Prayers for Christian Worship

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1886 edition. Excerpt: ... not also for others. Without provision for what we have to ask for those who are dear to us, the body of prayer would to my mind be wanting in one of its chief members, or perhaps I should rather say, that the want would be of a kind which would nearly touch the heart; for when we pray for ourselves, it is often not the best part of us that prays, -- it is often our fear, our desire for a smooth path and a sheltered lot, our shrinking from danger, from pain, from difficulty, and in such instances the fervour of our petitions is in proportion to the weakness of the flesh, and not to the willingness of the spirit to do and bear God's will; but when we pray for others, it is our love that prays; then most truly of all may it be said that "out of the fulness of the heart the mouth speaketh." Now, I believe the misgiving about intercessory prayer has arisen- in a great measure from associations with a word. The literal meaning of " to intercede" is to go between; but the meaning we usually attach to the word is that of coming between two parties who are estranged from one another and hostile to one another, to bring them together. By an act of intercession we usually understand an act by which, when two persons are at variance, one who is the friend of both tries to put an end to their difference and establish a relation of kindness and goodwill between them. By counsels of reconciliation he seeks to overcome their unwillingness to have anything more to do with one another, unless it be as enemies. But there has been of late a strong and growing feeling, in which I heartily rejoice, of the falsehood and injustice of those notions of God in which he is represented as at enmity with mankind, as hardened against them by their...