If you desire to be more deeply and sincerely pious, seek it in prayer.  If you desire heights in God’s love, depths in his grace, fulness in his joy, richness in his glory, seek it in prayer.  Did you say you had not time for prayer?  What a pity!  Your happiness and usefulness in life depend upon it; your eternal welfare depends upon it—­then, oh, what a pity you have no time for it!  But you must find time.  You can not afford to listen to Satan; there is too much at stake.  This is an excuse that many allow Satan to make for them.  Time for rest, time for eating, time for sleeping, time for friends, time for books; but no time for prayer.  This is a device of Satan to rob souls of the love of God.  You must not give him such an advantage of you.

In love for your spiritual welfare I beseech you in Jesus’ name, live much in prayer.  Go often into your closet, and then, with the loins of your mind girded up, in all earnestness of soul pray until the love of God and the light of heaven fills your being.  Satan will try to make you listless and indifferent; he will try to make your thoughts to wander; he will tell you of many other things that need to be done that very moment; and many other things will he tell you to deprive you of the blessings of prayer.  But you must resist him and go the more earnestly in prayer; and continue to pray until a rapture from the skies sweeps over your soul, making the place of prayer the dearest spot on earth to you.

When the shades of night come softly stealing,
  Softly stealing o’er the window sill;
When the busy day is slowly ending,
  Slowly ending peacefully and still,—­
Christian, with thy heart adoring Heaven,
  Sweetest glories falling from above,
Go to God in secret, silent pleading,
  Tell to him the wondrous tale of love.

When the morning light is gently dawning,
  Gently dawning in the eastern sky;
When the darkness fast away is fleeing,
  Duties of the day are drawing nigh,—­

Down before the sacred, hallowed altar,
  Christian, bow before thy God in fervent prayer,
Giving thanks to him for life’s sweet blessings,
  For the day imploring his kind care.

To be overcome to-day makes to-morrow’s battles harder.

If you would be a better Christian to-morrow, live your very best to-day.

Like as the warming rays of the autumn’s sun melt the early frost, so the warmth of Christian love in our hearts will melt the coldness in the hearts of sinful men.

Begin the day with prayer:  it will fortify you against the tempter’s power.  The result of neglecting prayer is to be tossed furiously about upon the billows of temptation.