“Say, what is prayer, when it is prayer indeed?
The mighty utterance of a mighty need.
The man is praying who doth press with might
Out of his darkness into God’s own light.”
It seems easy to pray. It is only speaking a few simple words in our Father’s ear. We are not accustomed to think of praying as something hard. Yet sometimes it is only at sore cost that we can pray. Many of the things we ask for can come to us only through struggle and tears.
The basis of all praying is the submission of the whole life to the will of God. We cannot pray at all unless we make this full surrender. There is a story of a young naval officer who was taken prisoner. Brought into the presence of the commandant of the victorious squadron, he reached out his hand to him, his sword yet hanging by his side. “Your sword first,” said his captor. No greeting or salutation could be accepted until surrender was complete. Nor can we approach God in acceptable prayer until we have altogether submitted our will to his. All our prayers must be based upon “Thy will, not mine, be done.” It costs much to make this surrender. It means a giving up of our own will and our own way. When it is sincere and real, every kneeling at Christ’s feet is a laying of one’s self upon the altar anew in entire devotion. We can keep nothing back and pray truly. A sin cherished makes words of prayer of no avail. A plan, a wish, a desire, willfully urged, not submitted to God’s perfect will, pressed rebelliously, shut the ear of God to our praying. To pray means always the sacrifice of the will.
Page 1