Let me encourage you to take three and one half minutes to read (and sing or read along as Matt Foreman sings) John Newton's words, especially "Thou art coming to a King, Large petitions with thee bring."
Come, My Soul, Thy Suit Prepare
(Listen to a beautiful vocal by Matt Foreman - it will move you deeply!)
by John Newton
Come, my soul, thy suit prepare:
Jesus loves to answer prayer;
He Himself has bid thee pray,
Therefore will not say thee nay;
Therefore will not say thee nay.
Thou art coming to a King,
Large petitions with thee bring;
For His grace and power are such,
None can ever ask too much;
None can ever ask too much.
With my burden I begin:
Lord, remove this load of sin;
Let Thy blood, for sinners spilt,
Set my conscience free from guilt;
Set my conscience free from guilt.
Lord, I come to Thee for rest,
Take possession of my breast;
There Thy blood bought right maintain,
And without a rival reign;
And without a rival reign.
As the image in the glass
Answers the beholder's face;
Thus unto my heart appear,
Print Thine own resemblance there;
Print Thine own resemblance there.
While I am a pilgrim here,
Let Thy love my spirit cheer;
As my Guide, my Guard, my Friend,
Lead me to my journey's end;
Lead me to my journey's end.
Show me what I have to do,
Every hour my strength renew:
Let me live a life of faith,
Let me die Thy people's death;
Let me die Thy people's death.
May God open the eyes of our heart to the priceless truth of the privilege that we are "coming to a King" so that "large petitions with thee bring." Amen
Hymns related to prayer (194 hymns) - Cyberhymnal
Since prayer is God's most gracious plan
Whereby He links Himself with man,
Should not His own more often say
To one another, "Let us pray"?
Sterling
Approach, my soul, the mercy seat
Where Jesus answers prayer;
There humbly fall before his feet,
For none can perish there.
John Newton
When we disclose our wants in prayer,
May we our wills resign;
That not a thought may enter there
Which is not wholly thine.
Joseph Dacre Carlyle
Commit to pray and intercede—
The battle’s strong and great’s the need;
And this one truth can’t be ignored:
Our only help comes from the Lord.
Sper
He Will Answer Every Prayer
God has given you His promise,
That He hears and answers prayer,
He will heed your supplication
If you cast on Him your care.
Bernstecher
Day by day, dear God, of you three things we pray:
to see you more clearly,
love you more dearly,
follow you more nearly,
day by day.
Amen.
I need the prayers of those I love
While traveling on life’s rugged way,
That I may true and faithful be,
And live for Jesus every day.
Vaughn
Faith looks across the storm—it does not doubt
Or stop to look at clouds and things without.
Faith does not question why when all His ways
Are hard to understand, but trusts and prays.
Anon.
The Master's Will, for this I Pray
The Master's will, for this I pray, Whatever it may be!
I do not want to miss Your best; Reveal it, Lord, to me.
My own desires may lead me wrong, I must consult my God;
His counsel will be justified, When all the way I've trod.
O soul of mine, delight in Him! His Word discern, obey!
The plan you seek to know will then unfold from day to day.
We do not live our lives alone: If I am in God's will,
The lives of others will be helped, His purpose to fulfill!
My all, O Lord, I give to You, My body, mind and soul;
May all the days that lie ahead, be under Your control.
--Frances L Hess
May those that love us, love us;
and those that don’t love us,
may God turn their hearts;
and if He doesn’t turn their hearts,
may He turn their ankles
so we’ll know them by their limping.
Irish prayer
I prayed for patience, and my prayer came true,
For many tasks were given me to do,
Demanding patience I had never known.
Each task completed found my patience grown.
I prayed for character and strength of soul,
Unmindful of the costly, bitter toll;
And there was pain to bear, and there were tears,
And character grown stronger down the years.
I prayed for inward peace of heart and mind,
A comfort I could never seem to find
Till life compelled my thoughts to turn to others
And peace I found in service to my brothers.
--Helen Lowrie Marshal
You know I say just what I think, and nothing more or less,
And, when I pray, my heart is in my prayer.
I cannot say one thing and mean another
If I can’t pray, I will not make-believe.
H W Longfellow
No greater help and care is given
To others in their need
Than when we bear them up in prayer
And for them intercede.
