rompt word or act of charity, before the
temptation has time to present itself.

III. _Prayer and Temptation_

All this vigilance will, however, avail nothing unless it be combined
with prayer. The good soldier in the field does not depend upon
himself, but is constantly referring to headquarters for instructions,
and this reference on the part of the soldier in the armies of the
Kingdom is what we call prayer.

We must, however, get beyond the narrow and inadequate notion that
prayer is confined to formal acts of praise, thanksgiving, confession,
and petition. These are real and essential parts of prayer, and we
have need of them as we shall see; but they are not all.

Every act of directing the human will towards the will of God is prayer
in its truest and most comprehensive sense. Every longing of the heart
for God, every effort to identify ourselves with Him, our wills with
His will, though there be neither word, nor even thought, definitely
framed, is prayer. Our spoken prayers may have prayed {83} themselves
away; the mind and body may be so wearied that formal acts of prayer
are a burden to the flesh, and well-nigh impossible. But these are not
necessary if we are keeping our hearts turned towards Him, and are
striving, even though at times we may not appear to succeed, to
maintain, around and within, that atmosphere of loving devotion which
is the Christian's way of keeping open the lines of communication with
his base of supplies.

Our first duty in prayer, as a preparation over against temptation, is
to address ourselves directly to the case in hand, and, pleading our
own nothingness, to ask God to go with us through the day to defend and
succour us. Pray about the particular occasion of sin that may seem
imminent; pray with especial earnestness as we approach it more nearly.
But the prayer must not be for ourselves alone. If there are others
involved we must pray for them, that they too may be controlled by the
Holy Spirit.

If the occasion we are approaching is one that is dangerous because we
have before yielded to Satan, no prayer can be of greater effect than
an act of contrition for the past sins, the commission of which is now
involving us in renewed peril. Every act of contrition purifies the
soul more and more, and adds to the strength with which {84} we are to
meet the confident enemy on the scene of his former victory, but this
time to put him to flight. "_Amplius lava me_,"--Wash