'The eyes of all wait upon Thee.' That is beautiful! The dumb look of
the unconscious creature, like that of a dog looking up in its master's
face for a crust, makes appeal to God, and He answers that. But a dumb,
unconscious look is not for us. 'He also will hear their cry.' Put your
wish into words if you want it answered; not for His information, but
for your strengthening. 'Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need
of these things before ye ask Him.' What then? Why should I ask Him?
Because the asking will clear your thoughts about your desires. It will
be a very good test of them. There are many things that we all wish,
which I am afraid we should not much like to put into our prayers, not
because of any foolish notion that they are too small to find a place
there, but because of an uncomfortable suspicion that perhaps they are
not the kind of things that we ought to wish. And if we cannot make the
desire into a cry, the sooner we make it dead as well as dumb the better
for ourselves. The cry will serve, too, as a stimulus to the wishes
which are put into words. Silent prayer is well, but there is a
wonderful power on ourselves--it may be due to our weakness, but still
it exists--in the articulate and audible utterance of our petitions to
God. I would fain that all of us were more in the habit of putting into
distinct words that we ourselves can hear, the wishes that we cherish. I
am sure our prayers would be more sincere, less wandering, more earnest
and real, if they were spoken, as well as felt, prayers.
Let us remember, dear brethren! that the condition of our getting the
higher gifts is not only that we should love and fear, and in the
silence of our own hearts should wish for, but that we should definitely
ask for, them. Not only desire, but 'their cry,' brings the answer.