His wishes, curtailing their extravagances, or in any way preparing our hearts beforehand for prayer. But this is, we think, a mistake. He who would truly pray must not kneel, impelled simply by his own heated wishes; but under the influence of some high thoughts respecting Him to whom he prays. His first act in prayer will not be passionately to put forward his own wish or will; but to remember that in all things God's purpose of love is unfolding itself among men. prayer will be an effort-a spirit of striving to pray "according to His will." It is not the effort to make the Creator's purpose bend to our wish and will; but the effort to move our will and wish into harmony with His. It is not the wild pleading of some blind devotee before an uncertain and capricious deity who may perchance interfere in our behalf. It is rather the effort of a humble and self-distrustful though perplexed spirit, striving to rise out of self, and rely upon the Divine love and wisdom, more tender and true than all the D puerile hopes and morbid loves of the frail heart which prays. All this implies preparation of heart for the work of prayer. We are not left alone. His Holy Spirit is promised. He raises within us the sense and realization of the fatherliness of that love to which we appeal. He aids us in the understanding of our own needs, and elevates our spirits into harmony with God's better purposes, and softens them into submission to His will. There is an assurance of success in prayer gathered from the remembrance of this promise: "Thou preparest their heart; and Thine ear inclineth thereto." Yet much is left to us. Personal effort, regularity, and method are valuable helps to praying hearts. There is a bad habit which much hinders our prayers—the habit of rushing hurriedly from business, or conversation, or amusement to prayer, without thought or preparation. It is bad for the mind to hasten thus, without a brief interval, from one sub ject to another: it produces an irritation of the brain, just as frequent interruptions do, and leads to feebleness and unsteadiness in the action of thought. It is no less bad for the religious affections. It clouds the spirit of prayer with the hardly-forgotten forms of other things. We shall not find ourselves falling into this fault, if we strive to realize the necessity of heart-work in prayer. If we remember that the whole heart must be transfused with the spirit of Christ-taught love, trust, and submission, we shall endeavour to secure a few moments for silent thought before we pray. We shall strive to collect our energies, realize our needs, and rouse our hearts, when we bear in mind the difficulties which lie on the threshold of prayer, and the obstacles which must be overcome before we can pray. There is a mutual action and reaction going on between work and prayer. The difficulties, which we ignore in our own hearts, meet us in our work. Want of meeting and vanquishing the threshold hindrances of prayer is a cause why work is often so weary and profitless to us. This is especially true of what is called Christian work. Sunday-school teachers, visitors, and ministers often feel their toil unremunerative-a painful, irksome task, rather than a labour made light with the love of Christ. Perhaps this is the reflection of a neglect of heart-work in prayer. Work is hard to those who make light work of their prayers; but work comes easy to those who have worked hard in prayer. |