THE Church of England has abounded toward her people in all wisdom and prudence. In doing so she has supplied them with the “Prayer-Book,” not only for weak members, who can not pray, but for her strong members, specially the clergy, giving the very words they must pray on all occasions. In this exuberance of her benevolence she has supplied a deficiency in the will of God, an omission in the law of God, an item that Paul overlooked when he “shunned not to declare the whole counsel of God;” an item not in the “all things that pertain to life and godliness,” mentioned by Peter, nor in “all Scripture given by inspiration,” mentioned by Paul, to “perfect the man of God and thoroughly furnish him for all good works.” There are many among them that can read prayers, as they have them in print in the “Prayer-Book,” and do read them, but we are not aware that they have any more that can pray than those who have no such “Prayer-Book.”
If we can not learn from the Lord and the apostles how to pray; from the Scriptures, so that we can pray we would not learn from all the prayer-books ever printed. Read the prayers of the Lord and holy men, recorded in Scripture, and the instructions of the Lord and the inspired writings; take the “Concordance” and run through the Bible, read and study all you find about it, and practice it daily, and you find not only that you can learn how, but to love to pray, and to be impressed continually with the importance of it. Let the desire be in the heart in the words, “Lord, teach us how to pray,” and you will soon learn to ask for any thing you need.