James 4:1-3 From where come wars and fights among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?… Prayer is the nearest approach that, in our present state, we can make to the Deity. To neglect or shun this duty is to shun all approaches to God. I. ATTENTION AND FERVENCY are principally requisite to render our prayers acceptable to God and beneficial to ourselves. It is not the service of the lips, it is the homage of the mind which God regards. He sees and approves even the silent devotions of the heart. II. PERSEVERANCE is another condition upon which depends the success of our prayers. III. HUMILITY AND SUBMISSION to the Divine will are necessary conditions of our prayers. 1. Humility, because of His infinite greatness and majesty. 2. Submission to His all-wise will, because of our own ignorance. IV. Our prayers to God ought to be accompanied with A TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in His goodness; a confidence that composes our fears, and sets us above all despondency. V. INTEGRITY OF HEART, without which we have reason to apprehend that God will be as regardless of our supplications as we have been of His commandments. (G. Carr.) Parallel Verses KJV: From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? |
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