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Author
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Topic: WHAT PRAYER IS.
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WildB
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Member # 2917
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Confident in God’s Character
Psalm 86 is one of five psalms entitled Tephillahs or prayers. The predominant thrust of this psalm is prayer-personal, specific, intense prayer. Numerous things are noteworthy about the psalm. First, the dominant style of the writer is that of supplication-making requests of God. Second, in the psalm, three basic names for God are used: Yahweh, Adonai, and Elohim. Third, use of first person singular pronouns (I, me, my) more than thirty times underscores the highly personal nature of the psalm. Finally, we note how the psalmist David gave a reason for virtually everything he said, whether in petition or adoration. This is indicated by his use of “for” or “because” after offering a request or a statement of praise.
This psalm begins with a barrage of petitions: Bow down thine ear and hear me…Preserve me..Save me….Be merciful unto me….Rejoice the soul of thy servant. Prayer pours forth from David’s heart because he sees himself as poor and needy. Poor means “depressed in mind or circumstances, afflicted, humble, lowly.” Needy refers to a sense of want or destitution. David did well to see himself in this way when his sin separated him from God, and we should learn from his example. All of us are in deep need of things only God can supply.
It is not our natural tendency to recognize our needs. Sometimes, however, difficult circumstances will help us see how helpless we truly are. Life is tough and people are not physically, mentally, or emotionally capable of handling crises without God. As a deer thirsts for streams of water, so men and women long for and hunger for God. If an individual becomes willing, he eventually will pour out his soul to the Lord in heartfelt prayer. We see in Psalm 86 that David was in a perilous situation, for he lamented, I cry unto thee daily. Herein we see two of the otherwise hidden blessings of trials. First, they reveal a need for God we have had all along, and second, they compel us to call out to God for help.
A person’s understanding of prayer is shaped by his conception of the two parties involved, God and man. We have noted that David realized his need and the spiritual poverty that drove him to prayer. In addition, we see his humility and his recognition of his proper spiritual position as he twice calls himself thy servant.
Why would the psalmist talk to God? What are the bases for his assurance that God would hear and answer his prayers? First, we note his relationship to God-he calls out, O thou my God. My God underscores David was in a personal relationship with a living, covenant-keeping God. David declared he trusteth in thee; his hope was in the Lord. A trusting relationship implies understanding and communication exist between the two parties in the relationship. A second reason for David’s assurance is his confidence in God’s character. In truth, God’s character is the foundation for all our prayers. Recently my wife and I had a new roof put on our house. We interviewed and received estimates from several contractors. Because the cost did not vary much between any of them, our choice was based primarily on the faith we had in the character and presentation of the contractor we chose. Look more closely at how David describes God’s character:
-good-He is understanding, gracious, kind;
-ready to forgive-used only here, the term refers to One who would act to make things right, wanting to pardon and restore fellowship;
-plenteous in mercy-His faithful love overflows, is constant, never dries up, and always available.
David’s prayer reveals he understood he was talking to a loving God who was near, who listened to his prayers, and who was worthy of his complete trust. These attitudes should characterize Christians today. Brother Andrew, author of God’s Smuggler and founder of Open Doors, an international Christian ministry, writes of praying with sister in Christ and fellow Hollander Corrie ten Boom:
Corrie was a passionate intercessor, and her urgency and excitement were quite infectious. You couldn’t pray with her without being changed by the experience.
“Lord,” she would say-except she always prenounced it “Lort,” like a good Dutchwoman-“Lort, You must do something! There’s no time to waste!” And then she would tell the Lord very specifically and very straightforwardly what she wanted him to do. She spoke just the way she spoke to me, her old friend. Sometimes she would weep or laugh, sometimes she would argue her points quite fiercely, but always she was herself-and always she was totally honest. She held nothing back from God, and He seemed to hold nothing back from her.
