| 
Saturday, April 17, 2004[Continued from yesterday]For your heart is your life, and your life can only be altered by that which is the real working of your heart. And if your prayer is only a form of words, made by the skill of other people, such a prayer can no more change you into a good man, than an actor upon the stage, who speaks kingly language, is thereby made to be a king: whereas one thought, or word, or look, towards God, proceeding from your own heart, can never be without its proper fruit, or fail of being a real good to your soul. Again, another great and infallible benefit of this kind of prayer is this; it is the only way to be delivered from the deceitfulness of your own hearts. [Continued tomorrow]
... William Law (1686-1761), The Spirit of Prayer [1749], London: E. Justins for Ogles, Duncan, and Cochran, 1816, p. 161-162
  (see the book; more at Deliverance, Goodness, Heart, Life, Prayer)  
  
Last updated: 
10/09/25Compilation Copyright, 1996-2024, by Robert McAnally Adams,
 Curator, Christian Quotation of the Day,
 with Robert Douglas, principal contributor
 Logo image Copyright 1996 by Shay Barsabe, of “Simple GIFs”, by kind permission.
 Send comments to curator@cqod.com.
    
 
 
 Fun stuff Tweet this      CQOD is now available to include on your personal home page, blog, or church web site—perfect for a sidebar.
To display CQOD on your web site, updating daily, copy the line below and paste directly into the position that CQOD should appear:
      <script type="text/javascript" src="https://cqod.com/js/"></script>
      To display this particular quotation on your web site, copy the line below and paste directly into the position that CQOD should appear:
      <script type="text/javascript" src="https://cqod.com/js/index-04-17-04.js"></script>
      For more information, see CQOD Web Home
 |  
 Welcome to the CQOD home page. This page changes daily, publishing a different 
quotation each day, so return here often. Many people use this page as their browser home page. Bookmark this page by pressing cntl-d.
 
  means text and bibliography have been verified. CQOD makes numerous features and links available. Here are some important links to help you get around:
 
    Previous day’s CQOD (Law)Following day’s CQOD (Law)
 This month’s CQODs
 
  
CQOD for today
 CQOD on the go!
 
 Use our double opt-in listserve to receive CQOD by email
 
 CQOD daily index
 All monthly archives
 What’s New on CQOD
 Author index
 Title index
 Poetry index
 Scripture index
 Subject index
 Search CQOD (or see below)
 CQOD Blog
 
 
  CQOD RSS 
 
  Facebook CQOD Fan Page 
  Follow CQOD on Twitter 
  Follow CQOD on Instagram
    About CQOD CQOD on the Web
 CQOD FAQ
 CQOD Liturgical Calendar
 
 Mere Christianity: a conversation
 Simple Songs for Psalms
 Quotations Bible Study
 Essays Archive
 Bookworms
 Spotlights
 
 Publications:
 Jonah: a miracle play
 Ruth: a play
 
 Also visit these organizations:
 Arab Vision
 Crescendo
 Oratorium
 More devotionals
 
 Search CQOD:
 
   |