"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you — leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift!" Matthew 5:23-24
There is something to do — before we kneel down to pray in our closet, or begin our worship in the sanctuary, or come to the Lord's table. We ought to look inward at our own hearts — before we look upward at the face of God.
Are we ready to pray? Are the obstructions out of the way? Is our heart ready for worship? The worship that pleases God the best — is love in the heart. He has no pleasure in sacrifices and ceremonies and ordinances — while the heart is full of bitterness! He cares nothing for our professions of love to Him — so long as we hate our brother. "If a man says, 'I love God' and hates his brother — he is a liar! For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen — how can he love God whom he has not seen?"
If therefore, we want our worship to be acceptable to God — we must be sure to come into His presence with hearts cleansed of all bitterness, anger, revenge, and malice. Thus every approach to God in prayer, requires self-examination. And if we can remember that we have wronged anyone, or that there is any estrangement or strife — we should seek reconciliation before we pray. At the least, we must see that our own spirits are thoroughly cleansed of all bitterness, before we come to God's altar.
This rule is fitted to keep our hearts always free from anger. Paul counsels that we should not let the sun go down upon our anger. No day should be allowed to close over us — with anger in our hearts. We may never see another day, and we should not lie down to sleep cherishing bitterness against any other person.
The evening prayer should cleanse our spirits of all feelings of anger, as we pray, "Forgive us our sins — as we forgive those who sin against us!"
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J.R. Miller (1840 - 1912)
Prolific author and pastor of Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois, Rev. James Russell Miller served the USCC as a field agent in the Army of the Potomac and Army of the Cumberland.J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia. J.R. Miller D.D.'s lasting fame is through his over 50 books. Many are still in publication.
James Russell Miller (March 20, 1840 - July 2, 1912) was a popular Christian author, Editorial Superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication, and pastor of several churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois.
In 1857, James entered Beaver Academy and in 1862 he progressed to Westminster College, Pennsylvania, which he graduated in June, 1862. Then in the autumn of that year he entered the theological seminary of the United Presbyterian Church at Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Mr. Miller resumed his interrupted studies at the Allegheny Theological Seminary in the fall of 1865 and completed them in the spring of 1867. That summer he accepted a call from the First United Presbyterian Church of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. He was ordained and installed on September 11, 1867.
J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia.
Five years later, in 1880, Dr. Miller became assistant to the Editorial Secretary at the The Presbyterian Board of Publication, also in Philadelphia.