That is the general scheme of a Christian's private prayers. They
should include in due proportion the several elements of adoration,
thanksgiving, penitence, petition, and intercession. They need not be
lengthy. "Use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think
that they shall be heard for their much speaking." It is quality and
not quantity of prayer that counts. And the prayers of a busy man must
necessarily be short.
But it is worth while taking time and trouble over the ordering of
one's prayers. A man's intercessions, in particular, are not likely in
practice to have the width, the range, and the variety which are
desirable, unless they are planned and ordered in accordance with a
coherent scheme which is thought out in advance. It is the part of
wisdom to keep a note-book, in which names and subjects for
intercessory prayer may be jotted down and distributed over the days
of the week for use in due rotation. Such schemes, however, if drawn
up and used, should be revised from time to time, and not suffered to
become a mechanical burden or a legal bondage.
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