D J De Hann
Don't surrender faith and courage,
Neither quit the place of prayer;
For the God of earth and heaven
Always meets His children there.
Anon.
When I kneel before my Master,
I can feel His presence there,
And the load of care and sorrow
Seems much easier to bear.
Anon
There is a blessed calm at eventide
That calls me from a world of toil and care;
How restful, then, to seek some quiet nook
Where I can spend a little time in prayer.
Bullock
God answers prayer; shouldst thou complain?
Be not afraid, thou canst not ask in vain.
He only waits thy faith in Him to prove,
Doubt not His power e'en mountains to remove!
Anonymous
So lift up your heart to the heavens;
There’s a loving and kind Father there
Who offers release and comfort and peace
In the silent communion of prayer.
Anonymous
Someone prayed as I met the test
Of temptation fierce and strong;
I felt God near, He gave me rest;
Somebody prayed, I know.
Anonymous
When we call out to You, O Lord,
And wait for answers to our prayer,
Give us the patience that we need
And help us sense Your love and care.
Sper
What various hindrances we meet
In coming to the mercy-seat;
Yet who, that knows the worth of prayer,
But wishes to be often there?
William Cowper
God's ways are not like human ways,
He wears such strange disguises.
He tests us with His long delays,
And then our faith surprises!
Anon
From the cowardice that shrinks from new truth,
From the laziness that is content with half-truths,
From the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth,
O God of truth, deliver us!
Anon
The House of Prayer
Thy mansion is the Christian’s heart,
O Lord, Thy dwelling-place secure!
Bid the unruly throng depart,
And leave the consecrated door.
Devoted as it is to Thee,
A thievish swarm frequents the place;
They steal away my joys from me,
And rob my Saviour of His praise.
There, too, a sharp designing trade
Sin, Satan, and the World maintain;
Nor cease to press me, and persuade
To part with ease, and purchase pain.
I know them, and I hate their din;
Am weary of the bustling crowd;
But while their voice is heard within,
I cannot serve Thee as I would.
Oh! for the joy Thy presence gives,
What peace shall reign when Thou art there;
Thy presence makes this den of thieves
A calm delightful house of prayer.
And if Thou make Thy temple shine,
Yet, self-abased, will I adore:
The gold and silver are not mine;
I give Thee what was Thine before.
Olney Hymns, by William Cowper
Cowper’s Poems, Sheldon & Company, New York (Bible.org)
O Thou by whom we come to God,
The Life, the Truth, the Way,
The path of prayer Thyself host trod;
Lord, teach us how to pray!
J. Montgomery
When God inclines the heart to pray,
He hath an ear to hear;
To him there's music in a groan,
And beauty in a tear.
Anonymous
Lord, help us be encouragers
By praying for our friends in need;
And give us opportunities
To show them love in word and deed.
Sper
When we call out to You, O Lord,
And wait for answers to our prayer,
Give us the patience that we need
And help us sense Your love and care.
Sper
God hears us when we call to Him,
He does not miss one voice;
The knowledge that He always hears
Should cause us to rejoice.
Sper
Fountain of mercy! Whose pervading eye
Can look within and read what passes there,
Accept my thoughts for thanks; I have no words.
My soul o’erfraught with gratitude, rejects
The aid of language—Lord!—behold my heart.
Hannah More
When we approach the Lord in prayer,
We can come boldly to His throne;
His children come expectantly,
For grace and mercy will be shown.
Sper
As we resolve to live for Christ
In actions, words, and deeds,
We'll yield our anxious hearts to Him
And pray for others' needs.
Branon
How deep does it wound you when others despise
Your labor of love? Don't despair--
It's then you must view them with Spirit-filled eyes
And love your offenders with prayer.
Gustafson
When I kneel before my Master,
I can feel His presence there,
And the load of care and sorrow
Seems much easier to bear.
Anon
I’ve prayed many prayers when no answer came,
I’ve waited patient and long;
But answers have come to enough of my prayers
To make me keep praying on.
Make me an Intercessor,
One who can really pray,
One of the Lord’s Remembrancers
By night as well as day.
Make me an Intercessor,
In Spirit-touch with Thee,
And give the heavenly vision
Praying through to victory.
Make me an Intercessor,
Teach me how to prevail,
To stand my ground and stillpray on,
Though pow’rs of hell assail.