Confident in God’s Character
David repeated his call for the Lord to hear him: Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer. He demonstrated a humble heart and a sense of urgency as he asked God to attend to the voice of my supplications. David knew an all-seeing, all-knowing God readily would hear the cries of His people, yet he still appealed to the Lord, in effect asking God to give his case high priority on the divine agenda.
David did not share details about the day of my trouble-perhaps he was facing foreign enemies, domestic problems, personal needs, or a combination of these, God had helped him in the past, however, so David knew He would respond again: thou wilt answer me.
David’s confidence that God would answer his prayer was strengthened because he knew the Lord cannot be compared with other gods.
From firsthand experience, David knew neither are there any works like unto God’s works and God is great, and doest wondrous things. God had delivered David from danger and met his needs many times. As is true today, the one true God was not known among all people-but David foresaw a day when the Lord will be glorified worldwide: All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord. God is great indeed.
Remembering all God has done in the past gives us confidence to bring out requests to Him in the present. Moreover, in knowing God’s character and His love for His people, our confidence in God’s response is bolstered further. Once I was in a prayer meeting with some retired pastors. One godly gentleman impressed me as he punctuated each transition between requests with the earnest words, “Lord Jesus.” I could tell he loved Jesus; what intimacy , sincerity, and confidence he had toward his Lord! Believers can pray with assurance God will hear and respond to them. No, God won’t always grant our requests in the ways and in the timing we desire, but not getting what we pray for does not mean God has failed to hear us or respond.
Confident in God’s Ways
People who pray have learned prayer brings them closer to God and enables them to know and do His will. You see, we pray hoping that our asking God will prompt Him to act-and certainly it does. But praying also has and effect on us. We cannot pray fervently and faithfully and remain unchanged.
Confident in God’s character and in God’s readiness to respond to his requests, David prayed. Teach me thy way, O Lord: I will walk in thy truth. Way refers to the behavior and actions of God-how He does things in the world. David prayed for instruction so that he would be even more faithful to the Lord. Again, walking closely with God paves the way for positive change in a person’s life. In another of David’s psalms appears this insightful statement: “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart”. Surely delighting in God affects a person’s priorities. Such are the ways of the Lord, and we can be confident in them.
( from another brthers post)
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That is all.....
Posts: 8775 | From: USA, MICHIGAN | Registered: Mar 2004
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Glory belongs to Him
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Prayer is the Key! Faith unlocks the Door!
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If you ever get so hungry for God that you are in pursuit of Him, He will do things for you that He won't do for anybody else.
Posts: 112 | From: USA | Registered: Oct 2008
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bluefrog
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A garden where things are growing. I love it !
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Found in Him
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Member # 7596
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Prayer to me is my Garden with the Lord. Many beautiful things have grown and flourished in that wonderful place. It's a one on one. A two way dialog of conversing with our Maker, Our Savior, Our Comfort, Our King of Kings!
After a few years of going to The Lord in prayer and praying for this and praying for that.. I realized that He wanted His turn to communicate ![[Smile]](smile.gif) That gave new meaning to: Be still and know that I am God!
What a privilege to know that He will meet us there! After all, what IS man that He is mindful of us?
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~To Him That is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy...to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.~ Jude 24
Posts: 1503 | Registered: Jan 2009
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becauseHElives
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Member # 87
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yahsway, Daniel, bluefrog ![[Kiss]](graemlins/Kiss.gif) ![[thumbsup2]](graemlins/thumbsup2.gif) ![[Prayer]](graemlins/prayer.gif) ![[Bible]](graemlins/bible.gif) ![[Cross]](graemlins/cross.gif) ![[type]](graemlins/type.gif)
the one thing we can , we must do for each other, for everyone is pray!
we may disagree from time to time, but as long as we can agree on one fact, we remain in Holy Unity and that fact is that Yahshua's,(Jesus's) Blood is the only means of Salvation (forgiveness) known to Yahweh, the one and only True God.
Bless you all, please pray for me, I pray for all on this board and one day hope to see you in Glory...
love in Christ
dale
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Strive to enter in at the strait gate:for many, I say unto you will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. ( Luke 13:24 )
Posts: 4578 | From: Southeast Texas | Registered: Jun 2002
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bluefrog
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I like to call Prayer The Pathway to Peace.
