JC Ryle and Prayer

"If I know anything of a Christian's heart, you are often sick of your own prayers."

"Words said without heart are as utterly useless to our souls as the drumbeat of the poor heathen before their idols. Where there is no heart, there may be lip-work and tongue-work, but there is nothing that God listens to; there is no prayer."

"Praying and sinning never live together in the same heart. Prayer will consume sin, or sin will choke prayer."

God, make us like Christ.

The hand of the Lord has done this

When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them ... that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it (Isaiah 41:17, 20).

Our God will answers our prayers ("the Lord will answer them"). We shall not be forsaken. He will meet our needs that we may see his goodness and grace to us. It seems though that there is a reflection on his provision: they are not only to "see and know," but also "consider and understand together."

Let us therefore;

1) Pray giving the Lord opportunities to display his greatness to us.
2) Consider the requests that the Lord has answered. Stop to ponder his never ceasing goodness to us.
3) Rejoice in the fact that the Lord has done this. All that we hold precious and dear is from the hand of our Lord.