True prayer is cooperative. You can not justly ask God to relieve you of responsibility. You can ask Him to make the way clear for you, to give you desire and diligence to work, to endow you with the power required to fulfill your duties and obligations, but prayer is not a substitute for personal effort. Your petition to God must first be honorable, followed by sincere and intelligent cooperation on your part.
Every honest prayer is answered, though not always in the precise way you desire. The immediate value of prayer is manifest in its invigorating and uplifting influence upon those who pray, but the larger effect of such prayer can only be understood by the omniscient God. True prayer is open-minded, cooperative, confident, and submissive.
