HOW TO BEGIN EVERY DAYWITH GOD
by Matthew Henry, anabridgement from Works, 1.198–213 [Baker, 1979]
Being the first of three discourses entitled “Directions for Daily Communionwith God”
Part 1 of 2

“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning,O LORD;
in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”
(Psalm 5:3)

To the end that your daily worship may become more and more easy, and, if I mayso say, in a manner natural to you, I would recommend to you holy David’sexample in the text. David, having resolved in general (verse 2) that he wouldabound in the duty of prayer, and abide by it (“unto thee will I pray”), herefixes one proper time for it, and that is the morning: “My voice shalt thouhear in the morning.” Not in the morning only. David solemnly addressed himselfto the duty of prayer three times a day, as Daniel did; “Evening, and morning,and at noon will I pray, and cry aloud” (Ps 55:17). Nay, he does not think thatenough, but “seven times a day do I praise thee” (Ps 119:164). But particularlyin the morning. This, therefore, is the doctrine of our text: It is our wisdomand duty, to begin every day with God.

Let us observe in it,

(a) The good work itself that we are to do. God must hear our voice, we mustdirect our prayer to Him, and we must look up.

(b) The special time appointed, and observed for the doing of this good work;and that it in the morning,—and again in the morning,—that is, every morning,as duly as the morning comes.

The Good Work of Prayer

For the first, the good work which, by the example of David we arehere taught to do, is in one word, to pray;—a duty dictated by the light andlaw of nature, which plainly and loudly speaks, “Should not a people seek untotheir God?” but which the gospel of Christ gives us much better instruction in,and encouragement to, than any that nature furnishes us with, for it tells uswhat we must pray for,—in whose name we must pray, and by whose assistance,—andinvites us to come boldly to the throne of grace, and to “enter into theholiest by the blood of Jesus” (Heb 10:19). This work we are to do not on themorning only, but at all times. We read of preaching the Word out of season,but we do not read of praying out of season, for that is never out of season;the throne of grace is always open, and humble supplicants are always welcome,and cannot come unseasonably.

But let us see how David here expresses his pious resolution to abide by thisduty.

A. “My voice shalt thou hear”

Two ways David may here be understood: Either,

(a) As promising himself a gracious acceptance with God. Thou shalt (i.e., thouwilt) hear my voice, when in the morning I direct my prayer to Thee. He hadprayed, “Give ear to my words, O LORD” (v. 1); and “Hearken unto the voice ofmy cry” (v. 2); and here he receives an answer to that prayer, “Thou wilthear”; I doubt not but Thou wilt; and though I have not presently a grant ofthing I prayed for, yet I am sure my prayer is heard, is accepted, and comes upfor a memorial, as the prayer of Cornelius did.

We may be sure of this, and we must pray in the assurance of it,—in a fullassurance of this faith, that wherever God finds a praying heart, He will befound a prayer-hearing God. Though the voice of prayer be a low voice,—a weakvoice, yet if it comes from an upright heart, it is a voice that God willhear,—that He will hear with pleasure,—it is His delight, and He will return agracious answer to; He hath heard your prayers, He hath seen your tears. Whenwe come to God by prayer, if we come aright we may be confident of this, thatnotwithstanding the distance between heaven and earth, and our greatunworthiness to have any notice taken of us, or any favour showed us, yet Goddoes hear our voice, and will not turn away our prayer, or His mercy. Or,

(b) It is rather to be taken, as David’s promising God a constant attendance onHim, in the way He has appointed. “My voice shalt thou hear,” i.e., I willspeak to Thee. Because Thou hast inclined Thine ear unto me many a time, evento the end of my time. Not a day shall pass but Thou shalt be sure to hear fromme. Not that the voice is the thing that God regards, as they seemed to think,who in prayer made their voice to be heard on high (Isa 58:4). Hannah prayedand prevailed, when her voice was not heard; but it is the voice of the heartthat is here meant. God said to Moses, “Wherefore criest thou unto me?” when wedo not find that he said one word (Ex 14:15). Praying is lifting up the soul toGod, and pouring out the heart before Him: yet as far as the expressing of thedevout affections of the heart by words may be of use to fix the thoughts, andto excite and quicken the desires, it is good to draw near to God, not onlywith a pure heart, but with a humble voice; so must we “render the calves ofour lips” (Hos 14:2).

