Before engaging in prayer, let us carefully call to mind the exalted One Whom we are to address, and the great privilege that is ours in being able to do so. Do not take prayer for granted. Prayer is not a matter of merely closing the eyes and using the tongue, but of coming humbly into the august presence of the great Creator, the King of heaven. Consider His high, exalted status!

"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever, Amen" (Jude 24, 25).

"The blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man hath seen, nor can see: to Whom be honour and power everlasting, Amen" (1 Tim. 6:16).

These scriptures speak of His lofty eminence, and the great honour that is ours in being able to freely approach Him. His mighty power and condescending love is expressed in the words of the Psalmist:

"He healeth the broken in heart, And bindeth up their wounds. He telleth the number of the stars;
He calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power;
His understanding is infinite. The Lord lifteth up the meek;
He casteth the wicked to the ground. Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praise upon the harp unto our God."
(Ps. 147: 3-7).

God's ability to heal the broken in heart is demonstrated by His power in telling the number of the stars. His greatness in merciful kindness is shown by His might in the acts of Creation.
In recognising this, in acknowledging His wisdom and power, we must be prepared to patiently await for Him to choose the right moment to act. "I waited patiently for the Lord," declared the Psalmist (Ps. 40:1), "and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry."
What a tender and meaningful expression. It expresses the feeble cry of one on the point of death, who in weakness can barely whisper his requests, and the condescension of the Father in bending down low, "inclining His ear;" to catch his faint utterances.

Thus Prayer bridges the illimitable distances between us and heaven, and conveys us to the very presence of God whose power and status is beyond the ability of mortal minds to comprehend. Speaking of His incomparable supremacy, Isaiah wrote: "Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance .... Behold the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold He taketh up the isles as a very little thing .... To whom then will ye liken Me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth" (Isa. 40:12,15,25,16). But though so lofty, and so far removed from us, God has promised to hear our prayers:
"He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, And shew him My salvation"
(Ps. 91:15-16).

As the Lord God condescends to hearken unto the prayers of His children, let them treasure and use this great privilege.