Below is an excerpt from Samuel Brengle’s book, The Soul Winner’s Secret. Brengle discusses how prayer draws us closer to God, prevents sin, and enables success in ministry.
Prayer is the way of approach to God, and the soul-winner keeps it open by constant use. It is the channel by which all spiritual blessings and power are received, and therefore the life of the soul-winner must be one of ceaseless prayer.
“Pray without ceasing,” wrote Paul. It is the breath of the soul, and other things being equal, it is the secret of power.
It is written of Jesus, “And it came to pass in those days that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” And this was followed by mighty works.
What an amazing statement is this: “Whatsoever things ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them,” and this: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you,” and this: “If ye abide in Me and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you!”
And yet, amazing as they are, there they stand in the Scripture of truth, a challenge to every child of God who is jealous for God’s glory, who longs for the triumph of righteousness and who seeks the salvation of souls.
The soul-winner must pray in secret; he must get alone with God and pour his heart into his Heavenly Father’s ear with intercessions and pleadings and arguments, if he would have good success.
There is no substitute for much wide-awake, expectant, secret waiting upon God for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the gift of wisdom, strength, courage, hope, faith, discernment of times and spirits, and a glowing, burning, comprehensive message from Him to the people.
If men fail at this point, they will in due time fail at every point. Jesus said: “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.”
Here, then, is the secret of success: closet communion and counsel and conversations with God, who is our Father. He will no more turn away from us when we come in the spirit of an obedient and affectionate child than the sunlight can when we throw open the windows and doors and stand in its beams.
I say it reverently. He cannot turn away from us, but will surely reward us, and that openly, because He said He would, and He cannot lie.
