Open Communication

Through nature and revelation, through His providence, and by the influence of His Spirit, God speaks to me. But these are not enough; I need also to pour out my heart to Him. In order to have spiritual life and energy, I must have actual communion with my heavenly Father. My mind may be drawn out toward Him; I may meditate upon His works, His mercies, His blessings; but this is not, in the fullest sense, communing with Him. In order to commune with God, I must have something to say to Him concerning my actual life.

Prayer is the opening of my heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what I am, but in order to enable me to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to me, but brings me up to Him.

When Jesus was upon the earth, He taught His disciples how to pray. He directed them to present their daily needs before God, and to cast all their care upon Him. And the assurance He gave them that their petitions should be heard, is assurance also to me.

Jesus Himself, while He dwelt among men, was often in prayer. The Saviour identified Himself with my needs and weakness, in that He became a suppliant, a petitioner, seeking from His Father fresh supplies of strength, that He might come forth braced for duty and trial. He is my example in all things. He is a brother in my infirmities, "in all points tempted like as we are;" but as the sinless one, His nature recoiled from evil; He endured struggles and torture of soul in a world of sin. His humanity made prayer a necessity and a privilege. He found comfort and joy in communion with His Father. And if the Saviour of men, the Son of God, felt the need of prayer, how much more should this feeble, sinful mortal feel the necessity of fervent, constant prayer.

The heavenly Father waits to bestow upon me the fullness of His blessing. It is my privilege to drink largely at the fountain of boundless love. What a wonder it is that I pray so little! God is ready and willing to hear the sincere prayer of the humblest of His children, and yet there is much manifest reluctance on my part to make known my wants to God. What can the angels of heaven think of this poor helpless human being, who is subject to temptation, when God's heart of infinite love yearns toward me, ready to give me more than I can ask or think, and yet I pray so little and have so little faith? The angels love to bow before God; they love to be near Him. They regard communion with God as their highest joy; and yet this child of earth, who needs so much the help that God only can give, seems satisfied to walk without the light of His Spirit, the companionship of His presence.

The darkness of the evil one encloses me when I neglect to pray. The whispered temptations of the enemy entice me to sin; and it is all because I do not make use of the privileges that God has given me in the divine appointment of prayer. Why should this child of God be reluctant to pray, when prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven's storehouse, where are treasured the boundless resources of Omnipotence? Without unceasing prayer and diligent watching I am in danger of growing careless and of deviating from the right path. The adversary seeks continually to obstruct the way to the mercy seat, that I may not by earnest supplication and faith obtain grace and power to resist temptation.

There are certain conditions upon which I may expect that God will hear and answer my prayers. One of the first of these is that I feel my need of help from Him. He has promised, "I will pour water on the thirsty land, and strams on the dry ground." I who hungers and thirsts after righteousness, who longs after God, may be sure that I will be filled. My heart must be open to the Spirit's influence, or God's blessing cannot be received.

My great need is itself an argument and pleads most eloquently in my behalf. But the Lord is to be sought unto to do these things for me. He says, "Ask, and it will be given to you." And "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave Him up for us all - how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?"

If I regard iniquity in my heart, if I cling to any known sin, the Lord will not hear me; but the prayer of the penitent, contrite soul is always accepted. When all known wrongs are righted, I may believe that God will answer my petitions. My own merit will never commend me to the favor of God; it is the worthiness of Jesus that will save me, His blood that will cleanse me; yet I have a work to do in complying with the conditions of acceptance.

Another element of prevailing prayer is faith. "Anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnest seek him." Jesus said to His disciples, "Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Do I take Him at His word?

The assurance is broad and unlimited, and He is faithful who has promised. When I do not receive the very things I asked for, at the time I ask, I am still to believe that the Lord hears and that He will answer my prayers. I am so erring and short-sighted that I sometimes ask for things that would not be a blessing to me, and my heavenly Father in love answers my prayers by giving me that which will be for our highest good -- that which I would desire if with vision divinely enlightened I could see all things as they really are. When my prayers seem not to be answered, I am to cling to the promise; for the time of answering will surely come, and I shall receive the blessing I need most. But to claim that prayer will always be answered in the very way and for the particular thing that I desire, is presumption. God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly. I need not fear to trust Him, even though I do not see the immediate answer to my prayers. I need to rely upon His sure promise, "Ask, and it will be given to you."

