to apply to this holy employment the cold appellation of duty?  Yet, God sees so much the importance of prayer, that he has not only permitted, but commanded us to pray.  Our Lord frequently directed his disciples, and us through them, to “watch and pray.”  He also teaches us to persevere in prayer:  “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”  The apostle Paul is frequent in exhorting Christians to pray:  “Pray without ceasing.”  “I will that men pray everywhere.”  “Praying always, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.”  “I exhort, therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.”  “Continuing instant in prayer.”  The duty of prayer is also enforced by the example of all the holy men whose biography is given in Scripture.  Moses, Samuel, David, Elijah, and all the prophets, were mighty in prayer.  So were also the apostles.  But, above all, the Lord Jesus, our blessed pattern, has set before us a life of prayer.  You will find it very profitable to read the lives of these holy men, but especially that of our blessed Saviour, for the special purpose of noticing how much they abounded in prayer.  Our Lord never undertook anything of importance, without first observing a special season of prayer.  Oft we find him retiring into the mountains, sometimes a great while before day, for prayer.  Indeed, on several occasions, he continued all night in prayer to God.  If, then, it became the Lord of life and glory to spend much time in prayer, how much more, such weak and sinful creatures as we, who are surrounded with temptations without, and beset with corruptions within!  Prayer is necessarily so intermingled with every duty, that the idea of a prayerless Christian is an absurdity.

Prayer not only secures to us the blessings which we need, but it brings our minds into a suitable frame for receiving them.  We must see our need, feel our unworthiness, be sensible of our dependence upon God, and believe in his willingness to grant us, through Christ, the things that are necessary and proper for us.  An acknowledgment of these things, on our part, is both requisite and proper; and, without such acknowledgment, it might not be consistent with the great ends of his moral government for God to grant us our desires.

Prayer is the offering up of the sincere desires and feelings of our hearts to God.  It consists of adoration, confession, supplication, intercession, and thanksgiving. Adoration is an expression of our sense of the infinite majesty and glory of God. Confession is an humble acknowledgment of our sins and unworthiness.  By supplication, we ask for pardon, grace, or any blessing we need for ourselves.  By intercession, we pray for others.  By thanksgiving, we express our gratitude to God for his goodness and mercy towards us and our fellow-creatures.  All these several