t with Himself and
Spirit.

The third thing Christ asks is this, the surrender of faith. When He
spoke to the impotent man His word of command had to be obeyed. The man
believed that there was truth and power in Christ's word; in that faith
he rose and walked. By faith he obeyed. And what Christ said to others
was for him too--"Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole." Of us,
too, Christ asks this faith, that His word changes our impotence into
strength, and fits us for that walk in newness of life for which we have
been quickened in Him. If we do not believe this, if we will not take
courage and say, with Paul, "I can do all things in Christ, which
strengtheneth me," we cannot obey. But if we will listen to the word
that tells us of the walk that is not only possible, but has been proved
and seen in God's saints from of old, if we will fix our eye on the
mighty, living, loving Christ, who speaks in power, "Rise and walk," we
shall take courage and obey. We shall rise and begin to walk in Him and
His strength. In faith, apart from and above all feeling, we shall
accept and trust an unseen Christ as our strength, and go on in the
strength of the Lord God. We shall know Christ as the strength of our
life. We shall know, and tell, and prove that Jesus Christ hath made us
whole.

Can it indeed be? Yes, it can. He has done it for many: He will do it
for you. Beware of forming wrong conceptions of what must take place.
When the impotent man was made whole he had still all to learn as to the
use of his new-found strength. If he wanted to dig, or build, or learn a
trade, he had to begin at the beginning. Do not expect at once to be a
proficient in prayer or any part of the Christian life. No; but expect
and be confident of this one thing, that, as you have trusted yourself
to Christ to be your health and strength, He will lead and teach you.
Begin to pray in a quiet sense of your ignorance and weakness, but in a
joyful assurance that He will work in you what you need. Rise and walk
each day in a holy confidence that He is with you and in you. Just
accept Jesus Christ the Living One, and trust Him to do His work.

Will you do it? Have you done it? Even now Jesus speaks, "Rise and
walk." "Amen, Lord! at Thy word I come. I rise to walk with Thee, and in
Thee, and like Thee."

A PLEA FOR MORE PRAYER

CHAPTER IX

The Secret of Effectual Prayer

"What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye have