ew our attention to God's
presence, and put us perpetually in mind of our duties."[12]
To this, it may be added that ejaculatory {138} prayer is apt to be a
measurably perfect prayer, because, being so quickly finished, the
devil has not time to chill its fervour by distractions, such as we
invariably suffer from in longer forms of prayer. Even were it so
disposed, the average mind cannot act with sufficient quickness to
perceive the distraction ere the prayer be finished.
Those who study God's word piously will find numberless prayers in the
very language of the Holy Ghost, which will be most effective in the
moment of danger. The briefer these are, the better. The Psalter is
full of them, and there is no better military exercise for the
Christian soldier than to spend his time when not actually in battle,
in learning as many of them as possible by heart, so that they may be
ready at hand when the battle begins.
Short, quick prayers like the following will be found of great profit:
"O Lord, my God, in Thee have I put my trust; save me from all them
that persecute me, and deliver me."[13]
"Save, Lord, and hear us, O King of Heaven."[14]
"Save me, O God, for Thy Name's sake, and avenge me in Thy
strength."[15]
"Have mercy upon me, O God, after Thy great goodness."[16]
{139}
"Lord, he whom Thou lovest is sick."[17]
"Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks, so longeth my soul after
Thee, O Lord."[18]
"Why art thou so heavy, O my soul, and why art thou so disquieted
within me? O put thy trust in God, for I will yet give Him thanks
which is the help of my countenance and my God."[19]
"O God, Thou art my God, early will I seek Thee."[20]
"Thou, Lord, art my hope."[21]
"O help us against the enemy, for vain is the help of man."[22]
"Out of the deep have I called unto Thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my
voice."[23]
We need not multiply instances of these prayers. Let each one take the
Psalter, the Gospels, and other parts of Scripture, and go over them
for himself, copying them out, committing them to memory in quiet
times, thus filling his quiver full of heaven-tempered darts, the use
of which in time of stress will surely put to flight the audacious
enemy.
It is well to remember in the use of prayer in the moment of
temptation, that the mind must be wholly set upon God. There is real
danger {140} in trying to pray while at the same time our thoughts are
upon the special form of temptat
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