The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-02-12
From the Western Christian Advocate.
Habits In PRAYER.


odd remark, even for Bunyan, but it
was quite relevant in the case to
which he applied it. His mind, he
says, was often drawn to prayer when
his attention was needed in other
matters, and thus his business, for
| the time, was injured, his soul per-
picked and really untitled for either
business or prayer. The good Think
er" and divine Dreamer " suspected
| the devil Of trick In the matter, and
committing himself to God in good
thorOugh-going prayer, attended to
his affairs without distraction, and
| afterward found he could pray the
better for having done so.
DIR. johnson once remarked to BOs-
| we'll that Scripture must be inter
preted by Scripture; for example, that
text which enjoins prayer with
out ceasing would craze good
men, if taken alone and literally,
for no man could be all the time
praying without being unfit for any
thing else. He would become a mon
omaniac." There was good sense in
the remarks of both these old English
authorities. A book keeper, casting
up long column of figures, could
not stop In the process to obey liter
ally the Scripture command without
| spelling both his work and his prayer.
Pray without ceasing," Be in
| instant prayer, do not mean literally
be all the time praying, but be habit
ual in prayer, form the habit of it, so
that it will be ready at your COM
mand on all expedient occasions; and
| in every proper emergency be in
| staHt, that is, immediate and urgent
not undermining in prayer.
This is the true art of what the old
divines call ejaculatory prayer" the
art of keeping it fresh, vivid, unme-
ehanical and effective, as a relief and
comfort to the soul.
We should especially guard prayer
| against mechanical Journalism and
monotony. Perhaps most Christians
| fall more or less into this evil habit.
They come, even without hturgical
forms, to adopt set phrases, enumerat.
ing certain subjects or cases relating
to their own concerns or families
Now, this is unquestionably right;
such matters are legitimate subjects
of prayer; he would err badly who
should fail to present them before
God. But let them not become mere
hollow, needless phrases. Let them
not have fixed order, to be hastily
| passed over at given times; break up
| the order, If it has become stereo
typed, for stereotyped forms of Ian
guage give crystalized, patrifed
forms to thought and indurate feel.
ing. The Lords Prayer is form
enough for most formal devotions,
but 1t is a practical protest against
forms. 1t was given expressly against
vain repetitions and the rituals
tic pharisaisms Of the Jews; and then
how, by its compression and brevity,
it guards against tedious monotony
and mechanical formalisml
In no great exigency or startling
peril does any devout soul go through
its old or usual series of phrases in
prayer. 1t cries right out to God i'm
promptu, and directly to the occasion.
1t is full of freshness and urgency
1t becomes microscopy, pleading, and
this is the most genuine kind of
prayer. 1t Is the ferVeut prayer of
the righteous man that avails much. !"
1t Is salutary to vary even the atti-
tude of prayer at times. Kneeling
was the most common ancient atti-
tude; Solomon kneeled at the dediea-
ton of she Temple. The Psalmist
said: % come, let US worship and
bow down; let US kneel before the
Lord our Maker" Christ kneeled;
Paul kneeled; Stephen kneeled when
dying. But the devout Jew some
times stood and worshiped in the
temple. Often, however, he pros
e. II -
lore God.
There are few earnest souls that
have not done so in hours of rapt de-
votion or profound feeling. We have
known an old Methodist who daily
performed one of his private devo
tional exercises walking his chamber,
meditating and commuGing with God.
l love-" he said, to walk before
the Lord; | can think better, and
pray with less formality and more
simplicity and freshness"
Let US learn to approach our Heav-
emily Father as dear children"
How would mach of our style of
prayer appear if used In the affection
ate yet reverent entreaties of a child
to his father? God does not hear US
for our much speaking;" nay,
our distrust Of Him. Importantly is
taught In Scripture as characteristic
of true prayer. Such importantly
does not imply vain repetitions; it
implies earnestness, eagerness, and
these are always direct and simple in
expression. God knows what we
need better than we do. He 'waiteth
to be gracious" wishing to bless US
more than we wish to be blessed. He
has conditioned His blessings on
prayer, not In order that we may in
form Him.of our wants, or move Him
to heed them, but that our own souls
may be put, by communion with Him
self, in a suitable frame for His
blessing.
Let US bear this consoling fact in
mind, and all stultifyiDg Journalism
will drop away from us as we APP
proach His gracious presence. How
has He appealed to US In His Word TO
come unto Him with simple, confding
heartsl How has He assured us by
the tenderest possible of illusions
that, "as father pitieth his children,
so the Lord pitieth them that fear
Him, for II e knoweth our frame; He
remembereth that we are dust" :" If
ye, being evil, know how to give good
gifts to your children, how much
more shall your Father which is in
heaven give good things to them that
ask Him." Sure no Christian who is
a parent can misunderstood prayer
after such an illustration and surely
cold, stiff forms of devotion, monot-
onous. mechanical habits of Drayer