However, God understands the language of the heart, and that is the language inwhich we must speak to God. David prays here, not only “give ear to my words”(v. 1), but “consider my meditation,” and “Let the words of my mouth,[proceeding from] the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight” (Ps19:14).

This therefore we have to do in every prayer, we must speak to God, we mustwrite to Him. We say we hear from a friend from whom we receive a letter; wemust see to it that God hears from us daily.

This must be so, for:

God Expects and Requires us to Pray

(1) He expects and requires it. Though He has no need ofus, or our services, nor can be benefited by them, yet He has obliged us tooffer the sacrifice of prayer and praise to Him continually.

(a) Thus He will keep up His authority over us, and keep us continually in mindof our subjection to Him, which we are apt to forget. He requires that byprayer we solemnly pay our homage to Him, and give honour to His name, that bythis act and deed of our own, thus frequently repeated, we may strengthen theobligations we lie under to observe His statutes and keep His laws, and be moreand more sensible of the weight of them. “He is thy LORD, and worship thou him”(Ps 45:11), that by frequent humble adorations of His perfections, you may makea constant humble compliance with His will the more easy to thee. By doingobeisance, we are learning obedience.

(b) Thus He will testify His love and compassion towards us. It would have beenan abundant evidence of His concern for us, and His goodness to us, if He hadonly said, “Let me hear from you as often as there is occasion; call upon me inthe time of trouble or want, and that is enough.” But to show His complacencyto us, as a father shows his affection to his child when he is sending himabroad, he gives us this charge, let me hear from you every day, by every post,though you have no particular business; which shows, that the prayer of theupright is His delight; it is music in His ears. Christ says to His dove, “Letme see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thycountenance is comely” (Song 2:14). And it is to the spouse the church thatChrist speaks in the close of that Song of Songs, “Thou that dwellest in the gardens,(in the original it is feminine) the companions hearken to thy voice: cause meto hear it” (8:13). What a shame is this to us, that God is more willing to beprayed to, and more ready to hear prayer, than we are to pray.

We have Much to Pray

(2) We have something to say to God everyday. Many are notsensible of this, and it is their sin and misery. They live without God in theworld, are not sensible of their dependence upon Him, and their obligations toHim, and therefore for their parts they have nothing to say to Him. He neverhears from them, no more than the father did from his prodigal son, when He wasupon the ramble, from one week’s end to another. They ask scornfully, What canthe Almighty do for them? And then no marvel if they ask next, “What profitshall we have if we pray unto Him?” And the result is, they say to theAlmighty, “Depart from us,” and so shall their doom be. But I hope betterthings of you my brethren, and that you are not one of those who cast off fear,and restrain prayer before God. You are all ready to own that there is a greatdeal that the Almighty can do for you, and that there is profit in praying toHim. Therefore resolve to draw nigh to God, that He may draw nigh to you. Wehave something to say to God daily.

(a) As to a friend we love and have freedom with; such a friend we cannot go bywithout calling on, and never lack something to say to, though we have noparticular business with Him. To such a friend we unbosom ourselves, we professour love and esteem, and with pleasure communicate our thoughts. Abraham iscalled the friend of God, and this honour have all the saints. “I have notcalled you servants,” says Christ, “but friends.” His secret is with therighteous. We are invited to acquaint ourselves with Him, and to walk with Himas one friend walks with another. The fellowship of believers is said to be“with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ,” and have we nothing to say toHim then? Have we not a great deal to say to Him in acknowledgment of His infiniteperfection and of His condescending grace and favour to us, in manifestingHimself to us and not to the world?

God hath something to say to us as a friend every day, by the written Word, byHis providences, and by our own consciences. And He hearkens and hears whetherwe have any thing to say to Him by way of reply, and we are very unfriendly ifwe have not. When He saith to us, “Seek ye my face,” should not our heartsanswer as to one we love, “Thy face, Lord, we will seek”? When He saith to us,“Return ye backsliding children,” should not we readily reply, “Behold we comeunto thee, for thou art the Lord our God”? If He speaks to us by way ofconviction and reproof, ought not we to return an answer by way of confessionand submission? If He speaks to us by way of comfort, ought not we to reply inpraise? If you love God, you will not need to seek for something to say toHim,—something for your hearts to pour out before Him, which His grace hasalready put there.

(b) As to a master we serve, and have business with. Think how numerous andimportant the concerns are that lie between us and God, and you will readilyacknowledge that you have a great dealt to say to Him. We have a constantdependence upon Him. All our expectation is from Him;—we have constant dealingswith Him;—He is God with whom we have to do (Heb 4:13).

Do we not know that our happiness is bound up in His favour; it is life, thelife of our souls, it is better than life, than the life of our bodies? Andhave we not business with God to seek His favour, to entreat it with our wholehearts, to beg as for our lives that He would lift up the light of Hiscountenance upon us, and to plead Christ’s righteousness, as that only throughwhich we can hope to obtain God’s loving kindness?

Do we not know that we have offended God, that by sin we have made ourselvesobnoxious to His wrath and curse, and that we are daily contracting guilt? Andhave we not then business enough with Him to confess our fault and folly, toask for pardon in the blood of Christ, and in Him who is our piece to make ourpeace with God, and renew our covenants with Him in His own strength to go andsin no more?

Do we not know that we have daily work to do for God, and our own souls, thework of the day that is to be done in its day? And have we not then businesswith God to beg of Him to show us what He would have us to, to direct us in it,and strengthen us for it? To seek to Him for assistance and acceptance, that Hewill work in us both to will and to do that which is good, and then countenanceand own His own work? Such business as this the servant has with his master.

Do we not know that we are continually in danger? Our bodies are so, and theirlives and comforts, we are continually surrounded with diseases and deaths, whosearrows fly at mid-night and noon-day; and have we not then business with Godgoing out and coming in, lying down and rising up, to put ourselves under theprotection of His providence, to be the charge of His holy angels? Our soulsmuch more are so, and their lives and comforts; it is those our adversary thedevil, a strong and subtle adversary, wars against, and seeks to devour; andhave we not then business with God to put ourselves under the protection of Hisgrace, and clad ourselves with His armour, that we may be able to stand againstthe wiles and violence of Satan; so as we may neither be surprised into sin bya sudden temptation, nor overpowered by a strong one.

Do we not know that we are dying daily, that death is working in us, andhastening towards us, and that death fetches us to judgment, and judgment fixesus in our everlasting state? And have we not then something to say to God inpreparation for what is before us? Shall we not say, “Lord make us to know ourend! Lord teach us to number our days!”? Have we not business with God to judgeourselves that we may not be judged, and to see that our matters be right andgood? Do we not know that we are members of that body whereof Christ is thehead, and are we not concerned to approve ourselves living members? Have we notthen business with God upon the public account to make intercession for HisChurch? Have we nothing to say for Zion? Nothing in behalf of Jerusalem’sruined walls? Nothing for the peace and welfare of the land of our nativity? Arewe not of the family, or but babes in it, that we concern not ourselves in theconcerns of it?

Have we not relations, no friends, that are dear to us, whose joys and griefswe share in? And have we nothing to say to God for them? No complaints to make,no requests to make known? Are none of them sick or in distress? None of themtempted or disconsolate? And have we not errands at the throne of grace, to begrelief and succour of them?

Now lay all this together, and then consider whether you have not something tosay to God every day; and particularly in days of trouble, when it is meet tobe said unto God, “I have bourn chastisement”; and when if you have any senseof things, you will say unto God, “Do not condemn me.”

No Hindrance to Prayer is too Great

(3) If you have all this to say to God, what should hinderyou from saying it? From saying it every day? Why should not He hear yourvoice, when you have so many errands to Him?

(a) Let not distance hinder you from saying it. You have occasion to speak witha friend, but he is a great way off, you cannot reach him, you know not whereto find him, nor how to get a letter to him, and therefore our business withhim is undone; but this needs not keep you from speaking to God, for though itis true God is in heaven, and we are upon earth, yet He is nigh to His prayingpeople in all that they call upon Him for, He hears their voice wherever theyare. “Out of the depths I have cried unto thee,” says David (Ps 130:1). “Fromthe end of the earth will I cry unto thee” (Ps 61:2). Nay, Jonah says, “Out ofthe belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice” (2:2). In all places wemay find a way open heavenward. Thanks to Him who by His own blood hasconsecrated for us a new and living way into the holiest, and settled acorrespondence between heaven and earth.

