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God usually answers our prayers so much more according to the measure of His own magnificence, than of our asking, that we do not recognize His benefits to be those for which we sought Him.
~By Coventry Patmore (1823-1896)
There is no greater joy on earth or in heaven than communion with God, and prayer in the name of Jesus brings us into communion with Him. The Psalmist was surely not speaking only of future blessedness, but also of present blessedness when he said, "In Thy presence is fullness of joy" (Psalm 16:11). Oh, the unutterable joy of those moments when in our prayers we really press into the presence of God!
~By R.A. Torrey; from Jessica Lee. D.
A satisfying prayer life elevates and purifies every act of body and mind and integrates the entire personality into a single spiritual unit. In the long pull we pray only as well as we live.
~A. W. Tozer (1897-1963), The Pursuit of God
We must alter our lives in order to alter our hearts, for it is impossible to live one way and pray another.
~William Law (1686-1761)
Unforgotten
I cannot tell why there should come to me
A thought of someone miles and miles away,
In swift insistence on the memory,
Unless there be a need that I should pray.
Too hurried oft are we to spare a thought
For days together for some friend away:
Perhaps God does it for us, and we ought
To read His signal as a call to pray.
Perhaps just then, my friend has fiercer fight;
Some overwhelming sorrow or decay
Of courage, darkness, some lost sense of right,
And so, in case my friend needs prayer, I pray.
Friend, do the same for me, if I, unsought,
Intrude upon you some crowded day,
Give me a moment’s prayer in passing thought;
Be very sure I need it, therefore pray.
~By E. Middleton; from Jennifer S.
If you ever prayed in the dawn, you will ask yourself why you were so foolish as to not do it always; it is difficult to get into communion with God in the midst of the hurly-burly of the day.
~By Oswald Chambers
That which we win by prayer we should dedicate to God, as Hannah dedicated Samuel. The gift came from heaven, let it go to heaven. Prayer brought it, gratitude sang over it, let devotion consecrate it.
~By C.H. Spurgeon, Morning by Morning;
from Jessica D.
Prayer is the one hand with which we grasp the invisible; fasting the other, with which we let loose and cast away the visible.
~By Andrew Murray
Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him.~J. Hudson Taylor
The Power of Prayer
Lord, what a change within us one short hour
Spent in thy presence will avail to make!
What heavy burdens from our bosoms take!
What parched grounds refresh as with a shower!
We kneel, and all around us seem to lower;
We rise, and all, the distant and the near,
Stands outline sunny outline, brave and clear;
We kneel, how weak! we rise, how full of power!
Why, therefore, should we do ourselves this wrong,
Or others—that we are not always strong—
That we are sometimes overborne with care—
That we should ever weak or heartless be,
Anxious or troubled—when with us is prayer,
And joy and strength and courage are with Thee?
~By Richard C. Trench; from Susannah D. and Anna K.
In true worship the Father must be first, must be all. The sooner I learn to forget myself in the desire that He be glorified, the richer will the blesssing be that prayer will bring to myself. No one ever looses by what he sacrifices for the Father.
~By Andrew Murray, With Christ in
the School of Prayer; From Jessica D.
You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.
~By G. K. Chesterton
Prayer
I know not by what methods rare;
But this I know: God answers prayer.
I know that He has given His Word,
Which tells me prayer is always heard
And will be answered, soon or late;
and so I pray and calmly wait.
I know not if the blessing sought
Will come in just the way I thought,
But leave my prayer with Him alone
Whose will is wiser than my own,
Assured that He will grant my quest
Or send some answer far more blest.
~From Poems for Memorization;
submitted by Susannah D.
Live as a child of God; then you will be able to pray as a child, and as a child you will most assuredly be heard.
Christian! give God your time. He will perfect that which concerneth you. "Long-suffering -- speedily" (Luke 18:1-8), this is God's watchword to you as you enter the gates of prayer...
~Both above by Andrew Murray, With Christ in the
School of Prayer; From Jessica D.
[He said] that it was a great delusion to think that the times of prayer ought to differ from other times; that we are as strictly obliged to adhere to God by action in the time of action as by prayer in the season of prayer. That his view of prayer was nothing else but a sense of the Presence of God, his soul being at that time insensible to everything but Divine Love; and that when the appointed times of prayer were past, he found no difference, because he still continued with God, praising and blessing Him with all his might, so that he passed his life in continual joy; yet hoped that God would give him somewhat to suffer when he should have grown stronger.
~By Brother Lawrence (c.1605-1691)
Speak thou to Him for He heareth,
And spirit with spirit will meet!
Nearer is He than breathing,
Nearer than hands and feet.
~By Maltbie D. Babcock; from Susannah D.
We can make use of our time in no better way [than through prayer]. Let us then make use of prayer! Put in your applications for help to Him who ruleth on High whenever you or your dear ones are in need of anything--or someone else tha tyou meet during the day. Do not delay, send them off at once. And write on all of them, "Grant them only if they will glorify Thy name!"
~By Ole Hallesby, Prayer; From Jessica D.
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