True Prayer Requires a Holy Heart
By Leighton
God heareth the heart without the mouth, but never heareth the mouth acceptably without the heart. Your prayer is odious hypocrisy, mocking God, and taking his name in vain, when you utter petitions for the coming of his kingdom and the doing of his will, and yet hate holiness in your heart. This is lying unto God, and flattering him with your lips, but no true prayer; and so God takes it. How grossly do you delude yourselves, who make your hearts dens of pride, filthy lust, malice and envy, and thousands of vanities, and yet think to find a corner in them to lodge Christ too! Truly, you would both straitlen him in room, and give him very bad neighbors. No, they that think not a whole heart too little for him, shall never enjoy him.—Leighton