One Scripture verse that encourages me to pray comes from Psalm 81:10, I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.  This reminds me of newly hatched birds in a nest and their  wide-mouthed pleas for food from their parents. Our heavenly Father delights to receive our pleas in prayer, and He promises to answer us! We ought often to pray, and to “open wide out mouths” in expectancy of God’s blessing.

Today, the first Thursday in May, is our National Day of Prayer in the USA. I hope all Christians will take time (perhaps at Noon) to seek the Lord in heart-felt prayer for mercy on America. Let me further encourage you with a few historical quotes that define the work of prayer…

• Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Spirit, for such things as God has promised.  — John Bunyan
• Prayer as it comes from the saint is weak and languid; but when the arrow of a saint’s prayer is put into the bow of Christ’s intercession it pierces the throne of grace.  — Thomas Watson
• Prayer is the sweat of the soul.  — Martin Luther
• Neglect of private prayer is the locust which devours the strength of the church.   — C. H. Spurgeon

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