Selden: prayer as pure request

Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Meditation:
    [Jesus:] “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
    —Matthew 6:5,6 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Prayer should be short, without giving God Almighty reasons why He should grant this or that: He knows best what is good for us. If your boy should ask you [for] a suit of clothes, and give you reasons, ... would you endure it? You know his needs better than he: let him ask a suit of clothes.
    ... John Selden (1584-1654), Table-Talk [1689], Whitefriars: Davidson, 1821, p. 110 (see the book)
    See also Matt. 6:5-8,32; Ps. 38:9; Luke 12:30; John 16:23-27; Rom. 8:26; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 2:18; Phil. 4:6
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, teach me how to please You in prayer. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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