How often do you pray?  Today that answer is typically, “not enough”.  It seems that McCheyne also felt that his prayer life was lacking.  After a three week period of sickness, where Robert was laid up in bed, he penned these words about prayer:

“…how reluctant we are [in prayer].  I cannot doubt that boldness if offered me to enter into the holiest of all; I cannot doubt my right and title to enter continually by the new and bloody way; I cannot doubt that when I do enter in, I stand not only forgiven, but accepted in the Beloved; I cannot doubt that when I do enter in, the Spirit is wiling and ready to descend like a dove, “enabling me to pray in the Holy Ghost”; and that Jesus is ready to rise up as my intercessor with the Father, praying for me though not for the world; and that the prayer-hearing God is ready to bend his ear to requests which He delights to hear and answer; I cannot doubt that thus to dwell in God is the true blessedness of my nature; and yet, strange unaccountable creature!  I am too often unwilling to enter in.  I go about and about the sanctuary, and I sometimes press in through the [torn curtain], and see the blessedness of dwelling there to be far better than that of tents of wickedness; yet it is certain that I do not dwell within.” 

This is an amazing reminder of what has been opened for us in prayer as well as a great encouragement to dwell in that blessed state of prayer.