, and placed in office BY GOD for the express purpose 
of perfecting the saints -- the work of the ministry -- till we 
all come to the UNITY of the faith and knowledge of the Son of 
God, to the PERFECT man (Eph. 4:12-13). 
   Something is radically wrong when some, who claimed to be 
"close to God in prayer," suddenly are found to be on the way 
into the lake of fire!  Of these He said, "Not every one that 
saith unto me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of 
heaven" (Matt. 7:22, 21). 
   It is possible to claim to worship God diligently, and to do 
so in vain!  Christ could not have said so, otherwise! 
 
Your Attitude Important 
 
   An example of a wrong attitude was innocently expressed by a 
little three-year-old girl at a buffet dinner recently.  She 
stood obediently and politely with bowed head along with her 
elders as God's blessing was asked on the food.  At the word 
"Amen!" she gave a sigh clearly audible throughout the room.  To 
her mind the prayer was a necessary, BUT IRKSOME, prelude to 
partaking of that delicious food!  Is prayer merely a 
superstitious smattering of words that are quoted piously before 
commencing on certain phases of daily duties? 
   Prayer must be made with a proper attitude of mind, with 
diligent application, with real fervency, and a proper knowledge 
of what to pray for!  Where do some fall short, that they 
continue to be plagued with very real misfortunes?  Some ARE 
falling short somewhere, and in most every case it is in prayer! 
   How many of you, when prayer is being offered up to God by 
others, can summarize that prayer at its close?  Do we really 
focus our attention fully on the prayer? or is our attention 
distracted by other interests? 
   To some, prayer seems to be an irksome and a boring duty -- a 
required ritual we conform to, but are secretly happy to have 
done with.  Prayer has not become the real and living blessing to 
us God intended it to be! 
   It is vital that we examine our prayers as God sees them! 
   Here is a typical problem that ministers are often called upon 
to help with. 
 
A Real Problem 
 
   One couple had been working together providing for their 
fair-sized family.  Everything seemed to move along fairly well 
for a time.  Suddenly, without warning, the man lost his job! 
His wife fell seriously ill and recuperated slowly over a period 
of weeks.  Week after week passed.  Their appeal for help from 
the ministers of the Church brought to us a sorry picture.  Not 
only unemployment, but mounting bills, prospect of eviction from 
a decent home, utterly rebellious children, and a husband and a 
wife on the verge of going their separate ways! 
   When asked if each had fervently prayed one hour a day over 
these terrible problems that had developed, the answer in each 
case was a sheepish "No!"  Pursuing this further, the ministers 
found that even before he had lost his job this man had devoted 
no more than one or two hours to prayer EACH WEEK!  A vital 
taproot of their problem had been found. 
   Brethren, it is vital that we go to our heavenly Father in 
prayer every day!  This could be the taproot of our problems! 
   Why is prayer so very important? 
 
Converse With God 
 
   Prayer is conversation.  Not something given by rote -- 
repeated over and over monotonously!  It is conversation with our 
Maker -- our Father in Heaven. 
   Conversation, in this world, helps one person to understand, 
and to come to love another better.  How often have we formed bad 
first-impressions of certain people, and then, as a result of 
conversation with them, found them to really be desirable 
friends! 
   The "Christian" world we have lived in has given most of us a 
false first-impression of God.  It has instilled in our minds a 
picture of a harsh, stern God -- a God that seemingly loves to 
see us suffer under the battering of storms, weather disasters, 
war, famine, disease, unemployment.  And a God who is 
inaccessible to us -- who has gone afar off from our appeals! 
   Through conversational prayer we come into direct contact 
daily with the true God.  We come to KNOW Him as He is.  Prayer 
dispels that first-impression foisted off on us by the world.  A 
real, comforting love develops, and a new and intimate knowledge 
of the very mind of God results. 
 
The Right Approach 
 
   We need to learn to talk over our problems with Him as we 
would desire to do with our own earthly father of the flesh!  But 
how to develop such a proper, intimate, and acceptable pattern of 
prayer seems to perplex many.  We should YEARN to establish such 
a contact -- to know God better! 
   SCHEDULE YOUR TIME for the activities of the day, including a 
time for prayer -- a regular time.  An hour, or at least a 
half-hour to begin with, is almost an essential consideration! 
   The period of time set aside for prayer should be the hour of 
the day we are most mentally alert -- BEFORE the problems of the 
day develop!  "But seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of God, and His 
righteousness; and all these things [our needs] shall be added 
unto you" (Matt. 6:33). 
   Some have claimed they could pray just as effectively as they 
go about performing their daily work.  THIS IS NOT TRUE, unless 
they FIRST have had a period of prayer ON THEIR KNEES!  The 
fruits of such people have proven this fact. 
   How should we pray?  Is there a recommended position of 
prayer? 
   "That at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW ..." (Phil. 
2:10).  Every knee should bow before God.  The world pays homage 
to an earthly king by kneeling before him on ONE knee.  We pay 
homage to the King of all the universe by kneeling before Him on 
BOTH knees.  Read II Chronicles 6:13; Daniel 6:10; Luke 22:41; 
Acts 9:40; 20:36 and others.  These are our examples! 
 
