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BEFORE all things however we ought most carefully to observe the
Evangelic precept, which tells us to enter into our chamber and shut the
door and pray to our Father, which may be fulfilled by us as follows: We
pray within our chamber, when removing our hearts inwardly from the din of
all thoughts and anxieties, we disclose our prayers in secret and in
closest intercourse to the Lord. We pray with closed doors when with closed
lips and complete silence we pray to the searcher not of words but of
hearts. We pray in secret when from the heart and fervent mind we disclose
our petitions to God alone, so that no hostile powers are even able to
discover the character of our petition. Wherefore we should pray in
complete silence, not only to avoid distracting the brethren standing near
by our whispers or louder utterances, and disturbing the thoughts of those
who are praying, but also that the purport of our petition may be concealed
from our enemies who are especially on the watch against us while we are
praying. For so we shall fulfil this injunction. "Keep the doors of thy
mouth from her who sleepeth in thy bosom."
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