Prayer is talking to Jesus through a private wireless line of communication 24/7 with no hold buttons or recordings saying if in English push 1, or leave a message and the Lord will call you back, our hours are Monday thru Friday 9 to 5. Stuff like that. We are encouraged to call Him at any time, but of course I mean Pray to Him.
I haven't heard of anyone using all their hours of prayer time. Usually a person uses their prayer time to ask for something but prayer can be used as well just to praise him and give thanks. Kitchen floors are just as good as anywhere else to talk to God. You can cry to Him but I think He likes to hear you laugh as well.
Phillipians 4:6-7 6) Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God.
7)And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Of all these things we get anxious about He says not to be. So to handle it, you go to Him in prayer. He says with supplication which is simply a cry of humility and dependence on God.
In light of who He is you present your burden.
He goes on to say and Thanksgiving which means expressing your attitude toward God. Thank Him for your learning experience, what He is building in your life, for the tools He is using.
Give thanks for deliverence from the situation because without that you are in doubt are you not? If you had a confrontation with the Devil you wouldn't thank God for that.
When confronted with an out of control problem, don't just stand there saying "God is in control", do something about it. If you can't work it out on your own take it to God.
Something that turns my stomach is the old saying, "God is in Control". That saying is so over used and misunderstood that it best tells that the one who just said it doesn't know it's meaning. Of Course God is in control, but if He uses His control like they usually mean we best keep our robot batteries checked frequently.
So, that's a basic run down of what prayer is according to this ole' frog. Tell Him "HI" for me next time you go a callin. Rivit
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oneinchrist
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I am convinced that in our prayers it is important to humble ourselves in a SINCERE dependence on Gods strength to fight the good fight. I also believe it very important that we are SINCERE in our willingness to obey Him no matter what He may have us do.
These are two ways in which I believe our sincerity is measured.
With love in Christ, Daniel
Posts: 1389 | From: Wind Lake, WI | Registered: May 2007
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yahsway
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Oh My! I just love this post becauseHeLives! And youknow what? Yahweh Hears those ypes of prayers. I know, for like the #1 in your post, I have been there.
Crying out for mercy, on my face, literally, on my kitchen floor, no one around.
Several weeks later, at a prayer service at the church i attended at that time, I went to the alter and a lady i did not know came up to me and said she had a word from "The Lord".
She asked me if i believed in that sort of thing and I replied "Yes, I will know if it is from Him."
She went on to tell me this:
"The Lord heard your cries for mercy when you were on your face on your kitchen floor, He loves you and does extend that mercy to you, do you believe?"
Needless to say you could have knocked me over with a feather. NO one, i mean absolutely no one, not even my husband knew of my crying out to Yahweh, lying on my kitchen floor.
I was so overjoyed, to know that My God, truly does hear our prayers! How awesome is our God!
Posts: 1238 | From: Tennessee | Registered: Aug 2004
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becauseHElives
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Member # 87
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WHAT PRAYER IS.
FIRST, What [true] prayer is. Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God hath promised, or according to the Word, for the good of the church, with submission, in faith, to the will of God.
In this description are these seven things. First, It is a sincere; Second, A sensible; Third, An affectionate, pouring out of the soul to God, through Christ; Fourth, By the strength or assistance of the Spirit; Fifth, For such things as God hath promised, or, according to his word; Sixth, For the good of the church; Seventh, With submission in faith to the will of God.
