Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-07-31
What IL Means.

What does praying a prayer mean It
means, first that you present it TO God with
fervency. Pray as if you meant it; throw
your whole soul into the petition. Entreat
the Lord with tears and cries. If you do
not prevail at first, yet come to him impor-
tunately again aud again, with the resolve
that since he has written the prayer in your
heart you will take no denial. Heat your
prayers red-hot. In naval warfare, in the
old time, our men-of-war fired red-hot shot
try that system, for nothing is so powerful
in prayer as fervency and importantly.
Pray also spirituality for the text saith,
al have found it in my heart to pray this
prayer unto thee" 1t is of no use to pray TO
yourself or to the four walls of your room.
Some persons even pray to those who are
around them, like the preacher of whose
prayer the remark was made that " il was
one of the finest prayers that ever was pre-
sented to a Boston audience" | am afraid
many prayers are presented to audiences
rather than to God. This should not be.
Moreover, when you find prayer in your
heart do not talk it over nor say to another,
" | feel such and such DESIRE" but go and
pour it out before God; speak it into the
Divine ear, realize that God is there as dis
tinctly as if you could see him, for that is
the way to make proper use of the prayer
which is in your heart.
Pray with specially. The text indicates
that have found it in my heart to pray
his prayer Know what you pray. Prayer
is not putting your hand into bag and
pulling out what comes first. Oh, no there
must be definite desires and specific re-
quests. Think carefully about it, and ask
for what you want, for nothing else but
what you need. Pray this prayer David
had promise about his house, and his
prayer was about his house, that God would
bless and establish it, Much of what we
think to be prayer is really playing at pray
ing. The archers in the English armies of
old with their arrows a cloth-yard long,
when they met the foe took steady aim, and
sorely they CALLED the foe. Give your little
boy his bow and arrow and what does he
do ? lie shoots at random and sends his
arrows away, for he plays at archery. A
good deal of praying is of that sort there
is no steadily taking aim at the white, and
drawing the bow with strength, and watch
ing the arrow with anxiety. Lord, teach us
to pray.
We ought to pray too, dear friends, when
we find prayer in our hearts, with much
b0idness. He says, al found in my heart to
pray" that is, he had the heart TO pray, the
courage to pray; the promise influenced
him to make bold with God. Some men
fail in reverence for God, but far more fail
i'll holy boldness towards God. Men who
are mighty for God are generally famous tor
courage with him. Look at Luther; they
say it was wonderful to hear him preach,
but hundred times more so to hear him
pray. There was an awful reverence about
that heroic man, but there was also such
childlke simplicity of daring that he seemed
as though he did really lay hold of God.
That is the way try it in your chamber
this afternoon. Be bold with God; find it
in your heart to pray this prayer unto him.
And do so promptly. Let promptitude
mark your prayer as it did that of David.
He did not wait week or two after he had
obtained the promise he went straight
away aud sat down before the Lord, began to
plead the Divine word, and said, " Do as
thou hast said" lie found the petition in
his heart, and before it could lose its way
again he brought it before God. He was
studying his soul, and as he observed its
movements he saw prayer lift up its head
Ah," said he, " | will seize it," and he
held it fast and presented it before God, and
so obtained blessing.-Spurgeon.