greenbaggins
Puritan Board Doctor
Thomas Manton has some good thoughts on why we need to pray daily.
To reprove those which neglect closet-addresses to God; they wrong God and themselves.
They wrong God; because this is a necessary part of the creature's homage, of that duty he expects from them, to be owned not only in public assemblies, but in private. And they wrong themselves; because it brings in a great deal of comfort and peace to the soul; and many sweet and gracious experiences there are which they deprive themselves of, and a blessing upon all other things...How will your own hearts reproach you then, that have neglected God, and lost such precious hours as you should have redeemed for communion with him!...So, when God is in us and round about us, and we never take time to confer with him, it argues much hatred and neglect of him...Omissions make way for commissions. If a gardener withholds his hand, the ground is soon grown over with weeds. Restrain prayer and neglect God, and noisome lusts will abound...As they which are often with princes and great persons are better clothed and more neat in their apparel and carriage, so they which are often conversing with God grown more heavenly, holy, watchful, than others are; and when we are not with God, not only all this is lost, but a great many evils to be found (Works of Thomas Manton, volume 1, pp. 14-7).
