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Sword & Trowel 2016: Issue 1 


thoughts are distracted it is especially valuable. Write down your agenda for prayer, rejecting any idea that this remedy is trivial. List all the situations and people for whom you should pray, including detail, then refer to the list through the time of prayer. Let the list provide the structure, and prayer will be clothed with serious purpose. It is good to note down different details for each topic day by day, so that consecu- tive prayer sessions are never exactly the same. This helps to maintain concentration and a serious sense of purpose.


The next piece of advice might seem to be in breach of the ‘vain repetition’ rule, but this is not really the case. If the mind is tired and slow to summon a pleading spirit and to wing a thought heavenward, it can be helpful to pray for everything twice. A restatement of each thought to help one to focus often kindles earnestness. It is not perhaps a good habit always to pray in this way, but it will frequently make prayer more meaningful. It does not transgress the Saviour’s stricture against vain repetition because the purpose is to establish sincerity and full mental as- sent to the petition, not to encourage empty and futile incantations or mutterings.


PRAYING WITH SCRIPTURE


Another precious and well-tried


word of advice which greatly assists tired minds is to pray with the Scrip- ture. For your devotional time select a passage of Scripture (Ephesians


page 12 Remedies for Problems in Prayer


would be an example of one that really lends itself to this), and read a verse or a line, and then pray it. Thank God for this truth, whatever it may be. Praise him for it. Wor- ship him for that promise, or duty or exhortation, and for what it means. Submit to it and pledge obedience. Repent if convicted by any word. Then read the next verse or line and pause again to reflect and pray. In doing this we let the Word of God determine what we pray for, and shut ourselves in with the Lord’s own words. This will obviously not com- plete all our responsibilities in prayer, but it may prove immensely helpful in times of special need for bringing the heart to life.


UNWANTED THOUGHTS


What remedy is there for anger, in- ner bitterness, jealousy, or any other unwanted thoughts or feelings which may invade the time of prayer? These must always be very decisively and firmly rejected and expelled from the mind. Mortify, that is put to death, the evil or inappropriate thoughts. It may be that these thoughts invade the prayer time because they have been allowed to roam freely in our minds for some time. In other words we have not resolved them by prayer and submission to God’s providence, but have inflamed them with self- pity, or with resentment toward whoever has wronged us. If so, there are attitudes to be repented of before going to prayer. But if the unwanted thoughts or feelings are justifiable grief or disappointment, we should


DEALING WITH


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