Prayer

Prater is one of the royal musicians; and although many do prefer his brother, who is called Praise, yet this one hath ever had an equal share of the King’s favour.

Perhaps you cannot say a word when you pray. God can interpret the naked wish; he needs us not to light the candle of our desires with language: he can see the candle ere it is lit.

One hearty prayer is better than ten thousand forms. One prayer coming from the soul is better than a myriad cold readings. As for prayers that spring from the mouth and head only, God abhors them; he loves those that come deep from the heart

There is one thing which doth outstrip the telegraph: we can now send a message and receive an answer in a few moments; but I read of something in the Bible more swift than the electric fluid. “Before they call I will answer, and while they are speaking I will hear.”

Prayer is the ship which bringeth home the richest freight. It is the soil which yields the most abundant harvest

Wherever there is an eye suffused with tears, wherever there is a lip quivering with agony, wherever there is a deep groan, or a penitential sigh, the ear of Jehovah is wide open: he puts our prayers, like rose leaves, between the pages of his book of remembrance, and when the volume is opened at last, there shall be a precious fragrance springing up therefrom.

All the Christian virtues are locked up in that word, prayer. Tell me you are a man of prayer, and I will reply at once, “Sir, I have no doubt of the reality, as well as the sincerity, of your religion.”

The moment Saul began to pray God began to hear. Do you not notice what attention God paid to Saul? He knew the street where he lived: “Go to the street that is called Straight.” He knew the house where he resided: “Enquire at the house of Judas.” He knew his name: it was Saul. He knew the place where he came from: “Enquire for Saul of Tarsus.” And he knew that he had prayed: “Behold, heprayeth.” It is a glorious fact that prayers are noticed in heaven.

If the angel stir not the pool, yet lie there still, for it may be that the moment when thou leavest will be the season of his descending.

When one of God’s elect is born, angels stand around his cradle. He grows up, and runs into sin; angels follow him; they gaze with sorrow upon his wanderings. The man is brought under the sound of the Gospel! The word sinks into his heart, a tear runs down his cheek, and at last he cries from his inmost soul, “God, have mercy upon me!” See! the angel claps his wings; up he flies to heaven, and says, “Brethren angels, * Behold, he prayeth.’” Then they set heaven’s bells ringing; they have a jubilee in glory.

The poor, broken-hearted sinner, climbing up to his chamber, bends his knee, but can only utter his wailing in the language of sighs and tears. Lo! that groan has made all the harps of heaven thrill with music; that tear has been caught by God and put into the lachrymatory of heaven, to be perpetually preserved. The suppliant, whose fears prevent his words, will be well understood by the Most High. He may only shed one hasty tear; but “prayer is the falling of a tear.” Tears are the diamonds of heaven; sighs are a part of the music of Jehovah’s throne.

Prayerless souls are Christless souls; for you can have no real fellowship with Christ, no communion with the Father, unless you approach his mercy-seat, and be often there.

The best messengers to find out Christ are tears. They act on mercy like the magnet on the needle; the tears of the Christian find out the heart of God. Go after thy Master with wet eyes, and he will come after thee. There is a sacred connection between Christ and weeping eyes!

“Prayer is the rope in the belfry; we pull it, and it rings the bell up in heaven.” Keep on pulling it; and, though the bell is up so high that you cannot hear it ring, depend upon it it can be heard in the tower of heaven, and is ringing before the throne of God, who will give you answers of peace according to your faith.

Prayers from a heart that is wrung with the rough hand of sorrow are the most acceptable in the ears of the God of Sabaoth. If thou art sorrowing, then seek on, O Christian! and think that thou art all the nearer to discovery when thy sorrows increase.

Dost thou feel thyself sick? — go and pull the night- bell of prayer, and wake up thy physician. I beseech thee go and stir him up betimes, and he will give the cordial that will revive thee. Remember, thou art poor; but thou hast “a kinsman, a mighty man of wealth;” go and ask him to give thee of his abundance.

Prayer is the key that openeth the cabinets of mystery. Prayer and faith are sacred picklocks that can open secrets and obtain great treasures. There is no college for holy education like that of the blessed Spirit, for he is an ever-present tutor, to whom we have only to bend the knee, and he is at our side, the great expositor of truth.

Very frequently prayer and the answer attend each other, as the echo doth the speaker’s voice.