Prayer Life

If you want to gain insight into the state of your soul, consider your prayer life. As Robert Murray M’Cheyne said, "A man is what he is on his knees before God, and nothing more."

Likewise, J. C. Ryle in the booklet A Call To Prayer writes the following: “I have a question to offer you. It is contained in three words, DO YOU PRAY? The question is one that none but you can answer. Whether you attend public worship or not, your minister knows. Whether you have family prayers in your house or not, your relations know. But whether you pray in private or not, is a matter between yourself and God…It is essential to your soul’s health to make praying a part of the business of every twenty-four hours in your life. Just as you allot time to eating, sleeping, and business, so also allot time to prayer. Choose your own hours and seasons. At the very least, speak with God in the morning, before you speak with the world: and speak with God at night, after you have done with the world. But settle it in your minds, that prayer is one of the great things of every day. Do not drive it into a corner. Do not give it the scraps and parings of your duty. Whatever else you make a business of, make a business of prayer.”

Mr. M’Cheyne surely incorporated such principles in his life as his diary entry from February 23, 1834 testifies: “Rose early to seek God, and found Him whom my soul loveth. Who would not rise early to meet such company?”

Submitted by NMC