Make me an Intercessor,
Sharing Thy death and life,
In prayer claiming for others,
Victory in the strife.
Make me an Intercessor,
Willing for deeper death,
Emptied, broken, then made anew,
And filled with Living Breath.
Make me an Intercessor,
Reveal this mighty thing,
The wondrous possibility
Of paying back my King.
Make me an Intercessor,
Hidden-unknown—set apart,
Thought little of by those around,
But satisfying thine heart.
I believe God answers prayer,
Answers always, everywhere
I may cast my anxious care,
Burdens I could never bear,
On the God who heareth prayer.
Never need my soul despair
Since He bids me boldly dare
To the secret place repair,
There to prove He answers prayer.
- George Mueller
I got up early one morning
And rushed right into the day;
I had so much to accomplish
I didn’t have time to pray.
Troubles just tumbled about me
And heavier came each task.
Why doesn’t God help me, I wondered,
He answered, “You didn’t ask.”
I tried to come into God’s presence,
I used all my keys at the lock.
God gently and lovingly chided,
“Why child, you didn’t knock.”
I wanted to see joy and beauty,
But the day toiled on grey and bleak,
I called on the Lord for the reason—
He said “You didn’t seek.”
I woke up early this morning
And paused before entering the day.
I had so much to accomplish
That I had to take time to pray.
—Author Unknown
What various hindrances we meet
In coming to a mercy seat!
Yet who that knows the worth of prayer
But wishes to be often there!
—William Cowper Hart
Traveling On My Knees
Last night I took a journey
To a land across the seas;
I did not go by boat or plane,
I traveled on my knees.
I saw so many people there
In deepest depths of sin,
But Jesus told me I should go,
That there were souls to win.
But I said, “Jesus, I cannot go
And work with such as these.”
He answered quickly, “Yes, you can
By traveling on your knees.”
He said, “You pray; I’ll meet the need,
You call and I will hear;
Be concerned about lost souls,
Of those both far and near.”
And so I tried it, knelt in prayer,
Gave up some hours of ease;
I felt the Lord right by my side
While traveling on my knees.
As I prayed on and saw souls saved
And twisted bodies healed,
And saw God’s workers’ strength renewed
While laboring on the field.
I said, “Yes, Lord, I have a job,
My desire Thy will to please;
I can go and heed Thy call
By traveling on my knees.”
—Sandra Goodwin
A Moment
A moment in the morning,
Ere the cares of day begin,
Ere the heart’s wide door is open,
For the world to enter in,
Oh, then alone with Jesus,
In the silence of the morn,
In heavenly, sweet communion,
Let your joyful day be born,
In the quietude that blesses,
Let your soul be soothed and softened,
As the dew revives the rose!
—Selected
Lord, speak to me that I may speak,
In living echoes of thy tone.
Frances Ridley Havergal
Prayer is not artful monologue
Of voice uplifted from the sod;
It is love’s tender dialogue
Between the soul and God.
John Richard Moreland
Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear;
The upward glancing of an eye,
When none but God is near.
James Montgomery
Ancient Jewish evening prayer Jesus may have known:
Lead me not into the power of transgression,
And bring me not into the power of sin,
And not into the power of iniquity,
And not into the power of temptation,
And not into the power of anything shameful.
Something of my old self—my old, bad life—
And the old Adam in me, rises up,
And will not let me pray.
H W Longfellow
He Answers
I know not by what methods rare,
But this I know, God answers prayer.
I know not when He sends the word
That tells us fervent prayer is heard.
I know it cometh soon or late;
Therefore we need to pray and wait.
I know not if the blessing sought
Will come in just the guise I thought.
I leave my prayers with Him alone
Whose will is wiser than my own.
Eliza M. Hickok
Though lines to heaven should ever be
Attuned to praying ceaselessly,
Let's take that extra special care
To guard our words in public prayer.
H G Bosch
For answered prayer we thank You, Lord;
We know You're always there
To hear us when we call on you;
We're grateful for Your care.
J. David Branon
In Jesus' name we voice our prayers—
The Bible tells us to;
But may we never use that name
To tell God what to do.
D. De Haan
Come, my soul, thy suit prepare:
Jesus loves to answer prayer;
He Himself has bid thee pray,
Therefore will not say thee nay;
Therefore will not say thee nay.
