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Counsels for the Church
But many offer prayer in a dry, sermonizing manner. These pray to
men, not to God. If they were praying to God, and really understood
what they were doing, they would be alarmed at their audacity; for
they deliver a discourse to the Lord in the mode of prayer, as though
the Creator of the universe needed special information upon general
questions in relation to things transpiring in the world. All such prayers
are as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. They are made no account
of in heaven. Angels of God are wearied with them, as well as mortals
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who are compelled to listen to them.
Jesus was often found in prayer. He resorted to the lonely groves or
to the mountains to make His requests known to His Father. When the
business and cares of the day were ended, and the weary were seeking
rest, Jesus devoted the time to prayer. We would not discourage prayer,
for there is far too little praying and watching thereunto. And there is
still less praying with the Spirit and the understanding also. Fervent
and effectual prayer is always in place, and will never weary. Such
prayer interests and refreshes all who have a love for devotion.
Secret prayer is neglected, and this is why many offer such long,
tedious, backslidden prayers when they assemble to worship God.
They go over in their prayers a week of neglected duties, and pray
round and round, hoping to make up for their neglect and pacify their
condemned consciences, which are scourging them. They hope to
pray themselves into the favor of God. But frequently these prayers
result in bringing other minds down to their own low level in spiritual
darkness. If Christians would take home the teachings of Christ in
regard to watching and praying, they would become more intelligent
in their worship of God
More Praise in Prayer
“Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.” Have any of
us duly considered how much we have to be thankful for? Do we
remember that the mercies of the Lord are new every morning and
that His faithfulness faileth not? Do we acknowledge our dependence
upon Him and express gratitude for all His favors? On the contrary,
we too often forget that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from
above, and cometh down from the Father of lights.”
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Testimonies for the Church 2:581, 582