overheard outside the prayer closet

Lord, I have no right to enter your presence in prayer. I am tired, weak and unworthy.

If you had been an angel at home, never raised your voice, gave each child equal time, were supersensitive to your wife, got every chore done, would you feel like praying?

Yes, Lord, I sure would.

If you had devotions every day this week for an hour and as part of that time interceded for every lost family member and friend, praying for every missionary you have ever known in every place, would you feel more like entering my presence?

Yes, Lord, I sure would.

If you had written an article, posted a blog, finished all your projects and got all your work done, would you feel like praying?

Yes, Lord, I sure would.

If you witnessed to your next door neighbor instead of complaining about him and had won him to me, would you feel more like praying today?

Then, you would have been praying in your own name and not mine.


***** ***** *****
"My soul, wait thou only upon God" (Ps. 62:5)

"Did it ever occur to you that if you do not hear God’s answer to prayer, it may be not because He is dumb, but because you are deaf; not because He has no answer to give, but because you have not been listening for it? We are so busy with our service, so busy with our work, and sometimes so busy with our praying, that it does not occur to us to stop our own talking and listen if God has some answer to give us with “the still small voice”; to be passive, to be quiet, to do nothing, say nothing, in some true sense think nothing; simply to be receptive and waiting for the voice. “Wait thou only upon God,” says the Psalmist; and again, “Wait on the Lord.”"-- Selected

Hardman, Samuel G., and Dwight Lyman Moody. Thoughts for the Quiet Hour. Originally published: Chicago: Revell, c1990., April 14. Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1998, c1997, c1994, c1990.