“The secret of the success of Dr. Morrison as a missionary leader is found in the opening words of his diary wherein he dedicated himself in prayer to God. This remarkably simple and earnest prayer is quoted in full as it will give the reader an insight into his devotional life. If we bear the several petitions constantly in mind, we shall see how they were fulfilled and answered in his daily life.

‘This day I leave home and mother, brothers and sisters, and many hallowed memories of home and native land and go far hence to the Gentiles in obedience to the command of my Master. ‘Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.’ This desire came to me, through the peculiar dispensation of God’s providence, about eighteen months ago. I have every reason to believe that it was in answer to the prayers of some little children in Louisville, Ky. As I enter upon this great and trying work my prayer is — O God, I beseech thee to give me an abundant outpouring of the Holy Spirit, making my own life an open gospel, an epistle known and read of all men. I pray for Thy richest blessing to rest upon the people to whom I shall preach the unsearchable riches of Christ; open their darkened understandings, may Thy truth have free course and may many be brought into the fold of Christ through the gospel that I may be instrumental in preaching. O God, pour out Thy Spirit upon Darkest Africa, and may the long night be broken and may the brightness of the Sun of Righteousness soon illuminate that benighted land.

Bless the laborers in the field and richly reward their service for Thee.

Give me, O God, health of body, vigor of mind and above all purity of heart. Help me to bear the burdens, keep me ever humble, enable me to love all men, give unto me wisdom and discretion — Thou hast promised that those who ask Thee for wisdom Thou wilt give liberally — verify this promise unto me.

Keep me during the perils of the voyage, deliver me from dangers seen and unseen, and may I arrive at my destination sound in body and in every way fitted for the preaching of the Gospel.

O Lord, help me to overcome the sins of my life — the besetting sins — may I be able to mortify the deeds of the flesh and to grow more and more in all the Christian graces. O, for a purer, holier, nobler, loftier, more Christlike life!

Bless in an especial manner my mother — comfort her heart, give her the consolations of the Gospel and may she experience a rich out-pouring of Thy Spirit in her heart. Give special blessings at this time to all my brothers and sisters and may their lives be given fully to Thee. I thank Thee that they have all confessed Thee as their Saviour.

O Lord, I pray for the church universal and I pray for the world universal. Open Thy truth to all and enable me to behold wondrous things out of Thy law — help me to search the Scriptures and give me ah understanding heart. I ask these things not for my own sake but solely for Christ’s sake, whose atoning blood has washed away my stain and renders it possible for me to approach unto the throne of grace and ask these blessings. Amen.’” — T.C. Vinson, William McCutchan Morrison: Twenty Years in Central Africa (1921), pp. 14-15