Prayer is the spirit speaking truth to Truth.

Prayer is the spirit speaking truth to Truth.

Father! no prophet's laws I seek,--
Thy laws in Nature's works appear;--
I own myself corrupt and read more

Father! no prophet's laws I seek,--
Thy laws in Nature's works appear;--
I own myself corrupt and weak,
Yet will I pray, for thou wilt hear.

I ask not a life for the dear ones,
All radiant, as others have done,
But that read more

I ask not a life for the dear ones,
All radiant, as others have done,
But that life may have just enough shadow
To temper the glare of the sun;
I would pray God to guard them from evil,
But my prayer would bound back to myself:
Ah! a seraph may pray for a sinner,
But a sinner must pray for himself.

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do:
for they think that they shall be read more

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do:
for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

They never sought in vain that sought the Lord aright!

They never sought in vain that sought the Lord aright!

Doubt not but God who sits on high,
Thy secret prayers can hear;
When a dead wall read more

Doubt not but God who sits on high,
Thy secret prayers can hear;
When a dead wall thus cunningly
Conveys soft whispers to the ear.

Pray to be perfect, though material leaven
Forbid the spirit so on earth to be;
But if read more

Pray to be perfect, though material leaven
Forbid the spirit so on earth to be;
But if for any wish thou darest not pray,
Then pray to God to cast that wish away.

God answers sharp and sudden on some prayers,
And thrusts the thing we have prayed for in our face,
read more

God answers sharp and sudden on some prayers,
And thrusts the thing we have prayed for in our face,
A gauntlet with a gift in 't.

In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.

In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.