A National Day of Prayer???

Today is marked a 'national day of prayer'... a 'state' initiative. Shouldn't we as Christians have everyday as our day of prayer? "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me" ~ Matthew 15:8.

What does that mean, their hearts are far from me? Well, what did Jesus tell us to pray? "His Kingdom Come, His Will Be Done"! For there is no other prayer so great or perfect that we could say that could do more for us and for Him in our fallen state and that puts forward His Kingdom!

You see, our putting additions to God's laws reflect upon His wisdom as if He had left out something which was needed and which man could supply. In one way or other they always lead men to disobey God.  How thankful ought we to be for the written word of God! Never let us think that the religion of the Bible can be improved by any human addition, either in doctrine or practice. 

Our blessed Lord spoke of their traditions as inventions of their own, and pointed out one instance in which this was very clear, that of their transgressing the fifth commandment. When a parent's wants called for assistance, they pleaded, that they had devoted to the temple all they could spare, even though they did not part with it, and therefore their parents must expect nothing from them. 

This was making the command of God of no effect. The doom of hypocrites is put in a little compass. In vain do they worship Him. It will neither please God, nor profit themselves; they trust in vanity, and vanity will be their recompense ~ Matthew Henry.