In the Lord’s Prayer we are specifically instructed to ask God for the forgiveness of our debts, or sins. Paul counted himself not to have attained; he did not consider himself already perfect. The Apostle John, one of the most saintly men of all time, the beloved of the Lord, said that if any man said he had no sin he deceived himself and the truth was not in him. A preacher, commenting on the fact that the Christian who says he has no sin deceives himself, remarked that he does not deceive anyone but himself.
John Gerstner

The Last Prayer Meeting

The Last Prayer Meeting

The LAST Prayer Meeting

And the Kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks,

“Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?” Rev. 6:15-17.

This is a description of the most dread prayer meeting that will ever be held – and the largest. It announces a time when vast multitudes will come together. Kings of nations, princes, lords, governors and sheriffs will be there. Senators and representatives, mighty millionaires and popular professors, men of strength and men of renown, the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the black and the white – all classes will assemble at one great prayer meeting.

Prayer meetings today are about the smallest meetings that are held. It is a rare thing if a king ever comes; but there will be kings at the last one. Presidents and governors do not often frequent the prayer room, but they will be present on that occasion. It will be a great day!

All infidels, all Universalists and every one who propagates heresy – theosophy, Christian Science or anything contrary to Bible truth – will be there. Scholarly men from Yale, Harvard, Amherst and other great institutions of learning, often considered above criticism, will be at the last prayer meeting.

At that vast assembly men will pray. Not many people know how to pray today. Many say they do not believe in prayer, but everyone will believe in it then. Everyone will be engaged in it then. All will drop on their knees and call for help.

Friend, do you know that there are times when infidels and the most God-hating men will pray? They may be loathe to confess it, but they do. When men’s hearts fail them for fear, they pray.

Walking along the streets of Chicago one morning, I heard two elevated trains crash just over my head. Pieces of the wreckage fell on the street about me. I heard screams and cries and groans. Running upstairs, I found them carrying out the wounded and dying. In a few moments policemen were there, with tearful eyes and white faces. Patrols and ambulances came. Everyone was screaming and crying and praying. It was a time to pray.

I have seen many unsaved people die. From their dying testimony I know that hell must be awful. Hell is real. Ordinarily you believe what people say when they are dying. You expect them to tell the truth in such an hour as that. I have seen enough people die, testifying with their last breath that they were damned in hell. I do not want to be present any more when people die without God, without hope.

I saw a man die who had once been rich. He had been looked up to, had held the respect of many, far and near.

A few months before, I had seen this man in a great meeting where many were seeking God. I saw him under conviction.

I heard preachers talk to him, heard his pious wife plead with him to turn to God. But no! He had money, influence, friends. This present evil world seemed to be his god. He turned away from that great outpouring of Grace – unsaved.

Now, the man’s money was gone and his friends had failed him. One night the doctor drove by to say,

“Mr. Rees, our friend is dying. Won’t you go over and see him?” Unsaved himself, the doctor was not willing to see that man go into eternity unprepared and with nobody to pray for him. I bent over the dying man and asked,

“My brother, can you pray?”

“When I attempt to pray, hell is . . . pressing . . . me . . . down,” he whispered back. His hand dropped upon his chest and in a short time he was gone.

I saw a merchant die – a successful man who apparently had accomplished his purpose in the world. But he was godless. He had heard the gospel message again and again. He had been invited to come to Christ, but had rejected Him.

I remember the day the merchant dropped into hell. A saintly friend had felt divinely impressed to call on him, warning him to flee from the wrath to come. He was not disrespectful to her. He merely treated the warning with indifference and turned away to his merchandise.

The friend left and walked perhaps no more than five blocks, when someone came running after her, begging her to return. But it was too late. In the mean time, I was sitting at my table only half a block distant, when I heard an unearthly cry. It came from the direction of the merchant’s place of business. I rushed there and found him alone, suffering intensely. He dropped on the floor, In less than two minutes he was dead.

I have seen a formal church member die – a woman eighty years old. Formal church members will be at the last prayer meeting in great numbers. For church membership will never save you. It will take the blood of Jesus Christ to save you from all sin.

This woman’s daughter sent for me. I hurried to their beautiful home. The mother looked at me as she walked the floor, wringing her hands and saying,

“I am lost, I am lost !”

I thought the Holy Spirit was awakening her and told her that she was just the kind of person whom Jesus came to save.

“No,” she answered, “It is too late. I might have been saved but now I am lost.”

She was then in good health, in good use of her mental powers, but as she walked the house, day and night, wringing her hands, she grew weaker. She took to an armchair, then to her bed. I visited her, but I could not stay. Her relatives said they could not stay and listen to her screams. Hired helpers would not stay. They could not endure the dying screams and cries of a good church member, wailing that she was going to hell.

If one despairing soul can make a place so unendurable, what will it be like when the multiplied millions are assembled together to pray at the last great prayer meeting?

Because no sudden calamity overtakes them, some people may not pray today nor tomorrow, nor for ten years. But sometime they will pray. They may pray when it is too late. Such are not going to pray to God. They will pray for the rocks and the mountains to fall on them and hide them from the face of Him who sits upon the throne.

A mere profession of Christianity will not keep us out of hell. We must have the real thing. There are people who say,

“If I go to hell, I will have lots of company.” Don’t believe it. Each man in hell will be so miserable with regret and rebellion of heart and anguish of suffering that he will be no company for you nor you for him.

A day is coming (Rev. 20:12-15) when all around this world the dead will get up out of their graves. The sea will give up her dead. All the unsaved will be present on the great Judgment Day. Read it for yourself : “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

NOW is the time to pray. Repent of your sins and get right with God. Will you make this your prayer today?

“God be merciful to me a sinner. I come now to take refuge in Christ Jesus, Who suffered for my sins on the cross and rose again to open Heaven for me.”

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