Why did they pray so much?

Read books about prayer and you'll find stories of people who prayed hour after hour and seemed obsessed with prayer.

E.M. Bounds, a Chaplain during the Civil War, wrote about such people (read anything you can find by Bounds). In his book called Power Through Prayer, he told about John Welch, a Scottish preacher, who thought his day was wasted if he didn't pray eight to ten hours.

And Bounds told about Charles Simeon who prayed from 4:00 until 8:00 AM each day. And John Wesley, who prayed two hours each day, beginning at 4:00 AM. And John Fletcher who prayed so much that he stained the wallpaper in his room with his warm breath as he leaned against it night after night.

Remarkable! But why did these people pray so much? Was it from some warped legalistic psyche? Were they trying to earn something? Didn't they understand grace? Were they obsessed? (Or obsessive-compulsive?)

I think they prayed that much for a simple reason... they wanted to.

And I think Jesus would approve. "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed" (Mark 1:35 NIV).

Jesus "scheduled" his prayer time... early, often and at length. "One of those days Jesus went out on a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God." (Luke 6:12 NIV). After praying all night long, he chose the Twelve.

I wonder if those who seem abnormally obsessed with prayer (conversation with God) actually appear normal to Him?