Prayer has failed in some because it has always appeared to them as an obligation rather than a privilege. When they think of it they think of a duty to be done.
Contrast with this the glowing words of the
sixty-third Psalm:
“O God, you are my
God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as
in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in
the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love
is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I
live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with
fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I
remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for
you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My
soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” Psalms 63:1-8
Prayer here is not a burden to be borne, an obligation to be
fulfilled, something that is due to God and must be paid. Prayer is a
privilege; like friendship and family love and laughter, great books, great
music, and great art, it is one of life’s opportunities to be grasped
thankfully and used gladly. The man who misses the deep meanings of prayer has
not so much refused an obligation; he has robbed himself of life’s supreme
privilege—friendship with God.
Let’s share a word of
prayer adapted from George Matheson
O God, my Gracious Father, Who, in all events of life, are knocking
at the door of my heart, help me to respond to you. I would not be driven
blindly as the stars over their courses.
I would not be made to work out good will unwillingly, to fulfill your law unintelligently, to obey your mandates unsympathetically. I
would take the events of my life as good and perfect gifts from you; I would
receive even the sorrows of life as disguised gifts from you. I would have my
heart open at all times to receive—at morning, noon, and night; in spring, and
summer, and winter. Whether you come to me in sunshine or rain, I would take
you into my heart joyfully. You are yourself more than sunshine, You are yourself compensation from rain; it is You and your gifts I crave; knock, and I shall open unto you.
Amen
Amen.....
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