Thou art coming to a King,
Large petitions with thee bring;
For His grace and power are such,
None can ever ask too much;
None can ever ask too much.
With my burden I begin:
Lord, remove this load of sin;
Let Thy blood, for sinners spilt,
Set my conscience free from guilt;
Set my conscience free from guilt.
Lord, I come to Thee for rest,
Take possession of my breast;
There Thy blood bought right maintain,
And without a rival reign;
And without a rival reign.
As the image in the glass
Answers the beholder's face;
Thus unto my heart appear,
Print Thine own resemblance there;
Print Thine own resemblance there.
While I am a pilgrim here,
Let Thy love my spirit cheer;
As my Guide, my Guard, my Friend,
Lead me to my journey's end;
Lead me to my journey's end.
Show me what I have to do,
Every hour my strength renew:
Let me live a life of faith,
Let me die Thy people's death;
Let me die Thy people's death.
John Newton
The more we go to God in prayer,
Intent to seek His face,
The more we'll want to be with Him
Before the throne of grace
Sper
I Didn't Have Time to Pray
I got up early one morning,
And rushed right into the day;
I had so much to accomplish,
That I didn’t have time to pray.
Problems just tumbled about me,
And heavier came each task.
Why doesn’t God help me? I wondered.
He answered, “You didn’t ask.”
I wanted to see joy and beauty,
But the day toiled on, gray and bleak.
I wondered why God didn’t show me.
He said, “But you didn’t seek.”
I tried to come into God’s presence;
I used all my keys at the lock.
But God gently and lovingly chided,
“My child, you didn’t knock.”
I woke up early this morning,
And paused before entering the day.
I had so much to accomplish
That I had to take time to pray!
-Anonymous
Oh, how oft I wake and find
I have been forgetting Thee!
I am never from Thy mind;
Thou it is that wakest me.
MacDonald
You need to talk with God today,
Your heart’s bowed down with care;
Just speak the words you have to say—
He’ll always hear your prayer.
Hess
The issue isn't how much time
We spend with God in prayer,
But seeking Him throughout each day
And knowing that He's there.
Sper
There never is a night or day
When God can’t hear us as we pray;
There is no time, there is no place
That we’re beyond His love and grace.
D. De Haan
We grasp but a thread of the garment of prayer;
We reel at the thought of His infinite care;
We cannot conceive of a God who will say:
"Be careful for nothing; in everything pray."
Farrell
No Time To Pray
No time to pray!
Oh, who so fraught with earthly care.
As not to give to humble prayer
Some part of day?
No time to pray!
What heart so clean, so pure within,
That needeth not some check from sin,
Needs not to pray?
No time to pray!
’Mid each day’s danger, what retreat
More needful than the mercy-seat?
Who need not pray?
No time to pray!
Then sure your record falleth short;
Excuse will fail you as resort,
On that last day.
What thought more drear,
Than that our God His face should hide,
And say through all life’s swelling tide,
No time to hear!
—Anonymous
Never Found Time
I knelt to pray, but not for long.
I had too much to do.
Must hurry off and get to work,
For bills would soon be due.
And so I said a hurried prayer,
Jumped up from off my knees,
My Christian duties now were done,
My soul could be at ease.
All through the day I had no time
To speak a word of cheer;
No time to speak of Christ to friends,
They’d laugh at me I feared.
No time, no time, too much to do.
That was my constant cry;
No time to give to those in need—
At last was time to die.
And when before the Lord I came,
I stood with downcast eyes;
Within His hands He held a book—
It was the “Book of Life.”
God looked into His book and said,
“Your name I cannot find,
I once was going to write it down,
But never found the time.”
—Author Unknown
Hypocritical Prayer
I knelt to pray when day was done,
And prayed, “O Lord bless every one,
Lift from every saddened heart the pain,
And let the sick be well again.”
And then I woke another day,
And carelessly went upon my way.
The whole day long I did not try
To wipe a tear from any eye.
I did not try to share the load
Of any brother on the road.
I did not even go to see
The sick man just next door to me.
Yet once again when day was done,
I prayed, “O Lord bless everyone.”
But as I prayed, unto my ear
There came a voice that whispered clear,
“Pause, hypocrite, before you pray,
Whom have you tried to bless today?
God’s sweetest blessings always go,
By hands which serve Him below.”
And then I hid my face and cried,
“Forgive me, God, for I have lied.
