Necessity of Doing Our Best
105
beautiful prayer for the world. The prayer of Jesus is simple, clear,
comprehensive, and yet not long and spiritless as are the dry prayers
that are often offered in public. These spiritless prayers better not be
uttered; for they fail to bless or edify, and are a mere form without
vital power.
“And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp,
except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known
what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound,
who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise ye, except ye utter
by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what
is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. There are, it may be, so many
kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him
that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian
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unto me. Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts,
seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church,” [
1 Corinthians
14:7-12
.] “No man liveth unto himself.” In all our religious services
we should seek to conduct ourselves in a way that we may edify others,
working as much as lies in our power for the perfection of the church.
“Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he
may interpret. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth,
but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with
the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also....Else when thou
shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the
unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth
not what thou sayest? For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other
is not edified. I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all;
yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding,
that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in
an unknown tongue.” [
1 Corinthians 14:13-19
.]
The principle presented by Paul concerning the gift of tongues, is
equally applicable to the use of the voice in prayer and social meeting.
We would not have any one of you who is defective in this respect,
cease from offering public prayer, or from bearing witness to the power
and love of Christ. I do not write these words to silence you; for there
has been already too much silence in our meetings; but I write that
you may consecrate your voice to Him who gave you this gift, and
realize the necessity of cultivating it so that you may edify the church