May 8

Peace through prayer

“And great shall be the peace of thy children” (Isa. 54:13).
“But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel” (Isa. 43:22).

How many professing Christians suffer from fears, trials, temptations, and irritabilities that would be needless if they had spent time with God in quiet. God gives a calm trust and other special delights to those who pray.
Many of us could trace the cause of our restlessness and worry to the same difficulty as the little girl in the following story:
One night the mother of two little girls was away at bedtime, and they were left to do as they would.
“I’m not going to pray tonight,” said Lillian, when she was ready for bed.
“Why, Lillian!” exclaimed Amy, with round eyes of astonishment.
“I don’t care; I’m not going to. There isn’t any use.”
So she tumbled into bed, while Amy knelt and prayed. The little prayer finished, and light extinguished, Amy crept into bed. There was a long silence; then Lillian began to turn restlessly, giving her pillow a vigorous thump and saying crossly: “I wonder what is the matter with this pillow?”
Then came a sweet little voice from Amy’s side—“I guess it’s ’cause there isn’t any prayer in it.”


A few minutes more of restlessness and Lillian was out of bed and knelt in prayer. Then all was quiet and peaceful, and the two little girls slept.
Dear child of God, is there a prayer in your pillow when you go to sleep at night?

Prayer is a safety-valve for the mind and the soul. If Christianity were practically applied to our everyday life, it would so purify and vitalize the race that at least one-half of our sickness and sorrow would disappear.
—Dr. William Sadler.

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me, at my Father’s throne,
Make all my wants and wishes known;
In seasons of distress and grief
My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer.

—William Walford.

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