Let me but live another day,
And I will live the way I pray!”
—Selected
Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace and rest;
Now Thee alone I seek; give what is best.
This all my prayer shall be:
More love, O Christ, to Thee.
Prentiss
The issue isn't how much time
We spend with God in prayer,
But seeking Him throughout each day
And knowing that He's there.
Sper
Pray, always pray, the Holy Spirit pleads,
Bring to thy God thy daily, hourly needs;
All earthly things with earth shall pass away;
Prayer grasps eternity; pray - always pray!
Bickersteth
Begin the day with God;
Kneel down to Him in prayer;
Lift up thy heart to His abode,
And seek His love to share.
Dann
O give me Samuel's ear, the open ear,O Lord,
Alive and quick to hear each whisper of Thy Word;
Like him to answer at Thy call,
And to obey Thee first of all!
J. Drummond Burns
I know not by what methods rare,
But this I know: God answers prayer.
I know not if the blessing sought
Will come in just the guise I thought.
I leave my prayer to him alone
Whose will is wiser than my own.
Eliza M Hickok
Let one unceasing, earnest prayer
Be, too, for light—for strength to bear
Our portion of the weight of care,
That crushes into dumb despair,
One half the human race.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
To thy Redeemer take thy care,
And change anxiety to prayer;
His answers sweet will come at length,
And to thy soul impart new strength!
Anonymous
Keep on working through the seasons
In the sunshine and the rain;
Earnest prayer and faithful sowing
Yield a wealth of golden grain.
I sit beside my lonely fire
And pray for wisdom yet;
For calmness to remember
Or courage to forget.
Charles Hamilton Aide
When earthly help is of no avail,
There is one Friend who will never fail;
Just lift your eyes--the answer is there,
For nobody knows the power of prayer!
Kenny
The kindest Friend I've ever had
Is One I cannot see,
Yet One in whom I can confide,
Who loves and blesses me.
Shuler
O sad estate
Of human wretchedness; so weak is man,
So ignorant and blind, that did not God
Sometimes withhold in mercy what we ask,
We should be ruined at our own request.
Hannah More
For answered prayer we thank You, Lord,
We know You're always there
To hear us when we call on You;
We're grateful for Your care.
J D Branon
It's easy to forget to talk to God
When everything is going our own way;
But that's the time we really need Him most,
Lest we depart from Him and go astray.
Hess
I cannot pray,
except I sin;
I cannot preach,
but I sin;
I cannot administer, nor receive the holy sacrament,
but I sin.
My very repentance needs
to be repented of;
And the tears I shed
need washing in the
blood of Christ.
William Beveridge
Of course I prayed—
And did God care?
He cared as much
As on the air
A bird had stamped her foot
And cried, “Give me!”
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson
We can't presume to know what's best
When we begin to pray;
So we must ask, "What honors God?"
And seek His will and way.
Sper
In Prayer
I launch far out into the eternal world,
and on that broad ocean my soul triumphs
over all evils on the shores of mortality.
Time, with its gay amusements and cruel
disappointments, never appears so inconsiderate as then.
In prayer I see myself as nothing;
I find my heart going after thee with intensity,
and long with vehement thirst to live to thee.
Blessed be the strong gales of the Spirit
that speed me on my way to the New Jerusalem.
In prayer all things here below vanish,
and nothing seems important
but holiness of heart and the salvation of others.
In prayer all my worldly cares, fears, anxieties
disappear,
and are of as little significance as a puff of wind.
In prayer my soul inwardly exults with lively
thoughts at what thou art doing for thy church,
and I long that thou shouldest get thyself a great
name from sinners returning to Zion.
In prayer I am lifted above the frowns and flatteries of life,
and taste heavenly joys;
entering into the eternal world
I can give myself to thee with all my heart,
to be thine for ever.
In prayer I can place all my concerns in thy hands,
to be entirely at thy disposal,
having no will or interest of my own.
In prayer I can intercede for my friends, ministers,
sinners, the church, thy kingdom to come,
with greatest freedom, ardent hopes,
as a son to his father,
as a lover to the beloved.
Help me to be all prayer
and never to cease praying.
He prayed for strength that he might achieve;
He was made weak that he might obey.
He prayed for health that he might do greater things;
He was given infirmity that he might do better things.
