February 16

The privilege of prayer

“The Lord will hear when I call unto him” (Psa. 4:3).
“Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer” (Isa. 58:9).

The privilege of prayer to me is one of my most cherished possessions, because faith and experience alike convince me that God Himself sees and answers, and His answers I never venture to criticize. It is only my part to ask. It is entirely His to give or withhold as He knows best. If it were otherwise, I would not dare to pray at all. In the quiet of home, in the heart of life and strife, in the face of death, the privilege of speech with God is inestimable.

I value it more because it calls for nothing that “the wayfaring man, though a fool” cannot give—that is, the simplest expression to his simplest desire. When I can neither see, nor hear, nor speak, still I can pray so that God can hear. When I finally pass through the valley of the shadow of death, I expect to pass through it in conversation with Him.
—Sir Wilfred Grenfell.

Who hath God within his call,
Naught can fail him, naught appall,
God’s enough, for God is all.
—St. Theresa.

When we depend upon organizations, we get what organizations can do; when we depend upon education, we get what education can do; when we depend upon man, we get what man can do; but when we depend upon prayer, we get what God can do.
—Dr. A. C. Dixon.

What wond’rous grace! Who knows its full extent?
A creature, dust and ashes, speaks with God—
Tells all his woes, enumerates his wants,
Yea, pleads with Deity, and gains relief.
’Tis prayer, yes, ’tis ‘effectual, fervent prayer,’
Puts dignity on worms, proves life divine,
Makes demons tremble, breaks the darkest cloud,
And with a princely power prevails with God!
And shall this privilege become a task?
My God, forbid! Pour out Thy Spirit’s grace,
Draw me by love, and teach me how to pray.
Yea, let Thy holy unction from above
Beget, extend, maintain my intercourse
With Father, Son, and Spirit, Israel’s God,
Until petitions are exchanged for praise.
—Irons.

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