First. For the first of these, it is a SINCERE pouring out of the soul to God. Sincerity is such a grace as runs through all the graces of God in us, and through all the actings of a Christian, and hath the sway in them too, or else their actings are not any thing regarded of God, and so of and in prayer, of which particularly David speaks, when he mentions prayer. "I cried unto him," the Lord "with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear" my prayer (Psa 66:17,18). Part of the exercise of prayer is sincerity, without which God looks not upon it as prayer in a good sense (Psa 16:1-4). Then "ye shall seek me and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (Jer 29:12-13). The want of this made the Lord reject their prayers in Hosea 7:14, where he saith, "They have not cried unto me with their heart," that is, in sincerity, "when they howled upon their beds." But for a pretence, for a show in hypocrisy, to be seen of men, and applauded for the same, they prayed. Sincerity was that which Christ commended in Nathaniel, when he was under the fig tree. "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile." Probably this good man was pouring out of his soul to God in prayer under the fig tree, and that in a sincere and unfeigned spirit before the Lord. The prayer that hath this in it as one of the principal ingredients, is the prayer that God looks at. Thus, "The prayer of the upright is his delight" (Prov 15:8).
And why must sincerity be one of the essentials of prayer which is accepted of God, but because sincerity carries the soul in all simplicity to open its heart to God, and to tell him the case plainly, without equivocation; to condemn itself plainly, without dissembling; to cry to God heartily, without complimenting. "I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou has chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke" (Jer 31:18). Sincerity is the same in a corner alone, as it is before the face of the world. It knows not how to wear two vizards, one for an appearance before men, and another for a short snatch in a corner; but it must have God, and be with him in the duty of prayer. It is not lip-labour that it doth regard, for it is the heart that God looks at, and that which sincerity looks at, and that which prayer comes from, if it be that prayer which is accompanied with sincerity.
Second. It is a sincere and SENSIBLE pouring out of the heart or soul. It is not, as many take it to be, even a few babbling, prating, complimentary expressions, but a sensible feeling there is in the heart. Prayer hath in it a sensibleness of diverse things; sometimes sense of sin, sometimes of mercy received, sometimes of the readiness of God to give mercy, &c.
1. A sense of the want of mercy, by reason of the danger of sin. The soul, I say, feels, and from feeling sighs, groans, and breaks at the heart. For right prayer bubbleth out of the heart when it is overpressed with grief and bitterness, as blood is forced out of the flesh by reason of some heavy burden that lieth upon it (I Sam 1:10; Psa 69:3). David roars, cries, weeps, faints at heart, fails at the eyes, loseth his moisture, &c., (Psa 38:8-10). Hezekiah mourns like a dove (Isa 38:14). Ephraim bemoans himself (Jer 31:18). Peter weeps bitterly (Matt 26:75). Christ hath strong cryings and tears (Heb 5:7). And all this from a sense of the justice of God, the guilt of sin, the pains of hell and destruction. "The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow." Then cried I unto the Lord (Psa 116:3,4). And in another place, "My sore ran in the night" (Psa 77:2). Again, "I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long" (Psa 38:6). In all these instances, and in hundreds more that might be named, you may see that prayer carrieth in it a sensible feeling disposition, and that first from a sense of sin.
2. Sometimes there is a sweet sense of mercy received; encouraging, comforting, strengthening, enlivening, enlightening mercy, &c. Thus David pours out his soul, to bless, and praise, and admire the great God for his loving- kindness to such poor vile wretches. "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.[6] Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving- kindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Psa 103:1-5). And thus is the prayer of saints sometimes turned into praise and thanksgiving, and yet are prayers still. This is a mystery; God's people pray with their praises, as it is written, "Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer, and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God" (Phil 4:6). A sensible thanksgiving, for mercies received, is a mighty prayer in the sight of God; it prevails with him unspeakably.
3. In prayer there is sometimes in the soul a sense of mercy to be received. This again sets the soul all on a flame. "Thou, O lord of hosts," saith David, "hast revealed to thy servant, saying I will build thee an house; therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray - unto thee" (II Sam 7:27). This provoked Jacob, David, Daniel, with others—even a sense of mercies to be received—which caused them, not by fits and starts, nor yet in a foolish frothy way, to babble over a few words written in a paper; but mightily, fervently, and continually, to groan out their conditions before the Lord, as being sensible, sensible, I say, of their wants, their misery, and the willingness of God to show mercy (Gen 32:10,11; Dan 9:3,4).
