E. M. Bounds on Prayer....

"Blessed are the poor in spirit." The word poor means a pauper, one who lives by begging. The real Christian lives on the bounties of another, whose bounties he gets by asking. Prayer then becomes the basis of Christian character, the Christian's business, his life and his living....From praying Christ eliminates all self-sufficiency, all pride, and all spiritual values. The poor in spirit are the praying ones. Beggars are God's princes. They are God's heirs....


Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill: and whosoever shall kill shall he in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother shall he in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall he in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar and there rememberest that thy brother has aught against thee: Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first, he reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 

He who essays to pray to God with an angry spirit, with loose and irreverent lips, with an irreconciled heart, and with unsettled neighborly scores, spends his labor for that which is worse than naught, violates the law of prayer, and adds to his sin. How rigidly exacting is Christ's law of prayer! It goes to the heart, and demands that love he enthroned there, love to the brotherhood. The sacrifice of prayer must he seasoned and perfumed with love, by love in the inward parts. The law of prayer, its creator and inspirer, is love...