This practice of praying in spirit, a practice, too, peculiar to Christians, is unknown amongst infidels, of whom Christ our Lord has said, " When you pray, speak not much, as the heathens; for they think that in their much speaking they may be heard. Be not you, therefore, like to them, for your Father knoweth what is needful for you before you ask him." [1] He therefore prohibits " much speaking:" but long prayers, which proceed from the eagerness of devotion, and an ardour of soul, that burns with an enduring intensity, he not only does not reject, but on the contrary, recommends by his own example. Not only did he spend whole nights in prayer, [2] but also, " prayed the third time, saying the selfsame words," [3] and the inference, therefore, to be drawn from the prohibition is, that prayers consisting of mere empty sounds are not to be addressed to God. [4]
Neither do the prayers of the hypocrite proceed from the heart; and from the imitation of their example, Christ our Lord deters us in these words: " When ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites that love to stand and pray in the synagogues, and corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men: Amen I say, to you they have received their reward. But thou, when thou shall pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee." [5] Here the word " chamber" may be understood to mean the human heart, into which it is not enough to enter; it should also be closed against every distrac tion; and then will our Heavenly Father, who sees intuitively our most secret thoughts, hear our prayers, and grant our petitions.
Another necessary condition of prayer is importunity. The great efficacy of incessant solicitation, the Redeemer exemplifies by the conduct of the judge, who, whilst " he feared not God, nor regarded man," yet overcome by the importunity of the widow, yielded to her intreaties. [6] In our prayers to God we should, therefore, be importunate; nor are we to imitate the example of those sluggish souls, who become tired of praying, if, after having prayed once or twice, they succeed not in ob taining the object of their prayers. We should never be weary of a duty, taught us by the authority of Christ our Lord and of his Apostles; and should the mind at any time relax, we should beg of God by prayer the virtue of perseverance.
The Son of God will also have us present our prayers to the Father in his name: for, by his merits and the grace of his mediation, our prayers acquire such weight, that they are heard by our heavenly Father; "Amen, Amen, I say unto you, if you ask the Father any thing in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto you have not asked any thing in my name: ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full." [7] " If you shall ask me any thing in my name, that will I do." [8]
