The Power of Prayer in a Believer's Life

We would hardly recognize it!

(Charles Spurgeon, "The Power of Prayer in a Believer's Life")

It was the early church father Ambrose who used a wonderful illustration concerning believers' prayers. He said we are like little children who run into the garden to gather flowers to please their father—but we are so ignorant and childish that we pluck as many weeds as flowers, and some of them are very noxious. We carry this strange mixture in our hands, thinking that it is acceptable to him. The mother meets the child at the door and says, "Little one, you don't know what you have gathered." She unbinds the mixture and takes from it all the weeds, leaving only the sweet flowers; and then she takes other flowers, sweeter than those the child plucked—and inserts them instead of the weeds. Then she puts the perfect posy in the child's hand, and he runs with it to his father.

Jesus Christ in more than motherly tenderness, thus deals with our supplications. If we could see one of our prayers after Christ Jesus has amended it—we would hardly recognize it! Jesus has such skill that even our good flowers grow fairer in His hand. We clumsily tie them into a bundle—but He arranges them into a lovely bouquet, where each beauty enhances the charm of its neighbor. If I could see my prayer after the Lord has prayed it, I would discover so much missing and so much there that was none of mine—that I am sure its fullest acceptance with God would not cause me a moment's pride. It would rather make me blush with grateful humility before Him, whose boundless sweetness lent to me, and my poor prayer—a sweetness not my own.