| RPM, Volume 14, Number 29, July 15 to July 21, 2012 |
Prayeris a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soulto God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the HolySpirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to hisWord, for the good of the church, with submission in faith to thewill of God. Inthis description there are these seven things. Prayer is (1) asincere; (2) a sensible; (3) an affectionate, pouring out of the soulto God, through Christ; (4) by the strength or assistance of theSpirit; (5) for such things as God has promised, or, according to hisWord; (6) for the good of the church; (7) with submission in faith tothe will of God. 1.For the first of these, it is a sincere pouring out of the soul toGod. Sincerityis such a grace as runs through all the graces of God in us, andthrough all the actings of a Christian, and has the sway in them too,or else their actings are not regarded of God. David speaksparticularly of sincerity when he mentions prayer: ‘I cried untohim with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. If I regardiniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me (Ps. 66:17, 18). Partof the exercise of prayer is sincerity, without which God does notaccept it as prayer. (Ps. 16:1-4). ‘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 the prayers of those mentionedin Hos. 7:14, where he says, ‘They have not cried unto me withtheir heart,’ that is, in sincerity, ‘when they howled upon theirbeds.’ It is rather for a pretence, for a show in hypocrisy, to beseen of men, and applauded for the same that they pray. Sincerity wasthat which Christ commended in Nathaniel, when he was under the figtree. ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile’ (John1:47). Probably this good man was pouring out his soul to God inprayer under the fig tree, and that in a sincere and unfeigned spiritbefore the Lord. The prayer that has this in it as one of theprincipal ingredients is the prayer that God regards. Thus, ‘Theprayer of the upright is his delight’ (Prov. 15:8). Andwhy must sincerity be one of the essentials of prayer which isaccepted of God? Because sincerity carries the soul in all simplicityto open its heart to God, and to tell him the case plainly, withoutequivocation; to condemn itself plainly, without dissembling; to cryto God heartily, without complimenting. ‘I have surely heardEphraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I waschastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. (Jer. 31:18).Sincerity is the same in a corner alone, as it is before the face ofall the world. It knows not how to wear two masks, one for anappearance before men, and another for private use. It must have God,and be with him in the duty of prayer. It is not a lip-labour that itregards, for sincerity, like God, looks at the heart, and that iswhere prayer comes from, if it be true prayer. 2.It is a sincere and sensible pouring out of the heart or soul. Itis not, as many take it to be, a few babbling, prating, complimentaryexpressions, but a sensible feeling in the heart. Prayer has in it asensibleness of diverse things; sometimes sense of sin, sometimes ofmercy received, sometimes of the readiness of God to give mercy. (1)A sense of the want of mercy, by reason of the danger of sin. Thesoul, I say, feels, and from feeling sighs, groans, and breaks at theheart. For right prayer bubbles out of the heart when it is overcomewith grief and bitterness, as blood is forced out of the flesh byreason of some heavy burden that lies upon it (1 Sam. 1:10. Ps.69:3). David roars, cries, weeps, faints at heart, fails at the eyes,loses his moisture (Ps. 38:8-10). Hezekiah mourns like a dove (Is.38:14). Ephraim bemoans himself (Jer. 31:18). Peter weeps bitterly(Matt. 26:75). Christ has strong cryings and tears (Heb. 5:7.) Andall this from a sense of the justice of God, the guilt of sin, thepains 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 called I upon the name of the Lord’ (Ps. 116:3, 4). And inanother place, ‘My sore ran in the night’ (Ps. 77:2). Again, ‘Iam bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long’ (Ps. 38:6).In all these instances, you may see that prayer carries in it asensible feeling, and that first from a sense of sin. (2)Sometimes there is a sweet sense of mercy received; encouraging,comforting, strengthening, enlivening, enlightening mercy. Thus Davidpours out his soul, to bless, and praise, and admire the great Godfor his loving-kindness to such poor vile wretches. ‘Bless theLord, O my soul; and all that is within me bless his holy name. Blessthe Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Who forgivethall thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thylife from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving-kindness andtender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so