Morning, February 6
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“Praying always.”
Ephesians 6:18
What multitudes of prayers we have put up from the first moment when
we learned to pray. Our first prayer was a prayer for ourselves; we
asked that God would have mercy upon us, and blot out our sin. He
heard us. But when he had blotted out our sins like a cloud, then
we had more prayers for ourselves. We have had to pray for sanctifying
grace, for constraining and restraining grace; we have been led to
crave for a fresh assurance of faith, for the comfortable application
of the promise, for deliverance in the hour of temptation, for help
in the time of duty, and for succour in the day of trial. We have
been compelled to go to God for our souls, as constant beggars asking
for everything. Bear witness, children of God, you have never been
able to get anything for your souls elsewhere. All the bread your
soul has eaten has come down from heaven, and all the water of which
it has drank has flowed from the living rock—Christ Jesus the Lord. Your soul has never grown rich in itself; it
has always been a pensioner upon the daily bounty of God; and hence
your prayers have ascended to heaven for a range of spiritual mercies
all but infinite. Your wants were innumerable, and therefore the supplies
have been infinitely great, and your prayers have been as varied as
the mercies have been countless. Then have you not cause to say, “I love the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplication”? For as your prayers have been many, so also have been God’s answers to them. He has heard you in the day of trouble, has strengthened
you, and helped you, even when you dishonoured him by trembling and
doubting at the mercy-seat. Remember this, and let it fill your heart
with gratitude to God, who has thus graciously heard your poor weak
prayers. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”