“Prayer in the church is the steam engine which makes the wheels revolve, and really does the work, and therefore we cannot do without it. Suppose a foreman were employed by some great builder, and sent out to manage works at a distance. He has to pay the men their wages weekly, and he is very diligent in doing so; he neglects none of his duty towards the men, but he forgets to communicate with head-quarters, he neither writes to his employer, nor goes to the bank for cash to go on with. Is this wise? When the next pay-night comes round, I am afraid he will find that, however diligent he may have been towards the men, he will be in a queer position, for he will have no silver or gold to hand out, because he has forgotten to apply to head-quarters. Now, brethren, the minister does, as it were, distribute the portions to the people, but if he does not apply to his Master to get them he will have nothing to distribute. Never sunder the connection between your soul and God. Keep up a constant communication with heaven, or your communications with earth will be of little worth. To cease from prayer is to stop the vital stream upon which all your energy is dependent; you may go on preaching and teaching, and giving away tracts, and what you like, but nothing can possibly come of it when the power of Almighty God has ceased to be with you.”

–Spurgeon, “A Special Prayer-Meeting,” MTP 21:1274 (1875)