In the public assembly you must enter your closet when you pray, and shut
the door, or your prayers avail not with God. You must talk from your
heart to the heart of God. Those assembled may hear your words, but they
do not know the secret. The secret is between your heart and the heart of
God. You scarcely hear your words. You know and hear more of the speaking
of your heart. There is a blessing in such praying; there is a joy that
can not be told. Such prayer feeds the soul upon the divine life and lifts
us in realms of light and happiness. Thank God for the sweet privilege of
secret intercourse with him. O beloved, when you pray, enter into your
closet, and be sure to close the door.
ALONE WITH GOD.
This life of ours will never be all that it should be unless we are much
alone with God. Only those who are oft alone with him know the benefit
that is derived therefrom. You can not be like God unless you are much
with him, and you can not live like him unless you are like him. The
Scriptures tell us that Jesus departed into the mountain to be alone with
the Father and that he was often "alone praying." When Jesus had anything
of great importance to say to his disciples, he always took them aside
from the multitude. When he was transfigured, he took three of his
disciples into a mountain apart from all the world. When he was one time
alone praying with his disciples, he asked them who he was. Peter
answered, "The Christ of God" (Luke 9:18). It was only when he was alone
with them and after prayer that he could bring them into such nearness to
him that they might know in their hearts that he was the Son of God. When
amid the active duties of life and when in contact with the world, we can
scarcely come into that sacred nearness to God that will enable us to feel
in our hearts all that God is. We may get slight glimpses of his glory, we
may occasionally get a dim view of some of his beauty, we may feel a
little warming of his love in our bosoms; but only when alone with him are
we awed into wonder at the sight of his glory and great beauty. It is only
then that we see him in his purity and feel the warm sunshine of his love.
It is only then that our hearts can be deeply impressed with the knowledge
that he is God, and in childlikeness we can look up to him and call him
Father.
PRAYERFUL REMEMBRANCE.
At evening time when dark'ning shades draw nigh
And flickering rays of light go chasing by,
When all around glad nature sweetly sings
And seems you hear the sound of angel's wings,
Some one in memory may be brought to thee.
Maybe some one from distant land away,
Of whom you had no thought for many a day.
'Tis passing strange; you do not understand
Why such a one and from such distant land
Should step across the threshold of your mind,
Why he to you at this time should be brought.
'Tis mystery when all else claims your thought;
You seek to understand, but learn it not.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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