Right here must come in a line of truth that will lead us from the spirit of dictation in our prayers to God in all matters pertaining to our worldly concerns.  We cannot tell what is for our highest spiritual good.  The saving of our property or the taking it away.  The recovery from sickness or the continuance of it; the restoration of the health of our loved one, or his departing to be with Christ; the removing the thorn or the permitting it to remain. “In everything” it is indeed our blessed privilege to let our requests be make known unto God, but, praise his name, he has not passed over to us the awful responsibility of the assurance that in everything the requests we make known will be granted.  He has reserved the decision, where we should rejoice to leave it, to his infinite wisdom and his infinite love.

There is a danger to be carefully guarded against in the reading of this book and in the consideration of the precious truth.  The incidents it relates bring before the mind, of the unlimited resources and the unquenchable love of God, that are made available to believing prayer.  That danger has been suggested by what has been said, that the highest use of prayer is to bring the soul nearer to God, and not the making of it a mere matter of convenience to escape physical ills or supply physical necessities.

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh” and continues flesh until the end.  “Have no confidence in the flesh” is always a much needed exhortation.  Now, unquestionably, the desires of the natural heart may and do deceive us, and often lead as to believe that our fervent earnest prayer for temporal blessing is led of the Spirit, when the mind of the Spirit is, that we will be made more humble, more Christ-like and more useful by being denied than by being granted.  Again, we are in danger of disobeying the plain commands of God’s word in allowing prayer ever to take the place of anything in our power to do, and that we are commanded to do as a means to secure needed good.  He who has said “pray always,” has also said, “Be ambitious to be quiet and to do your own business, and to work with your hands, even as we charged you; that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and may have need of nothing.” (1 Thess., iv., 11, 12; R.V.)

How often the flesh has led men to read (Phil, iv., 19):  “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus,” in a spirit entirely opposed to this exhortation.  They have ceased to labor with their hands, and, without warrant in the providences of God and the judgment of brethren, have turned from doing their own business, expecting the Lord to pay their debts and provide for their necessities.  The quotations of Scripture made by our Lord to Satan, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord, thy God,” is surely applicable in all such cases.  The spirit of a “sound mind” (see 2 Tim. i., 7) will surely recognize this.