These and other such-like reasons may be alleged in prayer, rather to move our own heart to ask with fervour, devotion and confidence, than to move God to hear us. For our Lord much more desires to hear us, and to give us the good spirit that we ask, ihan we to receive it, seeing (as St. Augustine says) [1] " God would not have commanded us to ask of Him, if He had not a will and a desire to give us what we ask and asking of Him in the manner aforesaid, we fulfil all that which the Apostle commands us when he says that our petitions should present themselves before God, not alone, but accompanied with three marvellous actions, [2] that is to say — with "prayer," which may raise our spirit and the affections thereof to the presence of God — with "supplication" which may allege reasons for being heard — and with " thanksgiving" for benefits received, which may dispose us to receive those which we ask afresh.
These are the principal things which mental prayer comprehends, whose order St. Augustine declares, saying, " Meditatio parit scientiam, scientia compunctionem, compunctio devotionem, devotio perficit orationem [3] " Frequent meditation engenders science and knowledge of a man's self and of God knowledge engenders affections of compunction for our sins and miseries; compunction awakens affections of devotion towards God for His greatness and mercies; and devotion perfects prayer, making our spirit to join itself lovingly to Almighty God, and to ask of Him things decent and fitting, and in such manner as is convenient.
It remains that we explain and declare the manner how every one of these things is to be done, beginning with that which is most proper and essential to prayer.
