Magyar Egyház, 1959 (38. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1959-08-01 / 8-9. szám

12

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

good, like our Redeemer said: “Knock, and it shall be open.” (Lk. 11:9)

Nay, there was a time when prayer divided the sea, stopped the sun and the moon; closed the heaven for three years and six months that it should not give any rain, and opened it again: shut the mouth of the lions, took away the burning power of the fire and cooled the flames. (Ex. 12, James 5:17,18, Jos. 10, Dan. 3)

Today you may not expect such an extraordinary work of prayer, but really it is as true as ever, for our Redeemer promised it with a firm ascertion, saying: “Verily, verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He will give it unto you.” (Jn. 16:23)

In order that your prayer be pleasing and acceptable before God, it is necessary that you should pray in a right manner, that is:

1. PRAY THOUGHTFULLY. It will be so if you are unceasingly concentrating in your thoughts what you want to say; if you will not allow your mind to turn to other things and be occupied with them while your lips pray. If you will not pay any attention to yourself, how can you expect that God heed unto you? What value has a prayer without the Spirit and the Soul?

2. PRAY WITH PROFOUND HUMILITY. When a vermin, a damnation deserving sinner, a helpless and in many ways encumbered villainous man is approaching the glorious God, talks with Him and entreats Him in prayer with what profound humility must it be!

3. PRAY WITH EAGERNESS. That is, with full stirring and delight in your heart, with inner holy emotion, and with an enraptured heart for the petitioned good.

4. PRAY WITH A PURE HEART. That is, free of all evil and sinful emotion. For if you are not free of all that, than you are loathsome before God and your prayer is not pleasing before Him.

5. PRAY WITH CONFIDENCE. That is, when you pray do not imagine God as a cruel Lord, but a merciful, loving Father; and believe that He not only may but will grant if it is beneficial to you.

6. PRAY WITH STEADFASTNESS. That is, be not reluctant in this sacred duty; do not change, from one state to another, sometimes you do it, sometimes you lay it aside but be engaged in it at all times and if God will not answer you immediately be not dismayed; do not cease to seek and cry unto Him until He hears you, like blind Bartimeus, who did not cease to cry this: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me,” until Jesus came to his aid. (Mk. 10:48)

7. PRAY WITH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. For without Him we are enemies of God and loathsome with all our services. (Jn. 14:8) For Jesus is the one who reconciled God unto us and through Him we are acceptable; therefore, in His merits should we place our trust and through Him should we seek and hope whatver we ask of the Father. (EPH. 3:12)

8. FINALLY: PRAY THAT YOU MAY BE FIT TO PRAY. Ask God that through his Holy Spirit He make you more and more acceptable for the practice of this necessary great duty, that He may make this more and more loving and pleasant; and that He may increase in you the sacred instinct and carry it in you to a greater perfection. And finally, that He may award you to praise Him in heaven with all the saints.

PRAYER

Oh! ever blessed and adorable sovereign Lord, God, whom even the innocent angels adore with great fear and humility, what a wonderful goodness, unfathomable grace is that not only dost Thou allow but also commandest us earthly, wretched creatures, miserable and villainous sinners to come to Thee with trust through our prayers, to talk with Thee, to present before Thee all our needs and that Thou hast promised to listen to us, to deliver and to bless us.

What inestimable great joy is this to us. For we are placed under numerous needs and faults, many spiritual and physical adversaries strive against us; we are feeble, incompetent, nay, on account of our sins, we are captives of endless dangers. What would become of us if we had not hope for protection, help and liberation through Thee. Blessed be Thee, therefore, for revealing unto us Thy mercy, opening the way unto Thee, and gaining Thy grace that has given us hope.

Oh! but / am an enfeebled man. I am not even suitable to pray properly to appropriate Thy many blessings and entreat for Thy deliverance until Thou wilt make me capable through Thy grace. Though / need Thy mercy and blessing, Thy help and deliverance, without which I cannot be happy, still so often I am slothful and slumber, listless and without fervour in my supplication for all Thy goodness and in giving thanks for Thy many blessings.

I ask Thee, therefore, Oh Father of mercy and merciful God, help through Thy grace my shortcomings and helplessness that l may be able to pray and to praise Thee properly. Cause that I may find more and more pleasure in conversation with Thee, that I may find delight in praying and praising Thee and that this may become my foremost duty. Take away the natural slowness and coldness of my heart and inflame it and nurture in it such a true and real fire of fervour that its fragrance will be acceptable before Thee.

While I pray, keep my mind away from wavering, from temporal thoughts and fasten it solely on Thee that / may pray with steadfastness.

Stimulate my soul with Thy godly compassion and help me to understand that Thou art not my angry judge but my loving Father in Jesus Christ, who wants to give me all that is necessary, good and beneficial that I may pray with trust.

Cleanse my heart through the blood of thy Son from all that is impure; cast out of me everything through Thy grace that is unpleasant and detestable that / may pray with a pure heart and in a condition which is pleasing in Thy sight.

Do not let me become slothful in praying; do not let me be despondent and weary for wise reasons Thou wilt not grant me what I beseech, that I may pray with steadfastness.

Acquaint me more with the omnipotence of Christ, His merits and power of entreatment and stir up in me for greater perfection the impulse for true love and obedience that I may pray with true faith.

Thus, what my helplessness cannot complete, may Thy grace do so, that my shortcomings before Thee may be acceptable for Thy name and glory and for my soul it may be edifying. And while / for a time, praise and glorify Thee here on earth, grant that / may praise and glorify Thee in heaven with the saintly hosts through Jesus Christ. Amen.

From George Szikszay’s “Christian Instructions and Prayers”, English rendering by Paul Ferenczy.