TRUE PRAYER

                                            By Rev. R. J. Rushdoony
 

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."   -  -  Phil. 4: 6-7

     The trouble with most prayer is that the person praying is not really talking with
God but carrying on a recitation into the air. True prayer  involves communion and
conversation, and it is a continuous thing.  We do not limit our conversation with our
husband or wife to a set time, at meals or before going to sleep, and then keep silent
all the rest of the day.

     We talk when we have something to say. The same is true with God.  If we limit our
prayers to set, formal times, we soon have little to say then.

      Then how do we pray?  Dozens of times to a day, we talk with God; usually only a
sentence or two.  Do we have a difficult and trying person  to meet or deal with?  Then
we pray simply. "Lord, give me patience and wisdom to meet this person in Thy Spirit
and grace."

       Is our task one we dislike?  Then we ask, "Lord, I hate this job, but I must do it. Give
me grace to do this thing in the right way and In a better frame of mind."

       If we make a blunder, we say, "Lord, I was pretty stupid that time.  Help me grow up
in my handling such problems."  We share with Him in a sentence or two, a hundred times
in a day sometimes ---  our problems, our delights with things; our fears, our hopes, our
everything.

        And we must not forget gratitude.  "Thanks for helping me through that one, Lord."
Or we say, "There must be something for me to learn here, Lord, that I don't even know
about, so, please, Lord, teach me, so that I do better next time."

       If God is real to us. He is "a very present help in trouble" and in time of need (Ps. 46: 1).
We therefore call upon Him continuously, to share with Him our needs, hopes, joys, griefs,
and gratitudes.

      This is what St. Paul means when he writes, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus."  (Phil. 4: 6-7).

      There is no better way to live.
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Yours in Christ,
Paul N. F.