The Accompaniment of Prayer
Psalm xlii. 8 v.
•’•’ In the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.”
“His song and my prayer” — a duet of divine harmony. In every hour of night the two ought to come together; my prayer should accompany God’s song. I should not wait for the song to come as an answer to my prayer; I should pray along with the singing. How many acts are helped by simultaneous music. Men march to battle with the strains of melody iii their ear. Their march is a great prayer, but it is not enough without the song. I cannot live upon my wants; I cannot even pray upon my wants; I must have hope in order to pray. No man ever cried to his Father who had not in his ear the refrain of an old song. It is by the bow and not by the cloud that I see the exit from the flood. Prayer is the child of expectancy, not of despair. It comes from the smile of Groci. It rises on the wings of the morning. It is born, not of tears, but of latent joy. It is in the night, but not of the night; it is in spite of the night. My prayer reposes on the song of God.
Father, sing in my heart that I may pray. I cannot pray till I have heard Thy song. My cry will not come to Thee when I am in the depth of despair; it needs a ray of hope to make it audible. Sing in my heart a song of hope. There are moments in which Thou speakest only in song — songs without words. Such a moment I ask for my prayer. I do not ask a revelation; I do not ask a lifting of the night; I only ask that lightening of the heart which, like the angel of Peniel, refuses to be denned. Music proves nothing; but it helps me to prove all tilings. Give me Thy music, oh, my Father — the brightness without a reason, the lightness without a cause, the drawing of the curtains where no hand is seen. Give me the nameless strength, the indescribable joy, of Jesus — the joy that could subsist through sorrow, the song of the Lamb. There was music in His heart when there was no light for his eye. His was a song without words — without explanation of its being. I ask no more from Thee. Give me but the heart’s music in the night, though the night itself be silent — music to pray with, music to march with, music to weep with. I ask no more, but I need no less. Thou hast required the prayer of faith; and what is faith but song — a song in the night? Thou hast required the prayer of faith because faith is joy, and joy alone can pray. Night may shew knowledge unto night, but only day can utter speech to day. Let me hear Thy song, and Thou shalt hear my prayer.