MORNING PRAYER

Martin Luther (1483-1546) German priest and reformer wrote:

“If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.”

I have heard this quote for many years and have thought about it a number of times. Luther was a brilliant thinker and highly credentialed priest from the tough German schools. Though he had ideas that many followed and believed deeply, (and still do) I have never particularly cared for his theology and certainly not his philosophy, racism, or actions of Reformation practices. I appreciate the price he paid for resisting the Catholic Church. But, there is just something that conflict in my spirit with anyone who tells me how much, how often, how busy and how long they pray among other things.

“But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.” Jesus