If I take counsel with my doubts and fears, or try to solve everything that I cannot see clearly, before I have faith, perplexities will only increase and deepen. But if I come to God, feeling helpless and dependent, as I really am, and in humble, trusting faith make known my wants to Him whose knowledge is infinite, who sees everything in creation, and who governs everything by His will and word, He can and will attend to my cry, and will let light shine into my heart. Through sincere prayer I am brought into connection with the mind of the Infinite. I may have no remarkable evidence at the time that the face of my Redeemer is bending over me in compassion and love, but this is even so. I may not feel His visible touch, but His hand is upon me in love and pitying tenderness.

When I come to ask mercy and blessing from God I should have a spirit of love and forgiveness in my own heart. How can we pray, "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." and yet indulge an unforgiving spirit? If I expect my own prayers to be heard I must forgive others in the same manner and to the same extent as I hope to be forgiven.

Perseverance in prayer has been made a condition of receiving. I must pray always if I would grow in faith and experience. I am to be "faithful in prayer," to "Devote [myself] to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Peter exhorts believers to be "clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." Paul directs, "In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." "But you, dear friends," says Jude, "... Pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love ..." Unceasing prayer is the unbroken union of my soul with God, so that life from God flows into omy life; and from my life, purity and holiness flow back to God.

There is necessity for diligence in prayer; I will let nothing hinder me. I will make every effort to keep open the communion between Jesus and my soul. I will Seek every opportunity to go where prayer is wont to be made. If I am really seeking for communion with God I will be seen in the prayer meeting, faithful to do my duty and earnest and anxious to reap all the benefits I can gain. I will improve every opportunity of placing myself where I can receive the rays of light from heaven.

I should pray in my family circle, and above all I must not neglect secret prayer, for this is the life of the soul. It is impossible for my soul to flourish while prayer is neglected. Family or public prayer alone is not sufficient. In solitude let the soul be laid open to the inspecting eye of God. Secret prayer is to be heard only by the prayer-hearing God. No curious ear is to receive the burden of such petitions. In secret prayer my soul is free from surrounding influences, free from excitement. Calmly, yet fervently, will I reach out after God. Sweet and abiding will be the influence emanating from Him who seeth in secret, whose ear is open to hear the prayer arising from my heart. By calm, simple faith my soul holds communion with God and gathers to myself rays of divine light to strengthen and sustain me in the conflict with Satan. God is my tower of strength.

I will pray in my closet, and as I go about my daily labor I will let my heart be often uplifted to God. It was thus that Enoch walked with God. My silent prayers rise like precious incense before the throne of grace. Satan cannot overcome my heart thus stayed upon God.

There is no time or place in which it is inappropriate to offer up a petition to God. There is nothing that can prevent me from lifting up my heart in the spirit of earnest prayer. In the crowds of the street, in the midst of a business engagement, I may send up a petition to God and plead for divine guidance, as did Nehemiah when he made his request before King Artaxerxes. A closet of communion may be found wherever I am. I should have the door of my heart open continually and my invitation going up that Jesus may come and abide as a heavenly guest in my soul.

Although there may be a tainted, corrupted atmosphere around me, I need not breathe its miasma, but may live in the pure air of heaven. I may close every door to impure imaginings and unholy thoughts by lifting my soul into the presence of God through sincere prayer. If my heart is open to receive the support and blessing of God, I will walk in a holier atmosphere than that of earth and will have constant communion with heaven.

I need to have more distinct views of Jesus and a fuller comprehension of the value of eternal realities. The beauty of holiness is to fill the heart of this child of God; and that this may be accomplished, I should seek for divine disclosures of heavenly things.

I must let my soul be drawn out and upward, that God may grant me a breath of the heavenly atmosphere. I may keep so near to God that in every unexpected trial my thoughts will turn to Him as naturally as the flower turns to the sun.

I will keep my wants, my joys, my sorrows, my cares, and my fears before God. I cannot burden Him; I cannot weary Him. He who numbers the hairs of my head is not indifferent to the wants of His child. "The lord is full of compassion and mercy." His heart of love is touched by my sorrows and even by my utterances of them. I can take to Him everything that perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great for Him to bear, for He holds up worlds, He rules over all the affairs of the universe. Nothing that in any way concerns my peace is too small for Him to notice. There is no chapter in my experience too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel. No calamity can befall the least of His children, no anxiety harass my soul, no joy cheer, no sincere prayer escape the lips, of which my heavenly Father is unobservant, or in which He takes no immediate interest. "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." The relations between God and my soul is as distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon the earth to share His watchcare, not another soul for whom He gave His beloved Son.

