| The Glory of the Common Life |
Chapter 7 |
Page 7 |
There is a sense in which we all should obey this word of Christ’s in the same way. There is no other way in which many of us can obey it. We have our long hours when we must be at our common tasks. We want to give a portion of our time to religious duties, but here also Christian work presses, and we cannot pray long apart. There are duties which must be done in certain hours, even if we stay away from the meetings of worship. It is said of St. Francesca, that though she never wearied in her religious services, yet if during her prayers she was called away by some domestic duty, she would cheerfully close her book, saying that when a wife and mother was needed, she must quit her God at the altar, to find him in the duties of her home. There comes times in every life when formal prayer is not the duty. Yet we may be really in communion with God while doing our plainest tasks. We must make all life prayer, in the inner chamber with God.
Yet while this is true, this is not the only way to read the lesson. Jesus took a great many hours to be in the inner chamber, alone, with his Father. He spent whole nights with God. He would rise a great while before day and go out to the mountain to pray. His command here should be literally obeyed by all his followers. We must get time for prayer. No other where we can get strength. The work we do without prayer is poor work, work without power. The busy day that does not begin with prayer is a day without divine blessing. The sorrow that does not go to God remains uncomforted. The joy that is not sanctified by prayer is not perfect. The teacher, who does not pray before teaching, finds even the Bible without power to impress. The preacher who does not enter into his inner chamber and shut the door, with only God and himself within, may preach eloquently, but his preaching will not win souls, will not comfort sorrow, will not edify saints, and will not lead men into holy service.
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