“Why Bother to Pray?

by Elisabeth Elliot, from Keep a Quiet Heart, p. 111-112 If God is sovereign, and things will be as they are going to be anyway, why bother to pray? There are several reasons. The first is really all we need to know: God has told us to pray. It is a commandment, and...

“The Weapon of Prayer”

by Elisabeth Elliot, from Keep a Quiet Heart, p. 110 News came one day which indicated that a matter I had been praying about had deteriorated rather than improved. What good are my prayers, anyway? I was tempted to ask. Why brother? It’s becoming a mere charade. But...

“Stillness”

by Elisabeth Elliot, from Keep a Quiet Heart, p. 150-152 Full moon on a silver sea, throwing into sharp relief the luminous rocks. I sat in the antique rocking chair by the window, a cup of hot Postum in my hand, fascinated by the undulation of great swaths of foam on...

“Prayer is Conflict”

by Elisabeth Elliot, from Keep a Quiet Heart, p. 113-115 Prayer is no easy pastime. As I grow old I find that I am more conscious than ever of my need to pray, but it seems at the same time to become more of a struggle. It is harder to concentrate, for one thing. I...