“God answers prayer; sometimes, when hearts are weak,
He gives the very gifts believers seek,
But often faith must learn a deeper rest,
And trust God’s silence when he does not speak;
For he whose name is love will send the best.
Stars may burn out, nor mountains will endure,
But God is true, his promises are sure
To those who seek.”
We would say that we do not need to be taught how to pray. Anybody can pray. It is only talking to God, and anybody can do that. It does not require the learning of a new language in order to speak with God, for all languages are familiar to him. Men and women who are about to be presented at royal courts have to be instructed in court etiquette so that they may conform to the requirements, but there is no heavenly etiquette to master before we can be admitted into the presence of God, to offer our worship, and to present our requests. Why then do we have to learn to pray?
Yet, simple as prayer is and open as the door is to all who come to speak to God, we do need to learn to pray. The Bible is full also of lessons on praying. The disciples of Jesus had always prayed, but we are told that once when they saw their Master at prayer, something so impressed them that they felt they never had really prayed. So they asked him to teach them to pray. And we all need to be taught how to pray. No matter how long we have been in the habit of praying, nor how much blessing we have received in answer to our requests, we are only beginners. Every day we should ask our Master to teach us some new lesson in praying.
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