By F.B. Meyer
"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy."-Phil. 1:3,4.
The epistles of Paul are full of allusions to his prayers. We might almost call them his prayer book. Let us verify that assertion by turning to the epistles as they come on the pages of the Bible.
"God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; Making request...."-Rom. 1:9,10.
"I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ."-I Cor. 1:4.
"I...Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers."-Eph. 1:15,16.
"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father."-Eph. 3:14.
"We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you."-Col. 1:3.
"I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh."-Col. 2:1.
"We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers."-I Thess. 1:2.
"Wherefore also we pray always for you."-II Thess. 1:11.
"I thank God...that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee."-II Tim. 1:3.
"I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers."-Philem. 4.
These texts are sufficient to substantiate the assertion that the epistles of Paul abound in allusions to his prayers on behalf of his converts. And just as our Lord Jesus Christ ever lives to intercede, so the true pastor, Sunday school teacher, or Christian friend should day and night, without ceasing, remember the saved and unsaved of his charge in prayer.
But there was a special liberty in the apostle's prayer, for in verse 4 he says, "Always in every prayer [supplication] of mine for you all making request [my supplication] with joy."
Those of us who know what it is to pray are familiar with the alternations that come over the soul when it waits before God. There are some tracts and passages in our daily prayer life which we tread with difficulty and tears. For those who seem so obdurate; for those who appear to have turned their backs determinedly upon God; for certain churches that appear hopelessly desolate and barren, we plead with strong crying and tears. We tread these acres of our prayer life, with weeping, sowing seed destined to bear an abundance of harvest fruit.
There are other parts of our daily prayer life that are illumined with joy. When we come to pray for a beloved child, for some kindred spirit, for some blessed work of God which enjoys the perpetual dew of His favor, then it is easy to pray, and we make our supplication and request with joy. We know exactly what Paul meant when he said that there was a liberty, a freedom, a gladness in prayer which suffused his heart as he prayed for the Philippians.
Habits of Prayer
Nothing would be better for most of us than a great revival in our habits of private prayer.
Perhaps we cannot do as Luther, who was accustomed to say, "I have so much work to do today that I cannot get through it with less than three hours of prayer"; or as Andrewes, who regularly set apart five hours each day for private devotion; or as Law, the author of the Serious Call, who was accustomed, as the clock rang out each third hour, to turn to prolonged prayer, allocating to each occasion some special subject. But that we should pray more, that we should labor in prayer as Epaphras did, that we should cultivate the art of prayer, is clear.
Habits of prayer need careful cultivation. The instinct and impulse are with us by the grace of the Holy Spirit, but we need to cultivate the gracious inward movements until they become solidified into an unbending practice.
Set a Time to Pray
As far as possible, we should set apart one period in each day for prayer, and there can be no question that the morning hour is best. When the body is fresh from sleep, and before the rush of daily thought, care and activity invades the mind, ere we hold intercourse with our nearest and dearest, then the bells ring for matins, and it is wise to heed their call.
Give Him thy first thoughts;
So shalt thou keep
Him company all day
And in Him sleep.
A Place to Pray