(b) Let not fear hinder you from saying what you have to say to God. You havebusiness with a great man it may be, but he is far above you, or so stern andsevere towards all his inferiors, that you are afraid to speak to him, and youhave none to introduce you, or speak a good word for you, and therefore youchoose rather to drop your cause; but there is no occasion for your being thusdiscouraged in speaking to God; you may come boldly to the throne of His grace,you have there a liberty of speech, leave to pour out your whole souls. Andsuch are His compassions to humble supplicants, that even His terror need notmake them afraid. Nor is this all, we have one advocate with the Father. Didever children need an advocate with a father? But that by those two immutablethings in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strongconsolation, we have not only the relation of a Father to depend upon, but theinterest and intercession of an advocate; a High Priest over the house of God,in whom we have access with confidence.

(c) Let not His knowing what your business is, and what you have to say to Himhinder you, you have business with such a friend, but you think you need notput yourselves to any trouble about it, for He is already apprised for it. Heknows what you want and what your desire is before God, He knows your wants andburdens, but He will know them from you. He hath promised your relief; but Hispromise must be put to suit, and He will for this be inquired of by the houseof Israel to do it for them (Ezek 36:37). Though we cannot by prayers give Himany information, yet we must by our prayers give Him honour. It is true,nothing we can say can have any influence upon Him, or move Him to show usmercy, but it may have an influence upon ourselves, and help to put us into aframe fit to receive mercy. It is a very easy and reasonable condition of Hisfavours, Ask, and it shall be given you. It was to teach us the necessity ofpraying, in order to receiving our favour, that Christ put that strangequestion to the blind men, “What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” (Mk10:51). He knew what they would have, but those that touch the top of thegolden sceptre must be ready to tell, what is their petition and what is theirrequest?

(d) Let not any other business hinder our saying what we have to say to God. Wehave business with a friend perhaps, but we cannot do it because we have noleisure; we have something else to do, which we think more needful; but wecannot say so concerning the business we have to do with God; for that iswithout doubt the one thing needful, to which everything else must be made totruckle and give way. It is not all necessary to our happiness that we shouldbe great in the world, or raise estates to such a pitch. But it is absolutelynecessary that we make peace with God, that we obtain His favour, and keepourselves with His love. Therefore no business for the world will serve toexcuse our attendance upon God, but, on the contrary, the more important ourworldly business is, the more need we have to apply ourselves to God by prayerfor His blessing upon it, and so take Him along with us in it. The closer wekeep to prayer, and to God in prayer, the more will all our affairs prosper.

Shall I prevail with you now to let God frequently to hear from you; let Himhear your voice, though it be a voice of breathing (Lam 3:56) that is a sign oflife; though it be a voice of your groanings, and those so weak that it cannotbe uttered (Rom 8:26). Speak to Him, though it may be in broken language, asHezekiah did; “Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter” (Isa 38:14). Speakoften to Him, He is always within hearing. Hear Him speaking to you and have aneye to that in every thing you say to Him: as when you write an answer to abusiness letter, you lay it before you; God’s Word must be the guide of yourdesires, and the ground of your expectations in prayer, nor can you expect Heshould give a gracious ear to what you say to Him, if you turn a deaf ear towhat He says to you.

You see you have frequent occasions to speak with God, and therefore areconcerned to grow in your acquaintance with Him, to take heed of doing anything to displease Him; and to strengthen your interest in the Lord Jesus,through whom alone it is that you have access with boldness to Him. Keep yourvoice in tune for prayer, and let your language be pure language, that you maybe fit to call on the name of the Lord (Zep 3:9). And in every prayer rememberyou are speaking to God, and make it appear that you have an awe of Him uponyour spirits; let us not be rash with our mouth, nor hasty to utter any thingbefore God, but let every word be well weighed because “God is in heaven, and[we] upon earth” (Ecc 5:2). And if He had not invited and encouraged us to doit, it had been unpardonable presumption for such sinful worms as we are tospeak to the Lord of glory (Gen 18:27). And we are concerned to speak from theheart heartily, for it is our lives and for the lives of our souls that we arespeaking to Him.

