December 17

Twenty-second Tuesday after Trinity

For to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. . . . I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. Romans 7:18-23.

WE come now to consider some of the various hindrances which beset us when we would pray, and the best way to overcome them. The first great hindrance to prayer which we have to overcome arises from the nature of our hearts. They are of the earth, earthy, consequently truly to pray is and must be no light or easy matter. If our hearts were not alienated from God, we should very well know what to say and how to say it. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." And very often it is simply from the barrenness of the heart that the mouth keepeth silence. This, then, is the first hindrance. What is the remedy for this? Earnestly seeking, by the grace of God, to get the mastery over our earthly hearts. The conflict with self will no doubt at times be very severe; our sincerity, we may be sure, will be very thoroughly tested; we shall meet with many a defeat. But let us not be cast down. It is "no strange thing" that is happening unto us. "Early efforts," it has been well remarked, "are for the most part clumsy failures. Repeated trials are the uniform conditions of success."

Go up, reluctant heart, Take up thy rest above; Arise, earth-clinging thoughts, Ascend, my lingering love!