A good sense of sin, and the wrath of God, with some encouragement from God to come unto him, is a better Common-prayer-book than that which is taken out of the Papistical mass-book,[7] being the scraps and fragments of the devices of some popes, some friars, and I wot not what.
Third. Prayer is a sincere, sensible, and an AFFECTIONATE pouring out of the soul to God. O! the heat, strength, life, vigour, and affection, that is in right prayer! "As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God" (Psa 42:1). "I have longed after thy precepts" (Psa 119:40). "I have longed for thy salvation" (ver 174). "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God" (Psa 84:2). "My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times" (Psa 119:20). Mark ye here, "My soul longeth," it longeth, it longeth, &c. O what affection is here discovered in prayer! The like you have in Daniel. "O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God" (Dan 9:19). Every syllable carrieth a mighty vehemency in it. This is called the fervent, or the working prayer, by James. And so again, "And being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly" (Luke 22:44). Or had his affections more and more drawn out after God for his helping hand. O! How wide are the most of men with their prayers from this prayer, that is, PRAYER in God's account! Alas! The greatest part of men make no conscience at all of the duty; and as for them that do, it is to be feared that many of them are very great strangers to a sincere, sensible, and affectionate pouring out their hearts or souls to God; but even content themselves with a little lip-labour and bodily exercise, mumbling over a few imaginary prayers. When the affections are indeed engaged in prayer, then, then the whole man is engaged, and that in such sort, that the soul will spend itself to nothing, as it were, rather than it will go without that good desired, even communion and solace with Christ. And hence it is that the saints have spent their strengths, and lost their lives, rather than go without the blessing (Psa 69:3; 38:9,10; Gen 32:24,26).
All this is too, too evident by the ignorance, profaneness, and spirit of envy, that reign in the hearts of those men that are so hot for the forms, and not the power of praying. Scarce one of forty among them know what it is to be born again, to have communion with the Father through the Son; to feel the power of grace sanctifying their hearts: but for all their prayers, they still live cursed, drunken, whorish, and abominable lives, full of malice, envy, deceit, persecuting of the dear children of God. O what a dreadful after-clap is coming upon them! which all their hypocritical assembling themselves together, with all their prayers, shall never be able to help them against, or shelter them from.
Again, It is a pouring out of the heart or soul. There is in prayer an unbosoming of a man's self, an opening of the heart to God, an affectionate pouring out of the soul in requests, sighs, and groans. "All my desire is before thee," saith David, "and my groaning is not hid from thee" (Psa 38:9). And again, "My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me" (Psa 42:2,4). Mark, "I pour out my soul." It is an expression signifying, that in prayer there goeth the very life and whole strength to God. As in another place, "Trust in him at all times; ye people, - pour out your heart before him" (Psa 62:8). This is the prayer to which the promise is made, for the delivering of a poor creature out of captivity and thralldom. "If from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul" (Deut 4:29).
Again, It is a pouring out of the heart or soul TO GOD. This showeth also the excellency of the spirit of prayer. It is the great God to which it retires. "When shall I come and appear before God?" And it argueth, that the soul that thus prayeth indeed, sees an emptiness in all things under heaven; that in God alone there is rest and satisfaction for the soul. "Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God" (I Tim 5:5). So saith David, "In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape; incline thine ear to me, and save me. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: - for thou art my rock and my fortress; deliver me, O my God, - out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. For thou art my hope, O Lord God, thou art my trust from my youth" (Psa 71:1-5). Many in a wording way speak of God; but right prayer makes God his hope, stay, and all. Right prayer sees nothing substantial, and worth the looking after, but God. And that, as I said before, it doth in a sincere, sensible, and affectionate way.
Again, It is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, THROUGH CHRIST. This through Christ must needs be added, or else it is to be questioned, whether it be prayer, though in appearance it be never so eminent or eloquent.