Jesus said, "You will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you." "I chose you ... The Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." But to pray in the name of Jesus is something more than a mere mention of that name at the beginning and the ending of a prayer. It is to pray in the mind and spirit of Jesus, while I believe His promises, rely upon His grace, and work His works.

God does not mean that I should become a hermit or monk and retire from the world in order to devote myself to acts of worship. The life must be like Jesus' life -- between the mountain and the multitude. If I do nothing but pray I will soon cease to pray, or my prayers will become a formal routine. When I take myerlf out of social life, away from the sphere of Christian duty and cross bearing; when I cease to work earnestly for the Master, who worked earnestly for me, I lose the subject matter of prayer and have no incentive to devotion. My prayers become personal and selfish. I cannot pray in regard to the wants of humanity or the upbuilding of Jesus' kingdom, pleading for strength wherewith to work.

I sustain a loss when I neglect the privilege of associating together to strengthen and encourage others in the service of God. The truths of His word lose their vividness and importance in my mind. my heart cease to be enlightened and aroused by their sanctifying influence, and I decline in spirituality. In the association of Christians I lose much by lack of sympathy with others. If I shut myself up to myself, I am not filling the position that God designed I should fill. The proper cultivation of the social elements in my nature brings me into sympathy with others and is a means of development and strength to me in the service of God.

If I would associate with other Christians, speaking to them of the love of God and of the precioustruths of redemption, my own heart would be refreshed and I would refresh them. I may be daily learning more of my heavenly Father, gaining a fresh experience of His grace; then I shall desire to speak of His love; and as I do this, my own heart will be warmed and encouraged. If I thought and talked more of Jesus, and less of self, I should have far more of His presence.

If I would but think of God as often as I have evidence of His care for me, I would keep Him ever in my thoughts and would delight to talk of Him and to praise Him. I talk of temporal things because I have an interest in them. I talk of my friends because I love them; my joys and my sorrows are bound up with them. Yet I have infinitely greater reason to love God than to love my earthly friends; it should be the most natural thing in the world to make Him first in all my thoughts, to talk of His goodness and tell of His power. The rich gifts He has bestowed upon me were not intended to absorb my thoughts and love so much that I should have nothing to give to God; they are constantly to remind me of Him and to bind me in bonds of love and gratitude to my heavenly Benefactor. I dwell too near the lowlands of earth. Let me raise my eyes to the open door of the sanctuary above, where the light of the glory of God shines in the face of Christ, who "is able to save completely those who come to God through Him."

I need to praise God more "for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men." My devotional exercises should not consist wholly in asking and receiving. Let me not be always thinking of my wants and never of the benefits I receive. I do not pray any too much, but I am too sparing of giving thanks. I am the constant recipient of God's mercies, and yet how little gratitude I express, how little I praise Him for what He has done for me.

Anciently the Lord bade Israel, when they met together for His service, "There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you." That which is done for the glory of God should be done with cheerfulness, with songs of praise and thanksgiving, not with sadness and gloom.

My God is a tender, merciful Father. His service should not be looked upon as a heart-saddening, distressing exercise. It should be a pleasure to worship the Lord and to take part in His work. God would not have this child, for whom so great salvation has been provided, act as if He were a hard, exacting taskmaster. He is my best friend; and when I worship Him, He expects to be with me, to bless and comfort me, filling my heart with joy and love. The Lord desires me to take comfort in His service and to find more pleasure than hardship in His work. He desires that as I come to worship Him I shall carry away with me precious thoughts of His care and love, that I may be cheered in all the employments of daily life, that I may have grace to deal honestly and faithfully in all things.

I must come to the cross. Christ and Him crucified should be the theme of contemplation, of conversation, and of my most joyful emotion. I should keep in my thoughts every blessing I receive from God, and when I realize His great love I should be willing to trust everything to the hand that was nailed to the cross for me.

My soul may ascend nearer heaven on the wings of praise. God is worshiped with song and music in the courts above, and as I express my gratitude I am approximating to the worship of the heavenly hosts. Let me with reverent joy come before my Creator, with "thanksgiving, and the sound of singing."

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