October 17
The prayer of the upright is His delight. — Proverbs 15:8
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| Photo: Manuel Avelar |
LORD, teach us how to pray; for we know not how to pray as we ought. Thou hast bidden us in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, to make our requests known unto Thee. Thou hast given us so many wonderful promises in respect of prayer that we cannot but believe that prayer is the open way between us and Thee.
Thou art our Father, and we trust Thee and know that Thou canst never contradict Thy love for us as manifested in the coming and living and dying of our Lord Jesus Christ. How shalt Thou not with Him freely give us all things? No withholding or even denial of our requests can make us doubt Thee. And then we remember that Thy "No" is just as real an answer to prayer as Thy "Yes," as when Thou didst say to Moses and Paul "No"; and yet, later, how wonderfully Thou didst answer those seemingly unanswered prayers.
Be Thou our light in darkness; our comfort in sorrow; our wisdom when we are perplexed; our strength when we are in weakness. Our desire is to be used of Thee. We do not want to be idle or unfruitful in Thy service, even when limited in our opportunities. Grant this our prayer, O Father, for Jesus' sake. Amen.
George F. Pentecost, D.D., LL.D.,
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
