Page:The Doctrines of the New Church Briefly Explained.djvu/176

170 ready to bestow, and which are the only things proper for rational beings to pray for—is always sure to prevail. Such prayer offered every day, as we take our daily food—every hour, in the secret closet of the heart;—such prayer, when it has become the habit of the soul, and is not the mere babble of the lips, is as sure to be answered as bodily health and vigor are sure to follow obedience to the laws of health.

And the reason is plain; for it is in the nature of true prayer to operate upon the interiors of the suppliant. It is in its nature to open the inner avenues of the soul, through which flow the light and warmth of the upper spheres. The Lord is ever ready to give. All we need to do, is to put ourselves in an attitude to receive. We must, therefore, desire the heavenly life—must long for it, strive for it, pray for it, and—obey the Divine behests. Pray, then, for light to enable you to discern your evil inclinations, and power to overcome them, and new strength will be given you day by day. When your pathway seems dark, pray that the Lord will shine upon it, and the light of his countenance will guide you. When a wilderness of difficulty is before you, and you know not which way to turn, look to the Lord Jesus Christ in humble faith and earnest prayer, and He will be to you a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by