He prayed for riches that he might be happy;
He was given poverty that he might be wise.
He prayed for power that he might have the praise of men;
He was given weakness that he might feel the need of God.
He prayed for all things that he might enjoy life;
He was given life that he might enjoy all things.
He received nothing that he asked for—but all that he hoped for.
He prayeth best who loveth best
All things both great and small.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
God grant me grace my prayers to say:
O God! preserve my mother dear,
In strength and health for many a year;
And O! preserve my father too,
And may I pay him reverence due;
And may I my best thoughts employ
To be my parents' hope and joy;
And O! preserve my brothers both
From evil doings, and from sloth,
And may we always love each other,
Our friends, our father, and our mother,
And still, O Lord, to me impart
An innocent and grateful heart,
That after my last sleep I may
Awake to thy eternal day! Amen.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
More love to Thee, O Christ, More love to Thee!
Hear Thou the prayer I make On bended knee;
This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ, to Thee,
More love to Thee, More love to Thee.
Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace and rest;
Now Thee alone I seek—Give what is best;
This all my prayer shall be: More love, O Christ, to Thee,
More love to Thee, More love to Thee.
Elizabeth Payson Prentiss
Related Resource: Elizabeth Sang in Suffering
God Is Present Everywhere
Those who seek the throne of grace
Find that throne in every place;
If we live a life of prayer,
God is present everywhere.
In our sickness and our health,
In our want, or in our wealth,
If we look to God in prayer,
God is present everywhere.
When our earthly comforts fail,
When the woes of life prevail,
’Tis the time for earnest prayer;
God is present everywhere.
Then, my soul, in every strait,
To thy Father come, and wait;
He will answer every prayer:
God is present everywhere.
Oliver Holden
Lord, what a change within us one short hour
Spent in thy presence will Avail to make!
What heavy burdens from our bosoms take!
What parched grounds refresh as with a shower!
We kneel, and all around us seems to lower;
We rise, and all, the distant and the near,
Stands forth in sunny outline brave and clear;
We kneel, how weak! We rise, how full of power!
Why, therefore, should we do ourselves this wrong
Or others, that we are not always strong,
That we are ever overborne with care,
That we should ever weak or heartless be,
Anxious or troubled, when with us is prayer,
And joy and strength and courage are with thee!
Bishop Richard Trench
Prayer from a living source within the will,
And beating up thro’ all the bitter world,
Like fountains of sweet waters in the sea,
Kept him a living soul.
Alfred Lord Tennyson
Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire
Uttered or unexpressed
The motion of a hidden fire
That kindles in the breast.
James Montgomery
Any hour when helping others
Or when bearing heavy care
Is the time to call our Father—
It's the proper time for prayer.
Zimmerman
THE VALLEY OF VISION
Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,
Thou has brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold
thy glory.
Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.
Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter
thy stars shine;
Let me find thy light in my darkness,
Thy life in my death,
that every good work or thought found in me
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty
thy glory in my valley
What various hindrances we meet
in coming to the mercy-seat?
Yet who that knows the worth of prayer,
but wishes to be often there.
Prayer makes the darkened cloud withdraw,
prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw;
gives exercise to faith and love,
brings every blessing from above.
Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;
prayer makes the Christian's armor bright;
and Satan trembles, when he sees
the weakest saint upon his knees.
While Moses stood with arms spread wide,
success was found on Israel's side;
but when through weariness they failed,
that moment Amalek prevailed.
Have you no words? ah, think again,
words flow apace when you complain;
and fill your fellow-creature's ear
with the sad tale of all your care.
Were half the breath thus vainly spent,
to heaven in supplication sent;
our cheerful song would oftener be,
"Hear what the LORD has done for me."
O Lord, increase our faith and love,
that we may all thy goodness prove,
and gain from thy exhaustless store
the fruits of prayer for evermore..
William Cowper
Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;
Prayer keeps the Christian's armor bright;
And Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees.
Trials make the promise sweet,
Trials give new life to prayer;
Trials bring me to His feet,
Lay me low, and keep me there.
As we attempt to live like Christ
In actions, words, and deeds,
We'll follow His design for prayer,
And pray for others' needs.
J. David Branon
When God inclines the heart to pray,
He hath an ear to hear;
To him there’s music in a groan
And beauty in a tear.
-Anonymous
"Work and pray!" a slogan blest,
Means: ask His help, but do YOUR best!