Christ is the way through whom the soul hath admittance to God, and without whom it is impossible that so much as one desire should come into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth (John 14:6). "If ye shall ask anything in my name"; "whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, I will do it" (John 14:13,14). This was Daniel's way in praying for the people of God; he did it in the name of Christ. "Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake" (Dan 9:17). And so David, "For thy name's sake," that is, for thy Christ's sake, "pardon mine iniquity, for it is great" (Psa 25:11). But now, it is not every one that maketh mention of Christ's name in prayer, that doth indeed, and in truth, effectually pray to God in the name of Christ, or through him. This coming to God through Christ is the hardest part that is found in prayer. A man may more easily be sensible of his works, ay, and sincerely too desire mercy, and yet not be able to come to God by Christ. That man that comes to God by Christ, he must first have the knowledge of him; "for he that cometh to God, must believe that he is" (Heb 11:6). And so he that comes to God through Christ, must be enabled to know Christ. Lord, saith Moses, "show me now thy way, that I may know thee" (Exo 33:13).
This Christ, none but the Father can reveal (Matt 11:27). And to come through Christ, is for the soul to be enabled of God to shroud itself under the shadow of the Lord Jesus, as a man shroudeth himself under a thing for safeguard (Matt 16:16).[8] Hence it is that David so often terms Christ his shield, buckler, tower, fortress, rock of defence, &c., (Psa 18:2; 27:1; 28:1). Not only because by him he overcame his enemies, but because through him he found favour with God the Father. And so he saith to Abraham, "Fear not, I am thy shield," &c., (Gen 15:1). The man then that comes to God through Christ, must have faith, by which he puts on Christ, and in him appears before God. Now he that hath faith is born of God, born again, and so becomes one of the sons of God; by virtue of which he is joined to Christ, and made a member of him (John 3:5,7; 1:12). And therefore, secondly he, as a member of Christ, comes to God; I say, as a member of him, so that God looks on that man as a part of Christ, part of his body, flesh, and bones, united to him by election, conversion, illumination, the Spirit being conveyed into the heart of that poor man by God (Eph 5:30). So that now he comes to God in Christ's merits, in his blood, righteousness, victory, intercession, and so stands before him, being "accepted in his Beloved" (Eph 1:6). And because this poor creature is thus a member of the Lord Jesus, and under this consideration hath admittance to come to God; therefore, by virtue of this union also, is the Holy Spirit conveyed into him, whereby he is able to pour out himself, to wit, his soul, before God, with his audience. And this leads me to the next, or fourth particular.
Fourth. Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate, pouring out of the heart or soul to God through Christ, by the strength or ASSISTANCE OF THE SPIRIT. For these things do so depend one upon another, that it is impossible that it should be prayer, without there be a joint concurrence of them; for though it be never so famous, yet without these things, it is only such prayer as is rejected of God. For without a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart to God, it is but lip-labour; and if it be not through Christ, it falleth far short of ever sounding well in the ears of God. So also, if it be not in the strength and assistance of the Spirit, it is but like the sons of Aaron, offering with strange fire (Lev 10:1,2). But I shall speak more to this under the second head; and therefore in the meantime, that which is not petitioned through the teaching and assistance of the Spirit, it is not possible that it should be "according to the will of God (Rom 8:26,27).
