(23) In those days they will cry aloud, And call and pray that they may be saved from the hand of the sinners, the Gentiles ; But none will be saved.

(5) Neither had they women to sleep with, but they remained alone, fasting. They were in the House of God, all day they prayed, burning incense and making sacrifices. Thus they remained from dusk until dawn, grieving in their hearts and in their breasts, and begging for happiness and life for their sons and vassals as well as for their kingdom, and raising their faces to the sky. Here are their petitions to their god, when they prayed; and this was the supplication of their hearts:

(16) Nor is petition superfluous, though good things are given without claim.

(122) "Thy command shall not be without avail, and[the word of thy mouth shall be established]."

(44) "'[Thy command shall not be without avail], and the [word] of thy mouth shall be established.'

(106) "'Thy command shall not be without avail, [and the word of thy mouth shall be established

(48) "'Thy command shall not be without avail, and the word of [thy] mouth shall be established.'

(3) But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

(4) Study thou not for no words, for so shouldest thou never come to thy purpose nor to this work, for it is never got by study, but all only by grace. And therefore take thou none other words to pray in, although I set these here, but such as thou art stirred of God for to take. Nevertheless, if God stir thee to take these, I counsel not that thou leave them; I mean if thou shalt pray in words, and else not. For why, they be full short words. But although the shortness of prayer be greatly commended here, nevertheless the oftness of prayer is never the rather refrained. For as it is said before, it is prayed in the length of the spirit; so that it should never cease, till the time were that it had fully gotten that that it longed after. Ensample of this have we in a man or a woman afraid in the manner beforesaid. For we see well, that they cease never crying on this little word “out,” or this little word “fire,” ere the time be that they have in great part gotten help of their grief.

(16) For thus saith the spirit in its zeal, or in the jealousy of God's wrath in this world: While thy spirit and will qualifieth or cooperateth with and in the four vices or sins of the devil, thou art not one spirit with God; and though thou didst every hour offer [the worship or prayer of] thy lips, and bow the knee before me, yet I will accept none of thy labour: Is not my breath, however, continually before me? What shall thy incense be to me in my fierce wrath? Dost thou think I will receive the devil into myself, or exalt hell into heaven?

(31) And know them to be even as the babble of that shepherd; Though thy praises be better compared with his, How long wilt thou say, 'They obscure the truth, For it is not such as they fancy'? Thy own prayers are accepted only through mercy, If her prayers are made impure by the flow of blood, Blood is impure, yet its stain is removed by water; But that impurity of ignorance is more lasting, Seeing that without the blessed water of God O that thou wouldst turn thy face to thy own prayers,

(377) It is better for man to be without anything than to have many things while not giving to the needy; so also you, if you pray to God, he will not give to you.

(16) Neither have I any command to bring in complaints against them, to condemn them for anything, except for their wickedness and abominations, as pride, covetousness, envy and wrath, against which the spirit of nature complaineth very exceedingly, and not I: For what can I do, that am poor dust and ashes, also very weak, simple, and altogether unable?

(141) "O Thou that hearest prayer and relievest pain, He knows of none on whom to rely save Thee; Every suppliant obtains his desire from Thee." God makes answer, "The delay in granting his prayer Is intended to benefit him, not to harm him. His pressing need draws him from his negligence to me; Yea, drags him by the hair into my courts. If I at once remove his need he will go away, Though he is wailing with heartfelt cry of 'O Aider!' His voice sounds sweet in my ears,