There cannot be genuine prayer till is a genuine faith in God, and genuine faith in God cannot in our day be attained excepting and by a continual dwelling in the Word. It is in the Word we make His acquaintance, both as to what He has done, what He has promised, what He desires in us, and what He is in Himself. These things are not learnt by looking at the sky, the sea, the mountains, or any of the other features of Nature. God had to reseal Himself for us to know Him. He has done it, and we can only get the knowledge of Him by has Mg recourse to the repository of this knowledge the Word of His Truth written aforetime, very voluminously for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Having recourse to this– -.’watching daily at wisdom’s gates, waiting at the posts of her doors – we make our acquaintance with God, and are moved to approach Him continually with the ascription of our adoration, the thanksgiving of our gratitude, the confession of our shortcoming, the petition for His help of which we stand in need, in the various matters related to us.
This habit will grow, and become an increasing source of strength, comfort and enlightenment. It is a thing we are commanded to do. Jesus taught that -men ought always to pray- (Luke 18:1). He told his disciples to ‘pray always- ( Luke 21:36). The apostles are frequent in their exhortations on this point. -Pray without ceasing (I Thesa. 5:17). “Giving thanks for all things” ( Eph. 5:20).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One