the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
John Gossner's Treasury
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Matthew 6:7. I am weary with my groaning; all the night I make my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. Psalms 6:6. My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me. Psalms 42:3-4.
There are many who think that prayer consists in using many words; that he who talks a great deal to God about something, the more the better, is praying. Christ says that mere words are not sufficient, that it is heathenish and not Christian to use many words. Are we not to pray without ceasing, in all places? How would Christ have it, since we are not to use words, at least not many? Ask David; he gives an answer in the name of all those who pray truly in the above cited passage (Psalms 6:6; Psalms 42:4). Isaiah makes it a condition upon which we receive help and power, that we be quiet and trust in God, and not carry on a war of words with Him (Isaiah 30:15). Christ Himself, how few words He used in His most ardent prayer, in His deepest agony! He repeated the same words three times. People err in that they believe that prayer is a matter of the tongue and not of the heart. True, the tongue must be in the service of the heart when one is in need of it; but the heart must pray, strive, wait, hope, believe and groan. Tears often express more than words. No doubt the bloody sweat and the tears of the Savior were a stronger cry in the ears of the Father than His few and short words. Moses, also, cried unto God without opening his mouth (Exodus 14:15). In the psalms one often hears David cry, and I am inclined to believe that inward crying is to be understood. Still, I shall not have anything against your often crying aloud when you must. Everything in its time. From this we may conclude how prayer-books are to be regarded as well as the prayers that are said according to such books. Yet I will not unconditionally condemn nor prohibit the use of good prayer-books. He who knows how to pray can also use them rightly. But as a rule they are like the handbooks of arithmetic, in which you can at once find everything without trouble, without having to work out the problem, and without knowing how to reckon. Such fellows are in my native country called "lazy dogs. "
Heavenly Father, Jesus taught us
Thus to call Thee, In His name;
His enduring merits wrought us
Graciously this childhood’s claim.
Then with "Abba, Father! " come we,
Place us wholly in Thy care;
Oh, let naught e’er wrest us from Thee!
Heed and hear Thy children’s prayer.
