Why must be there ‘book of Prayers’? Can’t I not simply open up myself to God in prayer? This is a question that I have always asked whenever I refer books of prayers.
When praying is only an action of ‘thought’, I am at ease to think of anything and use no words. That is very true when I whisper to God all my small prayers all along the day. Only God and I hear my silent prayers. However, when I make a loud prayer, things are all different. Everyone listens to it. Those who listen to my loud prayer will automatically give ‘grades and marks’ to it in their hearts. So, to impart ‘quality’ to my loud prayers, I had to refer to a book of prayer!
Though I started reading a book of prayer for the above reason, soon things began to change in me. Reading William Barclay was like asking myself if I am true to the Christian values that those prayers cherish. Each prayer will ‘force’ me to carry a bit of Gospel and the Cross for the day. By the end of the day, lots of what I carry might be lost. Still, the next page of that book and another fresh day granted by God will help me read another prayer.
Today, it is a joy to read this old book of prayers. Every prayer written by Barclay in this book is a gist of what the Bible says. The secret of a good conversation with God is to be brief and understand ourselves of the every word spoken. Barclay’s prayers are just that.
Many times, after praying the daily prayer from this book, I have carried the book in my briefcase to my office. In a way, I had the feeling of carrying the prayer with me, as I carried this prayer-book with me!! Like a small boy who will carry his toy car to this bed and bury it under his pillow, I too was carrying this book all along with me in the earlier days of my reading. Today too, this book isn’t far away from my reach.
“Eternal God, grant that we may count it a day wasted when we do not learn something new, and when we are not a little further on on the way to goodness and to Thee.
Help us to try to do our work better every day. Help us to try and add someting to our store of knowledge every day. Help us to try to know some on better every day.
Grand unto us each day to learn more of self-mastery and self control. Grand unto us each day to leave our faults farther behind and to grow more nearly into the likeness of our Lord.
So grand that at the end of this day, and at the end of every day, we may be nearer to Thee than when the day began : through Jesus Christ our Lord, …. AMEN “
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Season Books 
God speaks to us in multifarious and mysterious ways: through people, through books, through events big and small, through silence….
Absolutely correct…Because God’s interfierances are mysterious and wonders in life…..through word of God and heartful prayer only the experience of God can be realise to human being. I use “Every day with Jesus ” — Selwyn Hughes..giving surprises in my life…I hope each people have different experiences like this……..
Thanks John for the comments. How wonderful is God’s doings in each person’s life! Sometimes we many that think God is dead…. but no, HE is silent and in that silence HE is giving us time to be ourselves: angry, resentful and sad. But then, one day God will awake to our senses and we will see HIS loving presence all around.
YES…. Each prayer is an affirmation that we are not tired of our friendship with God !!