B. We must direct our prayer unto God

He must not only hear our voice, but we must in deliberation and design addressourselves to Him. In the original it is no more than “I will direct unto thee,”but our translation supplies it very well, “I will direct my prayer unto thee.”That is,

Our Prayers must be Focused

(1) When I pray to Thee I will direct my prayers. Thisnotes a fixedness of thoughts, and a close application of mind, to the duty ofprayer. We must go about it solemnly, as those that have something of momentmuch at heart, and much in view therein, and therefore dare not trifle in it.When we go to prayer, we must not give the sacrifice of fools, that think notwhat it is to be done, or what is to be gained, but speak the words of thewise, who aim at some good end at what they say, and suit it to that end, wemust have in our eye God’s glory and our own true happiness, for so wellordered is our covenant of grace, that God has been pleased therein to twistinterests with us, so that in seeking His glory, we really and effectually seekour own true interests. This is directing the prayer, as he that shoots anarrow directs it, and with a fixed eye and steady hand takes aim aright. Thisis engaging the heart to approach to God, and in order to that disengaging itfrom everything else. He that takes aim with one eye shuts the other; if wewould direct a prayer to God, we must look off all other things, must gather inall our wandering thoughts, must summon them all to draw near and give theirattendance, for here is work to be done that needs them all, and is well worthyof them all. Thus we must be able to say with the psalmist, “My heart is fixed,O God, my heart is fixed” (Ps 57:7).

Our Prayers must be Directed to God

(2) When I direct my prayer, I will direct it to Thee. Thisspeaks of the sincerity of our habitual intention in prayer. We must not directour prayer to men, that we may gain praise and applause with them as thePharisees did, who proclaimed their devotions as they did their alms, that theymight gain a reputation. Men commend them: “Verily… They have their reward” (Mt6:2), but God abhors their pride and hypocrisy. Let not self, carnal self, bethe spring and centre of your prayers, but God. Let the eye of the soul befixed upon Him as your highest end in your application to Him. Let this be thehabitual disposition of your souls, to be to your God for a name and a praise.And let this be the design in all your desires, that God may be glorified, andby this let them be directed, determined, sanctified, and when need is,over-ruled. Our Saviour hath plainly taught us this, in the first petition ofthe Lord’s prayer; which is, “Hallowed be thy name,” in which we are taughtthat all our prayers must be directed to the glory of God, in all that wherebyHe has made Himself known. A habitual aim at God’s glory is that sinceritywhich is our gospel perfection. That single eye, which where it is, the wholebody, the whole soul is full of light. Thus the prayer is directed to God.

Directions on Directing our Prayers

(3) When I direct my prayer, I will direct it to Thee,speaks also of the steadiness of our actual regard to God in prayer. In ourprayers, we must continually think of Him, as one with whom we have to do inprayer. We must direct our prayer, as we direct our speech to the person wehave business with. The Bible is a letter God hath sent to us, prayer is aletter we send to Him; now you know it is essential to a letter that it bedirected, and material that it be directed right; if it be not, it is in dangerof miscarrying: which may be of ill consequence. You pray daily, and thereinsend letters to God; you know not what you lose, if your letters miscarry. Willyou therefore take instructions how to direct to Him?

(a) Give Him His titles as you do when you direct to a person of honour;address yourselves to Him as the great Jehovah, God over all, blessed forevermore; King of kings, and Lord of lords; as the Lord God gracious andmerciful; let your hearts and mouths be filled with holy adorings and admiringsof Him, and fasten upon those titles of His, which are proper to strike a holyawe of Him upon your minds, that you may worship Him with reverence and godlyfear. Direct your prayer to Him as the God of glory, with whom is terriblemajesty, and whose greatness is unsearchable, that you may not dare to triflewith Him, or mock Him what you say to Him.

(b) Take notice of your relation to Him, as His children, and let not that beoverlooked and lost in your awful adorations of His glories. I have been toldof a good man, whose journal, discovered after his death, records that at acertain time in secret prayer, his heart at the beginning of the duty was muchenlarged in giving to God those titles which are awful and tremendous, incalling Him “the Great,” “the Mighty,” and “the Terrible God,” but going onthus, he checked himself with this thought, “and why not my Father”? Christhath both by His precepts and by His pattern, taught us to address ourselves toGod as our Father; and the spirit of adoption teaches us to cry, “Abba,Father.” A son, though a prodigal, when he returns and repents, may go to hisfather, and to say unto him, “Father, I have sinned”; and though no more worthyto be called a son, yet humbly bold to call him father. When Ephraim bemoanshimself as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, God bemoans him as a dear son,as a pleasant child (Jer 31:18–20). And if God is not ashamed, let us not beafraid to own the relation.

