In what manner we should exercise silent prayer. The ground of prayer is the presence of God.
The Nineteenth Letter.
In what manner we should exercise silent prayer. The ground of prayer is the presence of God.
Dearly beloved friend and sister!
Your little letter has been agreeable to me, as well as your former one; I answer the same at all times in the spirit; when I do not do it with the pen, you must never draw the conclusion from that, that I should not love you, or should forget you. No! I love you heartily in the Lord, and offer you up in weakness to His oversight and government of grace: But it goes with me also as with you; I have my hands full of work, and not much ability, must also sometimes buy up the moments right.
That you still love the silent prayer and the solitude with God, and carefully buy up the time thereto, is heartily dear to me: Exercise yourself therein in the manner and way you will be able from time to time, be it through a few words, or through heart-inclinations, through a laying-open of the heart, through a deed of adoration or offering-up, or love-embrace, or inward turning, or still waiting, or in some other manner, according as grace moves you; only, that all happen considerately, simply, and without too strong a straining. But the ground of all prayer and of all godliness must be this: that God be inward-present to us, in the sweet name of Jesus, to help us and to love us. Because you also cannot have so much time for solitary prayer as were well to be wished, so you must so much the more faithfully seek to take the just-mentioned ground of the presence of God along into your affairs, performing all your things before God and with God, so that you there make of your heart a little prayer-chamber, and just so seek to deal with God under your work, as you otherwise would do when you were in solitude. Because you have so little time and so weak a head, I do not advise you much reading: To look up a little verse now and then, that may well be. Loving and praying is better than reading. I greet you heartily in the love of Jesus, which wholly fill your heart!
Your Mülheim, weak fellow-brother. the 1st of December, 1756.
German
Der neunzehnte Brief.
Auf was Weise wir das stille Gebät üben sollen. Der Grund vom Gebät ist die Gegenwart GOttes.
Herzlich geliebte Freundin und Schwester!
Dein Brieflein ist mir angenehm gewesen, sowohl als dein Voriges; ich beantworte dieselbe allezeit im Geist; wann ichs aber mit der Feder nicht thue, daraus must du nimmer den Schluß machen, daß ich dich nicht lieben, oder deiner vergessen sollte.
— Opening lines of the original German. The complete transcription of all 605 letters appears in the forthcoming Encounter Press critical edition; Brief 1 is shown in full as a sample.
German text: public domain (1773–75 first edition / 1845 Gesammelte Schriften).
Translator’s notes
What this letter is. A December letter of the 1st, 1756, from Mülheim to Anna Christina Spieker at Wittenhaus near Homberg (Ratingen). Her little letter has been agreeable, as well as the former one. He answers always in the spirit; when he does not do it with the pen, she must never conclude that he does not love her. He too has his hands full of work, and not much ability, and must buy up the moments. That she still loves the silent prayer and the solitude with God is heartily dear to him. Exercise it as grace moves, without too strong a straining. The ground of all prayer is that God be inward-present in the sweet name of Jesus. Take that ground along into the affairs; make of the heart a little prayer-chamber. Little reading: a verse now and then. Loving and praying is better than reading. Mülheim, the 1st of December, 1756.
He answers in the spirit. The little letter has been agreeable, as well as the former one. He answers the same at all times in the spirit. When he does not do it with the pen, she must never draw the conclusion from that, that he should not love her, or should forget her. No: he loves her heartily in the Lord, and offers her up in weakness to His oversight and government of grace. It goes with him also as with her: hands full of work, not much ability; he must also sometimes buy up the moments right.
Silent prayer, and the ground of it. That she still loves the silent prayer and the solitude with God, and carefully buys up the time thereto, is heartily dear to him. Exercise it in the manner she will be able from time to time: a few words, or heart-inclinations, a laying-open of the heart, a deed of adoration or offering-up, or love-embrace, or inward turning, or still waiting, or in some other manner, according as grace moves; only that all happen considerately, simply, and without too strong a straining. But the ground of all prayer and of all godliness must be this: that God be inward-present to us, in the sweet name of Jesus, to help us and to love us.
A little prayer-chamber under the work. Because she cannot have so much time for solitary prayer as were well to be wished, she must so much the more faithfully take the just-mentioned ground of the presence of God along into her affairs, performing all her things before God and with God, so that she make of her heart a little prayer-chamber, and deal with God under her work as she would in solitude. So little time, and so weak a head: he does not advise much reading. To look up a little verse now and then may well be. Loving and praying is better than reading. He greets her heartily in the love of Jesus, which wholly fill the heart. He remains her weak fellow-brother. Mülheim, the 1st of December, 1756.
A few words and echoes.
- your little letter has been agreeable. as well as the former one.
- I answer always in the spirit. when the pen does not, do not conclude that I do not love you.
- buy up the moments. even the time for silent prayer. (Eph. 5:16)
- exercise silent prayer. a few words, or heart-inclinations, or still waiting; as grace moves; without too strong a straining.
- the ground of all prayer. that God be inward-present to us, in the sweet name of Jesus.
- God is present. the hymn of the presence. (Gott ist gegenwärtig)
- take that ground along into your affairs. all your things before God and with God. (Col. 3:17; 1 Cor. 10:31)
- make of your heart a little prayer-chamber. and deal with God under your work as you would in solitude. (Matt. 6:6)
- I do not advise you much reading. a little verse now and then may well be.
- loving and praying is better than reading. I greet you in the love of Jesus.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-019 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.