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HARRY EMERSON FOSDICK

AUTHOR OF "The Manhood of the Master," "THE ASSURANCE
OF IMMORTALITY," "THE SECOND MILE"

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€1207.27.25

HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY

GIFT OF

RUSSELL GREEN FESSENDEN
FEB 11 1935

COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY

THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF
YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATIONS

The Bible Text used in this volume is taken from the American Standard
Edition of the Revised Bible, copyright 1901, by Thomas Nelson & Sons, and
is used by permission.

To

FLORENCE WHITNEY FOSDICK

INTRODUCTION

These meditations and studies on prayer are most timely. Never have there been such extensive and such convincing evidences of the poverty and inadequacy of human means and agencies for furthering the welfare of humanity; never has there been such a widespread sense of the need of superhuman help; never have there been such challenges to Christians to undertake deeds requiring Divine cooperation; never has there been such a manifest desire to discover the secret of the hiding and of the releasing of God's power. Interest in prayer is world-wide. This is shown in the prominence of this subject in addresses and sermons in all lands, as well as by the growing volume of books and pamphlet literature in different languages. The multiplication of Calls to Prayer and of Prayer Cycles, and the formation of Prayer Bands and of Leagues of Intercession, constitute similar testimony. Among Christians everywhere, and even among many who would not call themselves believing Christians, there is being manifested an earnest desire to understand what prayer is and to engage more fully in its exercise.

Among many recent writings on prayer possibly none does more to show its reasonableness than the following chapters. They will answer the unanswered questions of many an honest doubter. The daily arrangement of the material will serve to make the following of this course of studies a valuable school of prayer. This suggests one of the principal merits of Professor Fosdick's treatment of the subject. It shows. clear recognition of the simple and central fact a fact apparently unrecognized by so many—that prayer is something the reality and power of which can be verified only by praying. An alarming weakness among Christians is that we are producing Christian activities faster than we are producing Christian experience and Christian faith; that the discipline of our souls and the deepening of our acquaintance with God are not proving sufficiently thorough to enable us to meet the

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