(c) Direct your prayer to Him in heaven; this our Saviour has taught us in thepreface to the Lord’s prayer, “Our Father which art in heaven.” Not that He isconfined to the heavens, or as if the heaven, or heaven of heavens, couldcontain Him, but there He is said to have prepared His throne,—not only Histhrone of government by which His kingdom rules over all,—but His throne ofgrace to which we must by faith draw near. We must eye Him as God in heaven, inopposition to the God of the heathen, which dwelt in temples made with hands.Heaven is a high place, so we must address ourselves to Him as a God infinitelyabove us. Heaven is the fountain of light, so to Him we must address ourselvesas the Father of lights. Heaven is a place of prospect, so we must see His eyeupon us, from thence beholding all the children of men. Heaven is a place ofpurity, and so we must in prayer eye Him as a holy God, and give thanks as theremembrance of His holiness. Heaven is the firmament of God’s power, and so wemust depend upon Him as one to whom power belongs. When our Lord Jesus prayed,He lifted up His hands and eyes to heaven, to direct us whence to expect theblessings we need.

(d) Direct this letter to be left with the Lord Jesus, the only Mediatorbetween God and men; it will certainly miscarry if it be not put into His hand,who is that other angel that puts incense to the prayers of the saints, and soperfumed presents them to the Father (Rev 8:3). What we ask of the Father mustbe by His hand, for He is the High Priest of our profession, that is ordainedfor men to offer their gifts (Heb 5:1). Direct the letter to be left with Him,and He will deliver it with care and speed, and will make our serviceacceptable.

C. We must look up

(1) We must look up in our prayers, as those that speak to one above us,infinitely above us, the high and holy one that inhabits eternity, as thosethat expect every good and perfect gift to come from above, from the Father oflights, as those that desire in prayer to enter into the holiest, and draw nearwith a true heart. With an eye of faith we must look above the world andeverything in it, must look beyond the things of time. What is this world, andall things here below, to one that knows how to put a due estimate uponspiritual blessings in heavenly things by Jesus Christ? The spirit of man atdeath goes upward (Ecc 3:21); for it returns to God who gave it and thereforeas mindful of its origin, it must in every prayer look upwards, towards itsGod, towards its home, as having set its affections on things above, wherein ithas laid up its treasure. Let us therefore, in prayer, lift up our hearts withour hands unto God in the heavens (Lam 3:41).

(2) We must look up after our prayers.

(a) We must look up with an eye of satisfaction and pleasure. Looking up is asign of cheerfulness; as a down look is a melancholy one. We must look up asthose that having by prayer referred ourselves to God, are easy and wellpleased, and, with an entire confidence in His wisdom and goodness, patientlyexpect the issue. Hannah, when she had prayed, looked up, looked pleasant; shewent her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad (1 Sam 1:18).Prayer is heart’s ease to a good Christian; and when we have prayed, we shouldlook up as those that through grace have found it so.

(b) We must look up with an eye of observation, to see what returns God makesto our prayers. We must look up as one that has shot an arrow looks after it tosee how near it comes to the mark. We must look within us, and observe what theframe of our spirit is after we have been at prayer, how well satisfied theyare in the will of God, and how well disposed to accommodate themselves to it.We must look about us, and observe how providence works concerning us, that if ourprayers be answered, we may return to give thanks; if not, we may remove whathinders, and may continue waiting. Thus we must set ourselves upon ourwatchtower to see what God will say unto us (Hab 2:1), and must be ready tohear it (Ps 85:8), expecting that God will give us an answer of peace, andresolving that we will return no more to folly. Thus we must keep our communionwith God; hoping that whenever we lift our hearts to Him, He will lift up thelights of His countenance upon us. Sometimes the answer is quick, while theyare yet speaking I will hear; quicker than the return of any posts. But if itbe not, when we have prayed we must wait.

Let us learn thus to direct our prayers, and thus to look up; and be inwardwith God in every duty, to make heart-work of it, or we make nothing of it. Letus not worship in the outward court, when we are commanded and encouraged toenter within the veil.

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