thatthy youth is renewed like the eagle’s’ (Ps. 103:1-4). And thus isthe prayer of saints sometimes turned into praise and thanksgiving,and yet is still prayer. This is a mystery; God’s people pray withtheir praises, as it is written, ‘Be careful for nothing, but inevery thing by prayer, and supplication, with thanksgiving, let yourrequests be made known unto God’ (Phil. 4:6). A sensiblethanksgiving for mercies received is a mighty prayer in the sight ofGod; it prevails with him unspeakably. (3)In prayer there is sometimes in the soul a sense of mercy to bereceived. This again sets the soul aflame. ‘Thou, O Lord of hosts,’says David, ‘hast revealed to thy servant, saying I will build theean house; therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray untothee’ (2 Sam. 7:27). This provoked Jacob, David, Daniel, withothers, not by fits and starts, nor yet in a foolish frothy way, butmightily, fervently, and continually, to groan out their conditionsbefore the Lord, as being sensible of their wants, their misery, andthe willingness of God to show mercy (Gen. 32:10, 11; Dan. 9:3, 4). 3.Prayer is a sincere, sensible, and an affectionate pouring out of thesoul to God. (1)O, what heat. strength, life, vigour, and affection there is in trueprayer! ‘As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth mysoul after thee, O God’ (Ps. 42:1). ‘I have longed after thyprecepts’ (Ps. 119:40). ‘I have longed for thy salvation’ (Ps.119:174). ‘My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth, for the courts ofthe Lord; my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God’ (Ps.84:2). ‘My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thyjudgments at all times’ (Ps. 119:20). O what affection is herediscovered in prayer! You have the same in Daniel. ‘O Lord, hear; OLord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake,O my God’ (Dan. 9:19). Every syllable carries a mighty vehemency init. This is called the fervent, or the working prayer, by James. Andso again, ‘And being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly’ (Luke22:44). He had his affections more and more drawn out after God forhis helping hand. O how wide are the most of men with their prayersfrom this prayer! Alas! the greatest part of men make no conscienceat all of the duty; and as for them that do, it is to be feared thatmany of them are very great strangers to a sincere, sensible, andaffectionate pouring out their hearts or souls to God. They contentthemselves with a little lip-labour and bodily exercise, mumblingover a few imaginary prayers. When the affections are indeed engagedin prayer, then the whole man is engaged, and that in such sort thatthe soul will spend itself, as it were, rather than go without thatgood desired, even communion and solace with Christ. And hence it isthat the saints have spent their strength, and lost their lives,rather than go without the blessing (Ps. 69:3; 38. 9, 10; Gen. 32:24,26). Allthis is too evident by the ignorance, profaneness, and spirit of envythat reign in the hearts of those men that are so hot for the forms,and not the power of praying. Few among them know what it is to beborn again, to have communion with the Father through the Son; tofeel the power of grace sanctifying their hearts. For all theirprayers, they still live cursed, drunken, whorish, and abominablelives, full of malice, envy, deceit, persecuting the dear children ofGod. O what a dreadful judgment is coming upon them! a judgment fromwhich all their hypocritical assembling themselves together, with alltheir prayers, shall never be able to help them against, or shelterthem from. Prayeris a pouring out of the heart or soul. There is in prayer anunbosoming of a man’s self, an opening of the heart to God, anaffectionate pouring out of the soul in requests, sighs, and groans.‘All my desire is before thee,’ says David, ‘and my groaning isnot hid from thee’ (Ps. 38:9). And again, ‘My soul thirsteth forGod, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me’ (Ps. 42:2,4). Mark, ‘I pour out my soul.’ It is an expression signifyingthat in prayer there goes the very life and whole strength to God. Asin another place, ‘Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour outyour heart before him’ (Ps. 62:8). This is the prayer to which thepromise is made, for the delivering of a poor creature out ofcaptivity and thraldom. ‘If from thence thou shalt seek the Lordthy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart andwith all thy soul’ (Deut. 4:29). Again,prayer is a pouring out of the heart or soul to God. This shows alsothe excellency of the spirit of prayer. It is the great God to whichit goes. ‘When shall I come and appear before God ?’ And itargues that the soul that thus prays indeed, sees an emptiness in allthings under heaven; that in God alone there is rest and satisfactionfor the soul. ‘Now she that is a widow, indeed, and desolate,trusteth in God’ (1 Tim. 5:5). So says David, ‘In thee, O Lord,do I put my trust; let me never be put to confusion. Deliver me inthy righteousness, and cause me to escape; incline thine ear to me,and save me. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I maycontinually 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 thouart my hope, O Lord God, thou art my trust from my youth’ (Ps.71:1-5). Many speak of God; but right prayer makes God the hope,stay, and all. True prayer sees nothing substantial, and worth thelooking after, but God. And that, as I said before, it does in asincere, sensible, and affectionate way. Again,prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heartor soul to God, through Christ. This ‘through Christ’ must needsbe added, or else it must be questioned, whether it is prayer, thoughin appearance it be never so eminent and eloquent. Christis the way through whom the soul has admittance to God, and withoutwhom it is impossible that so much as one desire should come into theears of the Lord of Sabaoth (John 14:6). ‘If ye shall ask anythingin my name;’ whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, I willdo it.’ 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, hearthe prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy faceto 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, forthy Christ’s sake— ‘pardon mine iniquity, for it is great’(Ps. 25:11). But now it is not every one that makes mention ofChrist’s name in prayer that does indeed, and in truth, effectuallypray to God in the name of Christ, or through him. This coming to Godthrough Christ is the hardest part of prayer. A man may be sensibleof his condition, and sincerely desire mercy, and yet not be able tocome to God by Christ. The man that comes to God by Christ must firsthave the knowledge of him; ‘for he that cometh to God, must believethat he is’ (Heb. 11:6). And so he that comes to God throughChrist, must be enabled to know Christ. Lord, says Moses, ‘show menow thy way, that I may know thee’ (Ex. 32:13). ThisChrist, none but the Father can reveal (Matt. 11:27). And to comethrough Christ is for the sinner to be enabled of God to hide himselfunder the shadow of the Lord Jesus, as a man hides himself under athing for safeguard (Matt. 16:16). Hence it is that David so oftenterms Christ his shield, buckler, tower, fortress, rock of defence(Ps. 18:2; 27:1; 28:1). Not only because by him he overcame hisenemies, but because through him he found favour with God the Father.And so God says to Abraham, ‘Fear not, I am thy shield’ (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 hethat has faith is born of God, and so becomes one of the sons of God;by virtue of which he is joined to Christ, and made a member ofChrist (John 3:5, 7; 1:12). And, therefore, he, as a member ofChrist, comes to God; I say, as a member of Christ, so that God lookson that man as part of Christ, part of his body, flesh, and bones,united to him by election, conversion, enlightenment, the Spiritbeing conveyed into the heart of that man by God (Eph. 5:30). So thatnow he comes to God in Christ’s merits, in his blood,righteousness, victory, intercession, and so stands before him, being‘accepted in the Beloved’ (Eph. 1:6). And because this poorcreature is thus a member of the Lord Jesus, and under thisconsideration has admittance to God; therefore, by virtue of thisunion also is the Holy Spirit conveyed into him, whereby he is ableto pour out his soul before God. 4.Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate, pouring out of the heartor soul to God through Christ, by the strength or assistance of theSpirit. Thesethings so depend one upon another that it is impossible that itshould be prayer without a joint concurrence of them; for though itbe never so eloquent, yet without these things, it is only suchprayer 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 falls far short of ever soundingwell in the ears of God. So also, if it be not in the strength and bythe assistance of the Spirit, it is but like the sons of Aaron,offering strange fire (Lev. 10:1, 2). Isay that which is not petitioned through the teaching and assistanceof the Spirit cannot be ‘according to the will of God’ (Rom.8:26, 27). There is no man nor church in the world that can come toGod in prayer, but by the assistance of the Holy Spirit. ‘Forthrough Christ we all have access by one Spirit unto the Father’(Eph. 2:18). Wherefore Paul says, ‘For we know not what we shouldpray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession forus with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth thehearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makethintercession for the saints according to the will of God’ (Rom.8:26, 27). And because there is in this Scripture so full a discoveryof the spirit of prayer, and of man’s inability to pray without it;therefore I shall in a few words comment upon it. ‘Forwe.’ Consider first the person speaking, even Paul, and, in hisperson, all the apostles. We apostles, we extraordinary officers, thewise master-builders, some of whom have been caught up into paradise(Rom. 15:16; 1 Cor. 3:10; 2 Cor. 12:4). ‘We know not what we shouldpray for.’ Surely there is no man but will confess that Paul andhis companions were as able to have done any work for God, as anypope or proud prelate in the church of Rome, and could as well havemade a Common Prayer Book as those who at first composed this; asbeing not a whit behind them either in grace or gifts. ‘Forwe know not what we should pray for.’ We know not the matter of thethings for which we should pray, neither the object to whom we pray,nor the medium by or through whom we pray; none of these things knowwe, but by the help and assistance of the Spirit. Should we pray forcommunion with God through Christ? Should we pray for faith, forjustification by grace, and a truly sanctified heart? None of thesethings know we. ‘For what man knoweth the things of a man, save thespirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth noman, but the Spirit of God’ (1 Cor. 2:11). But here, alas! theapostles speak of inward and spiritual things, which the world knowsnot (Is. 29:11). Again,as they know not the matter of prayer, without the help of theSpirit; so neither know they the manner thereof without the same; andtherefore he adds, ‘We know not what we should pray for as weought;’ but the Spirit helps our infirmities, with sighs and groanswhich cannot be uttered. Mark here, they could not so well and sofully succeed in the manner of performing this duty, as these in ourdays think they can. Theapostles, when they were at the best, yea when the Holy Ghostassisted them, yet then they were fain to come off with sighs andgroans, falling short of expressing their mind, but with sighs andgroans which cannot be uttered. ‘Forwe know not what we should pray for as we ought.’ Mark this, ‘aswe ought.’ For the not thinking of this word, or at least the notunderstanding it in the spirit and truth of it, has occasioned somemen to devise, as Jeroboam did, another way of worship, both formatter and manner, than is revealed in the Word of God (1 Kgs.12:26-33). But, says Paul, we must pray as we ought; and this wecannot do by all the art, skill, cunning, and device of men orangels. ‘For we know not what we should pray for as we ought, butthe Spirit;’ nay, further, it must be ‘the Spirit itself’ thathelps our infirmities; not the Spirit and man’s lusts. What man ofhis own brain may imagine and devise, is one thing, and what they arecommanded, and ought to do, is another. Manyask and have not, because they ask amiss; and so are never the nearerthe enjoying of those things they petition for (Jas. 4:3). It is notto pray at random that will cause God to answer. While prayer ismaking, God is searching the heart to see from what root and spiritit arises (1 John 5:14). ‘And he that searcheth the heart knoweth,’that is, approves only, the meaning ‘of the Spirit, because hemaketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.’For in that which is according to his will only, he hears us, and innothing else. And it is the Spirit only that can teach us so to ask;it only being able to search out all things, even the deep things ofGod. Without which Spirit, though we had a thousand Common PrayerBooks, yet we know not what we should pray for as we ought, beingaccompanied with those infirmities that make us absolutely incapableof such a work. 5.Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart,or soul, to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance ofthe Spirit, for such things as God has promised (Matt. 6:6-8). Prayeris only true when it is within the compass of God’s Word; it isblasphemy, or at best vain babbling, when the petition is unrelatedto the Book. David therefore in his prayer kept his eye on the Wordof God. ‘My soul,’ says he, ‘cleaveth to the dust; quicken meaccording to thy word.’ And again, ‘My soul melteth forheaviness, strengthen thou me according unto thy word’ (Ps.119:25-28. See also verses 41,42, 58, 65, 74, 81, 82, 107, 147, 154,169, 170). And, ‘remember the word unto thy servant, upon whichthou hast caused me to hope’ (ver. 49). And indeed the Holy Ghostdoes not immediately quicken and stir up the heart of the Christianwithout, but by, with, and through the Word, by bringing that to theheart, and by opening that, whereby the man is provoked to go to theLord, and to tell him how it is with him; and also to argue, andsupplicate, according to the Word. Thus it was with Daniel thatmighty prophet of the Lord. He, understanding by books that thecaptivity of the children of Israel was nearing its end, then,according unto that word, he makes his prayer to God. ‘I Daniel,’says he, ‘understood by books,’ viz., the writings of Jeremiah,‘the number of the years whereof the word of the Lord came toJeremiah, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolationsof Jerusalem. And I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayerand supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes’ (Ch.9:2, 3). Asthe Spirit is the helper and the governor of the soul, when it praysaccording to the will of God; so it guides by and according to theWord of God and his promise. Hence it is that our Lord Jesus Christhimself did make a stop, although his life lay at stake for it. ‘Icould now pray to my Father, and he should give me more than twelvelegions of angels; but how then must the Scripture be fulfilled thatthus it must be?’ (Matt. 26:53, 54). Were there but a word for itin 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 thiskind of praying, for that says otherwise. Itis a praying then according to the Word and promise. The Spirit bythe Word must direct, in the manner, as well as in the matter ofprayer. ‘I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with theunderstanding also’ (1 Cor. 14:15). But there is no understandingwithout the Word. For if they reject the word of the Lord, ‘whatwisdom is in them?’ (Jer. 8:9.) 6.For the good of the Church. Thisclause covers whatsoever tends either to the honour of God, Christ’sadvancement, or his people’s benefit. For God, and Christ, and hispeople are so linked together that if the good of the one be prayedfor, the others must needs be included. As Christ is in the Father,so the saints are in Christ; and he that touches the saints, touchesthe apple of God’s eye. Therefore pray for the peace of Jerusalem,and you pray for all that is required of you. For Jerusalem willnever be in perfect peace until she be in heaven; and there isnothing that Christ more desires than to have her there. That also isthe place that God through Christ has given her. He then that praysfor the peace and good of Zion, or the church, asks that in prayerwhich Christ has purchased with his blood; and also that which theFather has given to him as the price thereof. Now he that prays forthis, must pray for abundance of grace for the church, for helpagainst all its temptations; that God would let nothing be too hardfor it; that all things might work together for its good; that Godwould keep his children blameless and harmless, the sons of God, tohis glory, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. And this isthe substance of Christ’s own prayer in John 17. And all Paul’sprayers run that way, as one of his prayers eminently shows: ‘Andthis I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more inknowledge, and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that areexcellent; that ye may be sincere, and without offence, till the dayof Christ. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which areby Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God’ (Phil. 1:11). Buta 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 thatin the most excellent frame of spirit, even without blame, sincere,and without offence, until the day of Christ, let its temptations orpersecutions be what they will (Eph. 1:16-21; 3:14-19; Col. 1:13). 7.And because, as I said, prayer submits to the will of God, and says,Thy will be done, as Christ has taught (Matt. 6:10); therefore thepeople of the Lord in all humility are to lay themselves and theirprayers, and all that they have, at the foot of their God, to bedisposed of by him as he in his heavenly wisdom sees best. Yet notdoubting but God will answer the desire of his people that way thatshall be most for their advantage and his glory. When the saintstherefore pray with submission to the will of God, it does not arguethat 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 sometimesSatan may get advantage of them, as to tempt them to pray for thatwhich, if they had it, would neither prove to God’s glory nor hispeople’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 ifwe know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have thepetitions that we desired of him,’ that is, we asking in the Spiritof grace and supplication (1 John 5:14, 15). For, as I said before,that petition that is not put up in and through the Spirit, is not tobe answered, because it is beside the will of God. For the Spiritonly knows that, and so consequently knows how to pray according tothat will of God. ‘For what man knoweth the things of a man, savethe spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knowethno man but the Spirit of God’ (1 Cor. 2:11). But more of thishereafter.
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