A Pattern Prayer 
 
   What should we pray about? 
   Again, it should not be a memorized prayer!  Many turn to 
Christ's instruction to His disciples in Matthew 6:8-13 and quote 
the words in their prayer day after day.  Note, however, that He 
said, "After this MANNER [pattern] therefore pray ye ..."  This 
was given only as the skeletal framework around which to build 
our own prayer.  Jesus did not mean "pray THIS" -- He meant "pray 
THUS"! 
   Jesus' pattern of prayer is very important!  Note that Christ 
began by glorifying God.  One fourth of our prayer should be 
given over to glorifying God -- to magnifying His majesty, power, 
glory and love! 
   We can do this only by studying His Word -- studying David's 
examples in the Psalms -- asking God, at times, to accept some of 
these Psalms as our own words of praise and thanksgiving. 
   Realize how completely dependent we are on Him for our food, 
shelter, clothing and the very breath of air we breathe!  Let our 
minds drink in of His greatness, His mercy, His sustaining power. 
   We are a thank-LESS generation of people.  We need to change 
our ways!  We need to guard against the "gimmes" in our prayers! 
Study of all the examples of prayer given in our Bibles will help 
us immensely. 
 
Be Interested in God's Work 
 
   We should learn who God's ministers are, where they are 
working, and the problems they are facing in their particular 
areas of the world.  We should certainly realize that the great 
and primary commission of this Church is to preach the Word of 
God faithfully to all the world (Matt. 24:14; 28:19-20).  We 
should pray that new radio and then television facilities will be 
opened up to "The WORLD TOMORROW" program, at better times, and 
in areas not yet reached.  And that this gospel will pierce the 
hearts and the minds of every listener. 
   Study the Bible and the literature that is sent out.  If you 
don't understand something, jot it down in a notepad, or as part 
of a special prayer list as a reminder when you go to your place 
of prayer.  Ask God to answer it through the broadcast or the 
magazines or Correspondence Course and through the Bible.  Some 
think that any thought that pops into their minds is God's answer 
when it is only their own impulse.  God answers through His Word 
and His ministry. 
   Pray for more consecrated laborers to be led into the work of 
God.  There is a tremendous need for the right calibre men and 
women to do the work that is piling up (John 4:35, and Matt. 
9:37-38). 
   Prayer is a private matter, not a public matter for your 
unconverted relatives to notice!  "And when thou prayest, thou 
shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray 
standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, 
that they may be seen of men.  Verily I say unto you, They have 
their reward.  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy 
closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father 
which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall 
reward thee openly" (Matt. 6:5-6). 
 
Important Points 
 
   We can help unconverted members of our families by leading 
them in family worship IF THEY PERSONALLY SO DESIRE, but AFTER we 
have ALREADY had our own! 
   We need to remain in an attitude of prayer throughout the day. 
David, a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22) said, "Evening, 
and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He 
shall hear my voice" (Ps. 55:17).  We, too, should follow this 
example of David, who has his guarantee of being in the Kingdom 
of God! 
   WE SHOULD ASK GOD'S HELP TO GUIDE US IN PRAYER.  He will lead 
us to have real concern and love for all the brethren, for the 
ministers, and His work.  We may even forget our own needs in 
losing ourselves in these other interests -- but God will not 
forget OUR needs! 
   IF WE EACH PRAY ONLY FOR OURSELVES, ONLY ONE PERSON PRAYS FOR 
EACH OF US.  BUT IF WE ALL PRAY FOR EACH OTHER THEN, THOUSANDS 
PRAY FOR EACH OF US. 
   Our prayer life will truly come ALIVE as we learn to improve 
our attitudes. 
 
It's UP to YOU 
 
   If we are continuing to have troubles, sickness, 
discouragement, unemployment and persecutions, we need to examine 
ourselves.  God is not at fault!  "But YOUR INIQUITIES have 
separated between you and your God, and YOUR SINS have hid his 
face from you, that he will not hear" (Isa. 59:2).  LISTEN TO 
GOD'S CORRECTION!  THOSE WHO PRAY AND REFUSE TO OBEY WHAT GOD 
SAYS THROUGH HIS WORD AND HIS MINISTERS, cut themselves off from 
their Creator and worship God in vain.  Don't let this happen to 
you! 
   This, then, is the key to overcoming our problems.  God WILL 
hear and answer our pleas as he did David's.  The answers will 
begin to come as never before, and real happiness, and a fruitful 
life of service to God will open before us.  We shall find that 
we really know God as our Father in Heaven.  Each moment spent in 
prayer with Him will be a moment of real joy to us!  We should 
all read, if we haven't done so, Mr. Roderick Meredith's reprint 
article "The Answer to Unanswered Prayer." 
   "Great peace have they which love thy law: and NOTHING SHALL 
OFFEND THEM [cause them to stumble]!" (Ps. 119:165).