t have time to pray without
ceasing. But I mean the spiritual praying, that is: no one is so
heavily burdened with his labor, but that if he will he can,
while working, speak with God in his heart, lay before Him his
need and that of other men, ask for help, make petition, and in
all this exercise and strengthen his faith.

This is what the Lord means, Luke xviii, when He says, "Men ought
always to pray, and never cease," [Luke 18:1] although in Matthew
vi. He forbids the use of much speaking and long prayers, because
of which He rebukes the hypocrites; not because the lengthy
prayer of the lips is evil, but because it is not that true
prayer which can be made at all times, and without the inner
prayer of faith is nothing. For we must also practise the outward
prayer in its proper time, especially in the mass, as this
Commandment requires, and wherever it is helpful to the inner
prayer and faith, whether in the house or in the field, in this
work or in that; of which we have no time now to speak more. For
this belongs to the Lord's Prayer, in which all petitions and
spoken prayer are summed up in brief words.

[Sidenote: Prayer is Work]

VIII. Where now are they who desire to know and to do good works?
Let them undertake prayer alone, and lightly exercise themselves
in faith, and they will find that it is true, as the holy Fathers
have said, that there is no work like prayer. Mumbling with the
mouth is easy, or at least considered easy, but with earnestness
of heart to follow the words in deep devotion, that is, with
desire and faith, so that one earnestly desires what the words
say, and not to doubt that it will be heard: that is a great deed
in God's eyes.

Here the evil spirit hinders men with all his powers. Oh, how
often will he here prevent the desire to pray, not allow us to
find time and place, nay, often also raise doubts, whether a man
is worthy to ask anything of such a Majesty as God is, and so
confuse us that a man himself does not know whether it is really
true that he prays or not; whether it is possible that his prayer
is acceptable, and other such strange thoughts. For the evil
spirit knows well how powerful one man's truly believing prayer
is, and how it hurts him, and how it benefits all men. Therefore
he does not willingly let it happen.

When so tempted, a man must indeed be wise, and not doubt that he
and his prayer are, indeed, unworthy before such infinite
Majesty; in no wise dare he tru