How very needful, therefore, it is to give earnest heed to the moral basis on which our prayers are presented. How could the apostle have asked the brethren to pray for him, if he had not a good conscience, a single eye, an upright mind--the moral persuasion that in all things he really wished to live honestly? We may safely assert, he could do no such thing. But may we not often detect ourselves in the habit of lightly and formally asking others to pray for us? It is a very common formulary amongst us--"Remember me in your prayers," and most surely nothing can be more blessed or precious than to be borne upon the hearts of God's dear people in their approaches to the mercy-seat; but do we sufficiently attend to the moral basis? When we say, "Brethren pray for us," can we add, as in the presence of the Searcher of hearts, "For we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly"? and when we ourselves bow before the throne of grace, is it with an uncondemning heart--an upright mind--a single eye--a soul really abiding in Christ, and keeping His commandments? These, beloved reader, are searching questions. They go right to the very centre of the heart--down to the very roots and moral springs of our being. But it is well to be thoroughly searched--searched in reference to every thing, but especially in reference to prayer. There is a terrible amount of unreality in our prayers--a sad lack of the moral basis--a vast amount of "asking amiss." Hence, the want of power and efficacy in our prayers--hence, the formality--the routine--yea, the positive hypocrisy. The Psalmist says, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." How solemn this is! Our God will have reality; He desireth truth in the inward parts. He, blessed be His name, is real with us, and He will have us real with Him. He will have us coming before Him as we really are, and with what we really want. How often, alas! it is otherwise, both in private and in public! How often are our prayers more like orations than petitions--more like statements of doctrine than utterances of need! It seems, at times, as though we meant to explain principles to God, and give Him a large amount of information.