Thus saith the Lord God, I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them. Ezekiel chapter 36 verse 37

Prayer is the forerunner of mercy. Turn to sacred history and you will find that scarcely ever did a great mercy come to this world unheralded by supplication. You have found this true in your own personal experience. God has given you many an unsolicited favor but still great prayer has always been the prelude of great mercy with you. When you first found peace through the blood of the cross you had been praying much and earnestly interceding with God that he would remove your doubts and deliver you from your distresses. Your assurance was the result of prayer. When at any time you have had high and rapturous joys you have been obliged to look upon them as answers to your prayers. When you have had great deliverances out of sore troubles and mighty helps in great dangers, you have been able to say, I sought the Lord, and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears.

Prayer is always the preface to blessing. It goes before the blessing, as the blessing's shadow. When the sunlight of God's mercies rises upon our necessities it casts the shadow of prayer far down upon the plain. Or to use another illustration when God piles up a hill of mercies he himself shines behind them and he casts on our spirits the shadow of prayer so that we may rest certain if we are much in prayer our pleadings are the shadows of mercy.

Prayer is thus connected with the blessing to show us the value of it. If we had the blessings without asking for them, we should think them common things. But prayer makes our mercies more precious than diamonds. The things we ask for are precious, but we do not realize their preciousness until we have sought for them earnestly.

Prayer makes the darkened cloud withdraw. Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw. Gives exercise to faith and love. Brings every blessing from above.