Having addressed to his fellow-ministers about their heart, life, and prayers first, now, Abraham Booth addressed to his fellow-worshippers.

1. To those who are silent worshippers

It is evident from the nature of things that prayer in the present state is an indispensable duty and essential to real godliness. Totally to neglect it, therefore, suits the character of none but an atheist because it is a tacit denial of the divine dominion and the divine existence. Nor is prayer, whether social (public) or secret (private), whether stated (planned, as a regular prayer meeting), occasional (used as demanded by an event or occasion), or ejaculatory (short, impromptu prayers), a mere duty. It is also a privilege. Yes, on evangelical principles, it is a very important privilege. For it is a grand means of spiritual edification or of invigorating the graces of Christianity when produced in our hearts. No ordinance of holy worship nor any exercise of the human mind is more adapted to cultivate the principles of real piety in any person that is born again. It must therefore be considered as an admirable means of promoting holiness and of increasing happiness in this evil world.

Solemn and frequent prayer is adapted, for instance, to maintain on the mind a devout sense of our entire dependence on God, of His dominion over us; and of our accountableness to Him as the moral Governor of the world; to excite reverence of His majesty, His justice, and His purity; to promote the exercise of self-abasement, of contrition, or of godly sorrow for sin before Him; to endear the atonement and intercession of Jesus, being conscious that we are sinners and knowing that He to Whom we pray is a consuming fire; to increase our desire of sanctifying influence and of conformity to the Redeemer’s image; to prepare our hearts for a thankful reception of the blessings that are necessary for us; to promote, by interceding for others, the exercise of brotherly love to real Christians, and of the social, benevolent affections toward all mankind; to habituate and familiarize ourselves in filial communion with God; to be a means of enjoying those heavenly foretastes, those refined pleasures, which nothing but fellowship with the Father and the Son can possibly afford; to prepare us, as well for arduous duties as for painful conflicts here; and to mature us for a joyful departure hence into the state of celestial blessedness. For, as before observed, “He who prays as he ought, will endeavor to live as he prays.”

Such being the happy tendencies of real prayer to promote the vigor of true piety, were our hearts perfectly right with God, all our mental powers and all the energies of our souls would unite their exertions from day to day at the throne of grace. But though at some bright intervals in our devotions we feel ourselves near to God and our hearts enlarged with holy affections toward Him as revealed in Jesus; though at such seasons, we behold His glory, are delighted in His presence, and sink, as it were, into nothing before Him, rejoicing that He reigns, that we are in His hands, that He always executes His own pleasure, that our immortal happiness depends entirely on His favor, and that He is the eternal all - yet, alas, how soon are those happy moments elapsed! Nay, my brethren, too frequently, when addressing the Father of mercies, our minds are dark, and our pious affections are dormant. The sources of godly sorrow seem to be exhausted, and the joys of communion with our heavenly Father are far from us. We treat Him without reverence, without confidence, and without delight, as, if He were little superior to a dumb idol that neither cares nor knows how he is worshipped. Thus we make work for bitter grief and sorrowful confessions. Or if not sunk so low in devotional exercises, our thoughts are frequently so volatile, so unmanageable, and so wandering. Our endeavors to rouse the principles of devotion into exercise are so feeble and so inefficacious that there is very little which savors of true piety in our prayers except the conflict with our own corruptions and perhaps a concluding, “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13), or the ardent exclamation of an apostle: “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). Such is the undistorted representation of the manner in which our devotional duties are too frequently discharged!

But shall I, my brethren, or shall you, when conscious of these abominations in our prayers, content ourselves with saying, “Alas, we are so depraved that without divine assistance we cannot do otherwise without watching, supplicating, agonizing against them?” Far be it! The fault is in us, even in our very hearts; and, therefore, we should take the shame. The blame belongs to us, and therefore we should condemn ourselves. Instead, then, of consoling ourselves, when, convicted of such evils, by referring to the language of our Lord, “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5), we should first endeavor to humble ourselves in the dust before God on account of that innate corruption which renders divine assistance absolutely necessary for us and then seek the encouragement that is exhibited by sovereign grace.

The following is a citation from Charles Spurgeon’s message based on Luke 22:32, “I have prayed for thee”:

How encouraging is the thought of the Redeemer’s never-ceasing intercession for us. When we pray, He pleads for us; and when we are not praying, He is advocating our cause, and by His supplications shielding us from unseen dangers. Notice the word of comfort addressed to Peter - “Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat; but” - what? “But go and pray for yourself.” That would be good advice, but it is not so written. Neither does he say, “But I will keep you watchful, and so you shall be preserved.” That were a great blessing. No, it is, “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.” We little know what we owe to our Saviour’s prayers. When we reach the hill-tops of heaven, and look back upon all the way whereby the Lord our God hath led us, how we shall praise him who, before the eternal throne, undid the mischief which Satan was doing upon earth. How shall we thank Him because He never held His peace, but day and night pointed to the wounds upon His hands, and carried our names upon his breastplate! Even before Satan had begun to tempt, Jesus had forestalled him and entered a plea in heaven. Mercy outruns malice. Mark, he does not say, “Satan hath desired to have you.” He checks Satan even in his very desire, and nips it in the bud. He does not say, “But I have desired to pray for you.” No, but “I have prayed for you: I have done it already; I have gone to court and entered a counterplea even before an accusation is made.” O Jesus, what a comfort it is that thou hast pleaded our cause against our unseen enemies; countermined their mines, and unmasked their ambushes. Here is a matter for joy, gratitude, hope, and confidence.

Prayerless pews make powerless pulpits.

Too many want God to change things and people when they pray, but they are not willing to let God change them.

More Lively Hope

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