"Prayer: Fire Begets Fire" Kathryn Kuhlman David Brainerd

How often you have heard the words, fire begets fire. And someone has ably written, to bring fire on earth he came, kindled in some hearts it is. But oh, that all might catch the blaze and all partake the glorious bliss. of the heaven -descended dove, my heart the altar, and I love the flame. Like everything else in the Christian life, prayer can become lopsided. You know, sometimes we get so lopsided in our theology, in our doctrine. And sometimes I think that prayer can become very lopsided. Prayer is no substitute for work. Equally true is the fact that work is no substitute for prayer. Prayer is the greatest power that God has given to men and women and never forget it. Never. There is no greater power that God has given to the saints of God than prayer. And there's nothing that the enemy of our soul, that hell fears more than praying men and praying women. To live well. One does not have to live long. Sometimes a man can live 80, 83, 85 years on this earth. And when he leaves, he will have accomplished nothing. He has given nothing. And he has received nothing. He's received nothing because he's given nothing. And so it isn't a matter of how long one lives, but how well one lives. Remember that. A man only 28 years old may die 100 years old in wisdom, in the spiritual sphere. The richest garments of the soul are spun on the looms of prayer, dyed in the travail that builds up the sufferings of Christ. Oh, how those fellow missionaries invade Henry Martin's spirituality. And one says of him, Oh, to be able to emulate his excellences, his elevation of piety. His diligence, his superiority to the world, his love for souls, his anxiety to improve all occasions to do souls good, his insight into Christ and the heavenly temper. These are the secrets of the wonderful impression that he made in India. But Martin says of himself, The ways of wisdom appear more sweet and reasonable than ever, and the world more insipid and vexatious. The chief thing I mourn over, he continues, is my want of power, my desire of spiritual power. and the lack of fervor in secret prayer, especially when I plead for the heathen. In proportion to my light, warmth does not increase within me. Oh, the longing in the heart of a spiritual man. The longing, the longing. The deeper one goes spiritually, the more that one has received spiritual, the deeper, the greater will be the desire for more and more and more. The longing will be more intense than ever before. Know that. By its very nature, fire be... Fire begets fire. The scripture says, see how great a matter a little fire can do. Fire begets fire. Fire can never make ice. The devil certainly cannot make saints. Neither can prayerless. Men and women produce warriors of intercession, and yet one spark from an handle may set a city on fire. From one candle, ten thousand others may take a light. From the matchless prayer of one light, take, for example, the life of David Brainerd, outstanding in his field of service for the Lord. How many have caught? The light from his life. Like Carrie. Payson. Oh, sure. Read the pages regarding the life of God's precious saints. William Carey. Red Brainerd's life story. And a dynamo started within the young soul winner's breast. Finally landing him on India's coral strand. At the flame of Brainerd's molden soul, the candle of Edward Payson's heart was lighted under Todd. Thus from just the diary of the pain -wracked apostle who served his years, his ministry to the Northern American Indians, Payson caught the motivating inspiration and began at 20 years of age a prayer life that almost surpassed that of Brainerd's. To add yet another soul to that of Brainerd's great influence. Another master of prayer who tuttered into his grave at the ripe old age of 29, and we speak of Robert Murray McShay. This marvelous giant in prayer was first magnetized to this greatest of all human offices. The greatest. The greatest of all human offices. That the soul of man can exercise. By reading about Brainerd. Your influence. My influence. Your testimony. My testimony. Your prayer life. The result of your prayer life. The result of your spiritual influence. Fire begets. Fire. No man lives unto himself. Know that. Always remember that. You do not live totally unto yourself. You have an influence. Every man, every woman has an influence. Fire begets fire. Another great soul. The great Jonathan Edwards. watched Brainerd. As the tides of consumption grew greater over Brainerd's body, Godly Jonathan Edwards wrote, I praise God that in his providence Brainerd should die in my house so that I might hear his prayer. so that I might witness his consecration and be inspired by his example. And when Brainerd was dying, Wesley, John Wesley, was in about the prime of his spiritual conquest. And listen to that saint of God, John Wesley, talking to his conference in England. And this is what they said. What can be done to revive the work of the Lord where it has decayed? And then the rentless, tireless evangelist, who shook literally three kingdoms, answered his own question by saying, Let every minister, let... Every child of God, let every saint read carefully the life of David Brainerd. You know, the true church is born from above. And in it, there are no sinners. Outside of it, no saints. No man can put another man's name on its... member's role. No man can cross another's name off that role. This church, this glorious body of believers of which, thank God, there is still a glorious remnant in the world. His church lives, moves, and has its being in prayer. And prayer is its sole sincere desire. And there is no substitute in any man's life for prayer. There is no substitute in the church for prayer. As an individual, there is no substitute for prayer in your life. atom bomb shook Hiroshima, so prayer alone can release that power which would shake the hearts of men. This culture paganism at our doors, those idol temples, those fear -gripped, sin -mesmerized millions can only be moved to God. as the church is moved of God for their lost condition. With every possible guile that he knows, Satan would snatch us from the closet of prayer, from the life of prayer, from the power that there is in prayer. For in prayer, man is linked with God. That's your link. That's my link with God, prayer. And in that glorious union, Satan is baffled. Satan is beaten. And well, he knows this. And so, if the closet of prayer is shut tightly, the mind is invaded with legitimate cares or with imaginations as big. are more real than life itself. Here we need to plead our main defense, the blood, the precious blood of Jesus Christ. We need to plead the covering of the blood for our lives, our household, our loved ones. Another way to offset wandering thoughts. And to help concentration is to pray audibly or to give some utterance at least, though it may not be loud. After all, prayer is literally talking to God, our Heavenly Father. When there is that glorious relationship, and you can look up and know that you have a Heavenly Father, and you talk with Him, you don't shout at Him. You converse with Him. You wait in His presence. Sometimes you wait silently, for in silence, in stillness, there's great power, there's great energy, there's great force. For in the very stillness, you're strengthened, not only spiritually, but physically as well. Oh, that glorious power of prayer. Exceeding great and precious are his promises. Here we're on concrete foundation. Here we're trading currencies with heaven. Here God is pledged and longs to hear and honor our pleadings. Here we may be engaged in warfare, not with God, but against principalities, for Satan delights in loss no more than In the other being, souls of men are his treasures. Damned souls, doubting souls, drunk souls, disobedient souls, sick souls, religious souls, souls of the young, souls of the old, and all souls outside the regenerating power of the spirit are mastered by Satan, though the degrees of his mastery vary. Souls and degrees of spirituality are... special targets for his fiery arrows, but the shield of faith, the shield of prayer, the shield of love, the shield of hope will brush them all off and will leave us all unscathed. But remember, Prayer is not for defense. The shield of faith is for that. Prayer is our secret weapon. That glorious secret weapon. We do not conquer Satan by prayer. Christ conquered Satan 2 ,000 years ago. Jesus himself said, I give you power over all the power of the enemy. That, my friend, is a victory. That is victory in Christ Jesus. And in this moment, I pray that you'll catch a new insight to the power that there is. is in prayer. You cannot live a truly spiritual life without prayer. You cannot live a victorious life without prayer. Prayer is the greatest power that God has given to men and women. Make this real to hearts for Jesus' sake. Amen.