Fifth. Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart, or soul, to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Spirit, FOR SUCH THINGS AS GOD HATH PROMISED, &c., (Matt 6:6-8). Prayer it is, when it is within the compass of God's Word; and it is blasphemy, or at best vain babbling, when the petition is beside the book. David therefore still in his prayer kept his eye on the Word of God. "My soul," saith he, "cleaveth to the dust; quicken me according to thy word." And again, "My soul melteth for heaviness, strengthen thou me according unto thy word" (Psa 119:25-28; see also 41, 42, 58, 65, 74, 81, 82, 107, 147, 154, 169, 170). And, "remember thy word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope" (ver 49). And indeed the Holy Ghost doth not immediately quicken and stir up the heart of the Christian without, but by, with, and through the Word, by bringing that to the heart, and by opening of that, whereby the man is provoked to go to the Lord, and to tell him how it is with him, and also to argue, and supplicate, according to the Word; thus it was with Daniel, that mighty prophet of the Lord. He understanding by books that the captivity of the children of Israel was hard at an end; then, according unto that word, he maketh his prayer to God. "I Daniel," saith he, "understood by books," viz., the writings of Jeremiah, "the number of the years whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, - that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes" (Dan 9:2,3). So that I say, as the Spirit is the helper and the governor of the soul, when it prayeth according to the will of God; so it guideth by and according to, the Word of God and his promise. Hence it is that our Lord Jesus Christ himself did make a stop, although his life lay at stake for it. I could now pray to my Father, and he should give me more than twelve legions of angels; but how then must the scripture be fulfilled that thus it must be? (Matt 26:53,54). As who should say, Were there but a word for it in the scripture, I should soon be out of the hands of mine enemies, I should be helped by angels; but the scripture will not warrant this kind of praying, for that saith otherwise. It is a praying then according to the Word and promise. The Spirit by the Word must direct, as well in the manner, as in the matter of prayer. "I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also" (I Cor 14:15). But there is no understanding without the Word. For if they reject the word of the Lord, "what wisdom is in them?" (Jer 8:9).
Sixth. FOR THE GOOD OF THE CHURCH. This clause reacheth in whatsoever tendeth either to the honour of God, Christ's advancement, or his people's benefit. For God, and Christ, and his people are so linked together that if the good of the one be prayed for, to wit, the church, the glory of God, and advancement of Christ, must needs be included. For as Christ is in the Father, so the saints are in Christ; and he that toucheth the saints, toucheth the apple of God's eye; and therefore pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and you pray for all that is required of you. For Jerusalem will never be in perfect peace until she be in heaven; and there is nothing that Christ doth more desire than to have her there. That also is the place that God through Christ hath given to her. He then that prayeth for the peace and good of Zion, or the church, doth ask that in prayer which Christ hath purchased with his blood; and also that which the Father hath given to him as the price thereof. Now he that prayeth for this, must pray for abundance of grace for the church, for help against all its temptations; that God would let nothing be too hard for it; and that all things might work together for its good, that God would keep them blameless and harmless, the sons of God, to his glory, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. And this is the substance of Christ's own prayer in John 17. And all Paul's prayers did run that way, as one of his prayers doth eminently show. "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge, and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere, and without offence, till the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God" (Phil 1:9-11). But a short prayer, you see, and yet full of good desires for the church, from the beginning to the end; that it may stand and go on, and that in the most excellent frame of spirit, even without blame, sincere, and without offence, until the day of Christ, let its temptations or persecutions be what they will (Eph 1:16-21; 3:14-19; Col 1:9- 13).
Seventh. And because, as I said, prayer doth SUBMIT TO THE WILL OF GOD, and say, Thy will be done, as Christ hath taught us (Matt 6:10); therefore the people of the Lord in humility are to lay themselves and their prayers, and all that they have, at the foot of their God, to be disposed of by him as he in his heavenly wisdom seeth best. Yet not doubting but God will answer the desire of his people that way that shall be most for their advantage and his glory. When the saints therefore do pray with submission to the will of God, it doth not argue that they are to doubt or question God's love and kindness to them. But because they at all times are not so wise, but that sometimes Satan may get that advantage of them, as to tempt them to pray for that which, if they had it, would neither prove to God's glory nor his people's good. "Yet this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us; and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him," that is, we asking in the Spirit of grace and supplication (I John 5:14,15). For, as I said before, that petition that is not put up in and through the Spirit, it is not to be answered, because it is beside the will of God. For the Spirit only knoweth that, and so consequently knoweth how to pray according to that will of God. "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God" (I Cor 2:11). But more of this hereafter. Thus you see, first, what prayer is. Now to proceed.
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Strive to enter in at the strait gate:for many, I say unto you will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. ( Luke 13:24 )
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