The Screwtape Letters, CS Lewis Rivermont Presbyterian Church

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. I Peter 5:8-9

Letter # _IV– Summary Title: Prayer: Why? And Does It Work?

Our Father who art in heaven. Mt 6:9-13

While prayer is invaluable and commanded of us, it is disastrously easy to think it all really depends on our feelings. CSL

Strategy Matrix

Area of Life

/ Devil’s Advice / God’s Way / Questions, Observations
Prayer
Form / Keep the patient from the intention of prayer altogether.
Or childlike parrot prayer, let it be:
Entirely spontaneous
Inward
Informal
Unregularised
Let him try: Producing a devotional mood (no will or intelligence) / Pray at all times, in all situations, all kinds of prayers
with WILL, INTELECT, and directly to the Lord / Ephesians 6:18 (at all times)
Position / Bodily position makes no difference
Merely “composing ones spirit to love”
Indulging “a sense of supplication”
For clever and lazy patients
*whatever their bodies do affects the soul
Try to keep things OUT of their minds / On our knees
Fill your minds with the Holy Spirit / Mat 26:41 (Not fall into temptation)
Luke 18 (parable of the persistent widow)
Attitude / Prevent them from attending to God “turning the gaze from God to themselves”
Produce their FEELINGS by the action of their OWN WILL
Charity - charitable feelings
Courage – Feel brave
Forgiveness – Try to feel forgiven
Estimate the value by the feeling
*let them not understand this depends on their health , tired etc / There is immediate action!
It might take a while for an answer
God’s will might not be our will
It is for our best
The Holy Spirit will intercede for us!
No radio interference: complete silence and peace
Peter at sea / Daniel 9:23
I Jn 5:14 (ask anything according to His will)
Jer 29:11 (For I know the plans I have for you.. not to harm you
Romans 8:26 (The Spirit intercedes with groans)
Phil 4:4-7 (God’s peace will result)!!!!!
Mt 14:28-31 (why did you doubt?)
Direction / Pray to “IT” not to the person who made me
*They have never known that ghastly luminosity, that stabbing and searing glare which makes the background of permanent pain to our lives / Pray to the God your Creator, not what you think Thou art, but what Thy knowest Thyself to be.
In the nakedness of your soul
Talk directly to God (Peter at sea)
God’s peace means no noises( no radio interference’s)
How Isaiah 62:6-7 / (Our Father who art in heaven)

“Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

Prayer is either an illusion or a personal contact between embryonic, incomplete person (ourselves) and the utterly concrete person. Prayer in the sense of petition, asking for things, is a small part of it; confession and penitence are its threshold, adoration its sanctuary, the presence and vision of God its bread and wine. CSL

Final Thought: Ask God to clear our consciences: I Cor 8:7 (seared consciences), promise of Hebrews 9:14,

Our response: Hebrews 10:22. Let us pray we will not become as I Tim 4:2 - Psalm 37:4 - But be faithful. Luke 16:10