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Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened 1.

If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him 2.

Thus saith the Lord, Which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him 3,

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I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications *.

And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer, and whiles they are yet speaking, I will hear 5.

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities : for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit Itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered: and He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God .

Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me'.

Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able 8.

This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoureth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me: but in vain they do worship Me'.

1 Luke xi. 9, 10.
4 Zech. xii. 10.

7 Rom. xv. 30.

2 Luke xi. 13.
3 Isaiah lxv. 24.
8 Luke xiii. 24.

3 Zech. xii. 1.
6 Rom. viii. 26, 27.
9 Matt. xv. 8, 9.

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Let us lift in the heavens1.

our hearts with our hands unto God

Fervent in spirit, serving the Lord': continuing instant in prayer.

Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

Yea, in the way of Thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for Thee: the desire of our soul is to Thy Name, and to the remembrance of Thee: with my soul have I desired Thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek Thee early 3.

We do not present our supplications before Thee for our righteousness; but for Thy great mercies. 0 Lord hear; O Lord forgive; O Lord hearken, and do; defer not, for Thine Own sake, O my God.

Doubtless, Thou art our Father; though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: Thou, O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer; Thy Name is from everlasting'.

O let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

4.—such a serious consideration &c.

Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth".

Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear; for our God is a consuming fire 1o.

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Thus saith the Lord, the heaven is My throne, and the earth is My foot-stool: where is the house that ye build unto Me? and where is the place of My rest? For all those things hath Mine hand made;

1 Lam. iii. 41.
4 Psalm xxv. 1.
7 Isaiah lxiii. 16.

2 Rom. xii. 11.
5 Isaiah xxvi. 8, 9.
8 Psalm xix. 14.
10 Heb. xii. 28, 29.

3 Rom. xii. 12.
6 Dan. ix. 18, 19.
Eccles. v. 2.

and all those things have been, saith the Lord; but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word '.

Fear ye not Me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at My presence??

Thousand thousands ministered unto Him; and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him 3.

They rest not day and night, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, Which was, and is, and is to come. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are, and were created

Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's 5.

Jesus being withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, kneeled down and prayed 6.

St. Paul saith, I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named 7.

Stephen kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.

Abraham answered and said, Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes 9.

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And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac ", I am not worthy of the least of all Thy mercies, and of all the truth which Thou hast shewed unto Thy servant".

Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble: Thou wilt prepare their heart, Thou wilt cause Thine ear to hear 12.

O come, then, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker

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3 Dan. vii. 9, 10. 6 Luke xxii. 41. 9 Gen. xviii. 27. 12 Psalm x. 17.

5.-a holy trust in the power and goodness &c.

Without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him'.

I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

And what things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them 3.

These things have I written unto you that believe in the Name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on

the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions desired of Him*.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, That giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him: but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord 5.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father".

He that spared not His Own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things??

In Whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him 8.

For there is one God, and one Mediator between

1 Heb. xi. 6.

4 1 John v. 13-15. 7 Rom. viii. 32.

2 1 Tim. ii. 8.

5 Jam. i. 5-7.
8 Eph. iii. 12.

3 Mark xi. 24.
6 Rom. viii. 15.

God and man, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all 1.

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; and having an High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith 2.

For we have not an High Priest Which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin: let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in

time of need 3.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by Me*.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My Name, He will give it you: hitherto have ye asked nothing in My Name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full 5.

And whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in My Name, I will do it.

A Prayer for the pious and profitable use of the Holy Scriptures.

ALMIGHTY GOD, Who, of Thine infinite love to mankind, hast been graciously pleased to reveal to us in the holy Scriptures whatever is necessary for us to believe and practise in order to our eternal salvation, grant that I may faithfully apply myself to the reading of those sacred volumes; and do Thou mine open eyes, I beseech Thee, that I may see the wondrous things of Thy law.

1 1 Tim. ii. 5, 6.
4 John xiv. 6.

2 Heb. x. 19-22.

5 John xvi. 23, 24.

3 Heb. iv. 15, 16.
6 John xiv. 13, 14.

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