G.W.
Give Him each perplexing problem,
All your needs to Him make known;
Bring to Him your daily burdens—
Never carry them alone!
Adams
Someone prayed when my faith was dim
And when Satan pressed me sore,
God answered them, gave strength within;
Somebody prayed, I know.
Mrs. M. Spittal, alt.
There’s a holy, high vocation
Needing workers everywhere;
‘Tis the highest form of service,
‘Tis the ministry of prayer.
Not my brother, not my sister, but it’s me,
O Lord, standing in the need of prayer.
Then boldly let our faith address
God’s throne of grace and power,
There to obtain delivering grace
In every needy hour.
Isaac Watts
There's no weapon half so mighty
As the intercessors bear;
Nor a broader field of service
Than the ministry of prayer!
Anonymous
There's no weapon half so mighty
As the intercessors bear,
Nor a broader field of service
Than the ministry of prayer!
Anonymous
‘Twas He who taught me thus to pray
And I know He has answered prayer,
But it has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair.
Anonymous
'Now thank we all our God
With heart and hands and voices
Who wondrous things had done
In whom His world rejoices.
Who, from our mother's arms,
Hath led us on our way
With countless gifts of love
And still is ours today
Martin Rinkart
Around us rolls the ceaseless tide
Of business, toil, and care;
And scarcely can we turn aside
For one brief hour of prayer.
Behold Us, Lord, a Little Space
I cannot say our if religion has no room for others and their needs.
I cannot say Father if I do not demonstrate this relationship in my daily living.
I cannot say who art in heaven if all my interests and pursuits are on earthly things.
I cannot say hallowed be thy name if I, who am called by his name, am not holy.
I cannot say thy kingdom come if I am unwilling to give up my own sovereignty and accept the righteous reign of God.
I cannot say thy will be done if I am unwilling or resentful of having it in my life.
I cannot say in earth as it is in heaven unless I am truly ready to give myself to his service here and now.
I cannot say give us this day our daily bread without expending honest effort for it or by ignoring the genuine needs of my fellowmen.
I cannot say forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us if I continue to harbor a grudge against anyone.
I cannot say lead us not into temptation if I deliberately choose to remain in a situation where I am likely to be tempted.
I cannot say deliver us from evil if I am not prepared to fight in the spiritual realm with the weapon of prayer.
I cannot say thine is the kingdom if I do not give the King the disciplined obedience of a loyal subject.
I cannot say thine is the power if I fear what my neighbors may say or do.
I cannot say thine is the glory if I am seeking my own glory first.
I cannot say forever if I am too anxious about each day’s affairs.
I cannot say amen unless I honestly say, “Cost what it may, this is my prayer.”
Count It Done
A father wrote to his son,
Who was faraway from home;
“I have sent you a beautiful gift,
It may be delayed, but ‘twill come;
It is what you have wanted most,
And have asked for many days;”
And before the child received the gift
He voiced his thanks and praise.
Our Father saith unto us:
“Your need shall be supplied;
Ask and receive that your joy be filled,
And My joy in you abide.”
Shall we wait to thank till we see
The answer to every prayer?
Forbear to praise till we feel
The lifted pressure of care?
Nay, let us trust His word
And know that the thing is done,
For His promise is just as sure
As a father’s to his son.
Annie Johnson Flint
Better Than My Best
I prayed for strength, and then I lost awhile
All sense of nearness, human and divine;
The love I leaned on failed and pierced my heart;
The hands I clung to loosed themselves from mine;
But while I swayed, weak, trembling, and alone,
The everlasting arms upheld my own.
I prayed for light; the sun went down in clouds,
The moon was darkened by a misty doubt,
The stars of heaven were dimmed by earthly fears,
But all my little candle flames burned out;
But while I sat in shadow, wrapped in night,
The face of Christ made all the darkness bright.
I prayed for peace, and dreamed of restful ease,
A slumber drugged from pain, a hushed repose;
Above my head the skies were black with storm,
And fiercer grew the onslaught of my foes;
But while the battle raged, and wild winds blew,
I heard His voice, and perfect peace I knew.
I thank Thee, Lord, Thou wert too wise to heed
My feeble prayers, and answer as I sought,
Since these rich gifts Thy bounty has bestowed
Have brought me more than I had asked or thought.
