Jeremiah 29:12
As faith is called the best of graces, so prayer is called the best of duties. If other duties are pennies, this is a pound in many respects. First, it gives God the glory of His three great attributes.
1. It gives Him the glory of His omniscience, that He knows all your wants, that He, whose throne is in heaven, yet hears all your petitions presented to Him upon earth, yes, even when you pray only heart prayer (which man hears not, and knows not) as Moses in Exod. 14:15. The Lord said, wherefore do you cry unto me, when Hannah spoke not a word (1 Sam. 1:13). And David said, "all my desire is before thee, and my groaning is not hid from thee" (Ps. 38:9).
2. It gives Him the glory of His omnipotence; it presupposes that God is able to supply all your wants, which you spread before Him (Eph. 3:20). The very act of prayer says to God as Job, "I know that thou canst do every thing" (Job 42:2).
3. It gives Him the glory of His merciful goodness, or bountiful benevolence, that He is willing as well as able to supply your wants. Divine might and divine mercy are the two pillars that the house of prayer stands upon, as the temple of Solomon stood upon Joachim and Boaz, which signified stability and strength.
—Christopher Neese
Readings taken from Day by Day with the English Puritans
As faith is called the best of graces, so prayer is called the best of duties. If other duties are pennies, this is a pound in many respects. First, it gives God the glory of His three great attributes.
1. It gives Him the glory of His omniscience, that He knows all your wants, that He, whose throne is in heaven, yet hears all your petitions presented to Him upon earth, yes, even when you pray only heart prayer (which man hears not, and knows not) as Moses in Exod. 14:15. The Lord said, wherefore do you cry unto me, when Hannah spoke not a word (1 Sam. 1:13). And David said, "all my desire is before thee, and my groaning is not hid from thee" (Ps. 38:9).
2. It gives Him the glory of His omnipotence; it presupposes that God is able to supply all your wants, which you spread before Him (Eph. 3:20). The very act of prayer says to God as Job, "I know that thou canst do every thing" (Job 42:2).
3. It gives Him the glory of His merciful goodness, or bountiful benevolence, that He is willing as well as able to supply your wants. Divine might and divine mercy are the two pillars that the house of prayer stands upon, as the temple of Solomon stood upon Joachim and Boaz, which signified stability and strength.
—Christopher Neese
Readings taken from Day by Day with the English Puritans
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