Prayer And Patience Must Go Hand In Hand
“For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.”—2 Corinthians 12:8
Our Saviour represents God’s own elect as crying day and night to him, Luke 18:7. Sore temptations, soul-burdens, Satan’s buffetings, are peculiarly felt by them. Their crying under them is a proof of spiritual life, their crying to the Lord only is an evidence of the faith of God’s elect, their entreaties to be delivered from them show the sanctified holy disposition of their souls. Thus the Lord draws out into exercise the graces of his children. His eyes are ever upon them, his ears open to their prayers, and his almighty power and grace sufficient to deliver them. But ‘he that believeth, must not make haste.’ We must tarry the Lord’s leisure, and be strong in hope: his time is best. It is God’s will that we should tell him of our trials and temptations. After we have done this, ‘we have need of patience.’ We must wait for the fulfilment of his promise, this is our duty.
Paul prayed again and again, but the buffetings were still continued. His mind was uneasy, his soul distressed, the enemy triumphing, the Lord making as though he heard not. Prayer and patience must go hand in hand; murmurings are the offspring of unbelief and fretfulness arises from pride. To lie humble at the feet of Jesus is our wisdom. Indulge no hard thoughts of the Saviour’s will to make thee holy, or power to make thee happy, though sin and Satan, like unwelcome visitors, daily intrude—appear in various shapes, attack from different quarters, and seem in some sort to gain upon thee in thought, word, or action. When inwardly discomposed by unholy tempers, and outwardly harrassed by various temptations, poor souls are ready to think the war will end in their destruction; that Jesus will never give complete victory. But most assuredly he will: in due time we shall reap, if we faint not. Let it suffice, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee,’ saith the triumphant Head in glory, to each of his militant members on earth. Importunate praying, humble waiting, confident believing, comfortable hoping, are the very life and essence of a Christian. And let his besetting temptations or conflicting trials be what they may, it is his blessed privilege to write with the pen of faith, ‘What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.’ Rom. 8:35,37.
Let me but hear my Saviour say,
Strength shall be equal to thy day;
Then I rejoice in deep distress,
Leaning on alsufficient grace.
When I am weak, then am I strong,
Christ is my strength, and Christ my song:
‘Sufficient is my grace,’ he saith:
This is enough for prayer and faith.
William Mason (1719-1791) was a High-Calvinist author. For many years he served as a Justice of the Peace, and in 1783 was appointed a Magistrate. He served as editor of the Gospel Magazine before and after the editorship of Augustus Toplady. He is best known for a morning and evening devotional entitled, “A Spiritual Treasury For The Children Of God.”
