"The great masters and teachers in Christian doctrine have always found in prayer their highest source of illumination. Not to go beyond the limits of the English Church, it is recorded of Bishop Andrews that he spent five hours daily on his knees. The greatest practical resolves that have enriched and beautified human life in Christian times have been arrived at in prayer." - Canon Liddon |
WHILE
many private prayers, in the nature of things, must be short; while public
prayers, as a rule, ought to be short and condensed; while there is ample room
for and value put on ejaculatory prayer -- yet in our private communions with
God time is a feature essential to its value. Much time spent with God is the
secret of all successful praying. Prayer which is felt as a mighty force is
the mediate or immediate product of much time spent with God. Our short prayers
owe their point and efficiency to the long ones that have preceded them. The
short prevailing prayer cannot be prayed by one who has not prevailed with God
in a mightier struggle of long continuance. Jacob's victory of faith could not
have been gained without that all-night wrestling. God's acquaintance is not
made by pop calls. God does not bestow his gifts on the casual or hasty comers
and goers. Much with God alone is the secret of knowing him and of influence
with him. He yields to the persistency of a faith that knows him. He bestows
his richest gifts upon those who declare their desire for and appreciation of
those gifts by the constancy as well as earnestness of their importunity. Christ,
who in this as well as other things is our Example, spent many whole nights
in prayer. His custom was to pray much. He had his habitual place to pray. Many
long seasons of praying make up his history and character. Paul prayed day and
night. It took time from very important interests for Daniel to pray three times
a day. David's morning, noon, and night praying were doubtless on many occasions
very protracted. While we have no specific account of the time these Bible saints
spent in prayer, yet the indications are that they consumed much time in prayer,
and on some occasions long seasons of praying was their custom.
We would not have any think that the value of their prayers is to be measured
by the clock, but our purpose is to impress on our minds the necessity of being
much alone with God; and that if this feature has not been produced by our faith,
then our faith is of a feeble and surface type.
The men who have most fully illustrated Christ in their character, and have
most powerfully affected the world for him, have been men who spent so much
time with God as to make it a notable feature of their lives. Charles Simeon
devoted the hours from four till eight in the morning to God. Mr. Wesley spent
two hours daily in prayer. He began at four in the morning. Of him, one who
knew him well wrote: "He thought prayer to be more his business than anything
else, and I have seen him come out of his closet with a serenity of face next
to shining." John Fletcher stained the walls of his room by the breath
of his prayers. Sometimes he would pray all night; always, frequently, and with
great earnestness. His whole life was a life of prayer. "I would not rise
from my seat," he said, "without lifting my heart to God." His
greeting to a friend was always: "Do I meet you praying?" Luther said:
"If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the
victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending
three hours daily in prayer." He had a motto: "He that has prayed
well has studied well."
Archbishop Leighton was so much alone with God that he seemed to be in a perpetual
meditation. "Prayer and praise were his business and his pleasure,"
says his biographer. Bishop Ken was so much with God that his soul was said
to be God-enamored. He was with God before the clock struck three every morning.
Bishop Asbury said: "I propose to rise at four o'clock as often as I can
and spend two hours in prayer and meditation." Samuel Rutherford, the fragrance
of whose piety is still rich, rose at three in the morning to meet God in prayer.
Joseph Alleine arose at four o'clock for his business of praying till eight.
If he heard other tradesmen plying their business before he was up, he would
exclaim: "O how this shames me! Doth not my Master deserve more than theirs?"
He who has learned this trade well draws at will, on sight, and with acceptance
of heaven's unfailing bank.
One of the holiest and among the most gifted of Scotch preachers says: "I
ought to spend the best hours in communion with God. It is my noblest and most
fruitful employment, and is not to be thrust into a corner. The morning hours,
from six to eight, are the most uninterrupted and should be thus employed. After
tea is my best hour, and that should be solemnly dedicated to God. I ought not
to give up the good old habit of prayer before going to bed; but guard must
be kept against sleep. When I awake in the night, I ought to rise and pray.
A little time after breakfast might be given to intercession." This was
the praying plan of Robert McCheyne. The memorable Methodist band in their praying
shame us. "From four to five in the morning, private prayer; from five
to six in the evening, private prayer."
John Welch, the holy and wonderful Scotch preacher, thought the day ill spent
if he did not spend eight or ten hours in prayer. He kept a plaid that he might
wrap himself when he arose to pray at night. His wife would complain when she
found him lying on the ground weeping. He would reply: "O woman, I have
the souls of three thousand to answer for, and I know not how it is with many
of them!"