We do not pray to God to instruct Him as to what He should do; neither for a moment must we presume to dictate the method of the divine working.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes humility in prayer, acknowledging that we do not control or instruct divine will.
Charles Spurgeon's quote illustrates the proper attitude to have when approaching God in prayer. Rather than treating prayer as a means to dictate or instruct God on what to do, Spurgeon advocates for understanding the divine perspective and submitting to God's will. This recognition of divine sovereignty encourages believers to approach prayer with reverence and humility, trusting that God knows best how to act in any given situation.
In practice
During a sermon, a pastor might use this quote to teach about the nature of prayer.
Amusement should be used to do us good “like a medicine”: it must never be used as the food of the man...Many have had all holy thoughts and gracious resolutions stamped out by perpetual trifling. Pleasure so called is the murderer of thought. This is the age of excessive amusement: everybody craves for it, like a babe for its rattle.
When you see no present advantage, walk by faith and not by sight. Do God the honor to trust Him when it comes to matters of loss for the sake of principle.
It is far easier to fight with sin in public than to pray against it in private.
You will never glory in God till first of all God has killed your glorying in yourself.
After faith comes repentance, or, rather, repentance is faith's twin brother and is born at the same time.
["All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant."] The original Hebrew word that has been translated "paths" means "well-worn roads' or "wheel tracks," such ruts as wagons make when they go down our green roads in wet weather and sink in up to the axles. God's ways are at times like heavy wagon tracks that cut deep into our souls, yet all of them are merciful.
In itself and in its consequences the life of leisure is beautiful and ennobling in all civilised men's eyes.
You can rest assured that if you devote your time and attention to the highest advantage of others, the Universe will support you, always and only in the nick of time.
States organized for war will make war as surely as hens will lay eggs.
Witness testimony is always flawed. It's better than circumstantial evidence, sure, but people aren't camcorders; they don't record every action and reaction, and the very act of remembering involves chosing words, actions and images. In other words, any witness who was supposed to be giving a court facts is really just giving them a version of fiction.
What's unique about the Mormon Church is that it encourages inquiry. I really do think my research and religion are all on the same page. I never could have come up with the notion of disruptive innovations, which went against a lot of conventional wisdom, if I hadn't been raised to always be asking questions.
In the Church, considered as a social organism, the mysteries inevitably degenerate into beliefs.
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