The Old Words Are Not Tame

A public-domain paper on prayer from E. M. Bounds, presented for focused reading and spiritual formation.

The old prayers have very little interest in making us impressive. They keep asking for mercy, light, purity, patience, and a heart that can survive contact with reality.

So the invitation is simple: do not merely admire the sentence. Borrow it. Pray it until it starts telling the truth in your own voice.