April 26 Daily Devotional

Bible Verse

"For through him we ... have access by one Spirit to the Father" (Ephesians 2:18).

Devotional

What is prayer? It is the communion of the spiritual life in the soul of man with its Divine Author. It is breathing the divine life back into the bosom of God from where it comes. It is holy, spiritual, humble conversation with God.

That was a beautiful remark of a convert from paganism, "I open my Bible, and God talks with me; I close my Bible, and then I talk with God." Striking definition of true prayer! Prayer is talking with God as a child talks with his father, as a wife speaks with her husband, as a friend converses with his friend: "the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (Ex. 33:11).

Never forget, then, that true prayer is the speaking of a renewed soul to God. It is the breathing of the divine life, sometimes in the accents of sorrow, sometimes as the expression of need, and always as the acknowledgment of dependence. It is the looking up of a renewed, afflicted, needy, and dependent child to its own loving Father in full awareness of utter weakness and in all the sweetness of filial trust.

Who is the object of prayer? Jehovah, the Lord of heaven and earth, the Three in One! True prayer addresses itself to him alone. He alone has an ear that can hear our tale of sorrow. He alone has an arm that can support in time of need. He alone has a heart that can sympathize with our deepest needs. The One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, who is the Creator and Governor of all worlds, who holds up the pillars of the universe, to whom all the powers in heaven, on earth, and in hell are subject. He is the glorious object to whom we address ourselves in prayer.

No less amazing is the medium of prayer. What is it? Not a creature as dependent as ourselves, but rather the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, equal in might, majesty, and dominion with the Father; and yet, the Elder Brother, the slain Lamb, the Mediator and Surety, the High Priest of his people. Prayer finds acceptance within the veil only as it is presented in the name of Jesus, through the mediation of Jesus.

The voice that speaks there on behalf of the lowly petitioner is the voice of Immanuel's blood. This is the "new and living way" (Heb. 10:20). This is the plea that prevails. This is the argument that moves Omnipotence itself. He who pleads the blood of Jesus in prayer may have ten thousand tongues all pleading against him, but the blood of Jesus speaks better things (Heb. 12:24), and drowns out every other voice. Oh precious, costly medium of prayer!

Marvelous, too, is the Author of prayer. Who is he? The apostle informs us: "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words" (Rom. 8:26). Thus, it is the Holy Spirit who produces the desire, composes the petition, and breathes it forth in prayer through Christ to God.

What a sublime exercise, then, is prayer! The outgoing of the divine life in the soul is its nature! Jehovah is its object! The Lord Jesus is its medium! And the Holy Spirit is its Author! Thus the blessed Trinity in unity is engaged in the great work of a sinner's approach to God.

All glory be to thee, Most High,
to thee all adoration;
in grace and truth thou drawest nigh
to offer us salvation;
thou showest thy good will to men,
and peace shall reign on earth again;
we praise thy Name for ever.

We praise, we worship thee, we trust,
and give thee thanks for ever,
O Father, for thy rule is just
and wise, and changes never;
thy hand almighty o'er us reigns,
thou doest what thy will ordains;
'tis well for us thou rulest.

O Jesus Christ, our God and Lord,
Son of the Heavenly Father,
O thou who hast our peace restored,
the straying sheep dost gather,
thou Lamb of God, to thee on high
out of the depths we sinners cry:
have mercy on us, Jesus!

O Holy Spirit, precious gift,
thou Comforter unfailing,
from Satan's snares our souls uplift,
and let thy power, availing,
avert our woes and calm our dread.
for us the Savior's blood was shed;
we trust in thee to save us.

(Tr. from German version of the Latin hymn, Gloria in Excelsis)

Be sure to read the Preface by Octavius Winslow and A Note from the Editor by Larry E. Wilson.

Larry Wilson is an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. In addition to having served as the General Secretary of the Committee on Christian Education of the OPC (2000–2004) and having written a number of articles and booklets (such as God's Words for Worship and Why Does the OPC Baptize Infants) for New Horizons and elsewhere, he has pastored OPC churches in Minnesota, Indiana, and Ohio. We are grateful to him for his editing of Morning Thoughts, the OPC Daily Devotional for 2025.