When I would speak
and pray to God by myself, a hundred thousand hindrances at once
intervene before I get at it. Then the devil can throw all sorts of
reasons for delay into my path; he can block and hinder me on all
sides; as a result, I go my way and never think of it again. Let him
who has not experienced this only try it. Resolve to pray earnestly,
and no doubt you will see how large an assortment of your own
thoughts will rush in on you and distract you, so that you cannot
begin aright……For instance, to speak now only of the greatest and
foremost hindrance, the first thing that hinders and delays us is the
thought, inspired by the devil; Why, at present you are really not
yet fit for praying; wait another half hour or day, until you become
better prepared or have done this and that. Meanwhile the devil is
there to lead you away for the half hour. Accordingly, you think no
more of praying throughout the day, and so you go from one day to
another, rushed and hindered by other business. This comes close to
being the commonest hindrance and is a very bad trick and device of
the devil, which he often plays on me and on others. Besides, he
finds his advantage in our flesh and blood, because these are lazy
and cold to begin with. Therefore we cannot pray as we ourselves
should like to, and though we may begin, we soon flutter away with
foreign, worthless thoughts and so lose the prayer.
(WLS #3456)
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