THE ROLE OF PRAYER: Page 132

The question of how to pray need not trouble us much. Prof. James, in his well-known work on Psychology," makes the following most truthful remarks: We hear in these days of scientific enlightenment, about the efficacy of prayer and many reasons are given us why we should not pray, while others are given us why we should. But in all this very little is said of the reason why we do pray, which is simply that we cannot help praying. It seems probable that in spite of all that science may do to the contrary, men will continue to pray to the end of time, unless their mental nature changes in a manner which nothing we know should lead us to expect." Quite so. It is your nature to pray. You eat twice and there are some who eat every three hours in the day, lest your body should starve. But in the meantime you are starving your soul. The moment you feel the need for a higher plane of Development, you will pray. Plato advised those who prayed to remain silent in the presence of the divine ones, till they remove the cloud from the eyes and enabled them to see by the light which issued from themselves." Applonius always isolated himself from men during the "conversation" he held with God and whenever he felt the necessity for divine contemplation and prayer, he wrapped himself head and all in the drapery of his white woolen mantle. (Isis Unveiled P. I.) When thou prayest, enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father in secret," says the Nazarene. Prof. Hiram