Giver of good, so answer each request
With Thine own giving, better than my best.
Annie Johnson Flint
When you approach the Lord with boldness,
When you pray in Jesus' name,
Just tell Him all the pain you're feeling—
There's no need for fear or shame.
Fitzhugh
Forgive us, Lord, when we're surprised
By answers to our prayer;
Increase our faith and teach us how
To trust Your loving care.
Sper
Pray on! Pray on! Cease not to pray,
And should the answer tarry, wait;
Thy God will come, will surely come,
And He can never come too late.
Chisholm
Commit to pray and intercede—
The battle’s strong and great’s the need;
And this one truth can’t be ignored:
Our only help comes from the Lord.
Sper
O to be like Thee! blessed Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I'll forfeit all of earth's treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Chisholm
When the trials of this life make you weary
And your troubles seem too much to bear,
There’s a wonderful solace and comfort
In the silent communion of prayer.
Anon.
The Lord has shown us we can pray
Wherever we may be;
And when we say, “Your will be done,”
His work on earth we’ll see.
Sper
When the clouds of affliction have gathered
And hidden each star from my sight,
I know if I turn to my Father,
Sweetest songs He will give in the night.
Montgomery
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne,
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,
By thy return sweet hour of prayer.
Walford
When I come before His presence
In the secret place of prayer,
Do I know the wondrous greatness
Of His power to meet me there?
Hallen
Praise His blessed name forever!
There is naught that can compare
To the glories of a contact
With the Mighty God through prayer.
Anonymous
Lord, when I sense Your call to serve,
Help me to follow through;
I must not simply pray and wait
When there is work to do.
Fasick
Alone With God
Johnson Oatman
When storms of life are round me beating,
When rough the path that I have trod,
Within my closet door retreating,
I love to be alone with God.
Refrain
Alone with God, the world forbidden,
Alone with God, O blest retreat!
Alone with God, and in Him hidden,
To hold with Him communion sweet.
What tho’ the clouds have gathered o’er me?
What tho’ I’ve passed beneath the rod?
God’s perfect will there lies before me,
When I am thus alone with God.
Refrain
’Tis there I find new strength for duty,
As o’er the sands of time I plod;
I see the King in all His beauty,
While resting there alone with God.
Refrain
And when I see the moment nearing
When I shall sleep beneath the sod,
When time with me is disappearing,
I want to be alone with God.
Refrain
The Quiet Hour
Speak, Lord, in the stillness
While I wait on Thee;
Hushed my heart to listen,
In expectancy.
Speak, O blessèd Master,
In this quiet hour,
Let me see Thy face, Lord,
Feel Thy touch of power.
For the words Thou speakest,
They are life
indeed;
Living bread from Heaven,
Now my spirit feed!
All to Thee is yielded,
I am not my own;
Emily May Grimes
Father, I wait thy daily will;
Thou shalt divide my portion still;
Grant me on earth what seems thee best,
Till death and heaven reveal the rest.
Isaac Watts
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.
Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.
Joseph H Scriven
LIVING BY PRAYER
O God of the open ear,
Teach me to live by prayer as well as by providence,
for myself, soul, body, children, family, church;
Give me a heart frameable to thy will;
so might I live in prayer,
and honour thee,
being kept from evil, known and unknown.
Help me to see the sin that accompanies all I do,
and the good I can distil from everything.
Let me know that the work of prayer is to bring
my will to thine,
and that without this it is folly to pray;
When I try to bring thy will to mine it is
to command Christ,
to be above him, and wiser than he:
this is my sin and pride.
I can only succeed when I pray
according to thy precept and promise,
and to be done with as it pleases thee,
according to thy sovereign will.
When thou commandest me to pray
for pardon, peace, brokenness,
it is because thou wilt give me the thing promised,
for thy glory,
as well as for my good.
Help me not only to desire small things
but with holy boldness to desire great things
for thy people, for myself,
that they and I might live to show thy glory.
Teach me
that it is wisdom for me to pray for all I have,
out of love, willingly, not of necessity;
that I may come to thee at any time,
to lay open my needs acceptably to thee;
that my great sin lies in my not keeping
the savour of thy ways;
that the remembrance of this truth is one way
to the sense of thy presence;
that there is no wrath like the wrath of being
governed by my own lusts for my own ends.
Author Unknown