Day by Day with Martin Luther

Read: Ezra 3:1-5:5 James 1:1-2:13

“The Habit of Prayer”

“In the day of trouble I will seek the Lord.”
[Psalm 77:2]

Getting ourselves to the point of praying may cause us distress and anguish, and this requires the greatest skill. With our own concerns and thoughts we torture ourselves and stew over trying to pull this off our neck and to get rid of it entirely. There is an evil and clever devil riding me and other people, and frequently playing tricks on me in my temptation and anxieties, whether it has do with spiritual or with secular affairs.

The devil butts in and makes you start stewing over your troubles. In this way he snatches you from your prayers, and makes you dizzy so that you stop praying altogether. By the time you begin praying, you have tortured yourself half to death. He is well aware of what prayer achieves and can do for you. This is why Satan creates so many obstacles and disturbances, to keep you from getting around to praying at all.

And so, we ought to learn to take these words to heart. We should develop the habit, whenever we see anguish or need in others, [and in ourselves] to fall on our knees and spread all needs before God, knowing His promises and love. Then we would find help and would not have to torture ourselves with our own ideas about looking for help. This is a very precious medicine, one that certainly helps and never fails, if only we will use it regularly! Help us, O Lord!