Prayer – “it is so essential to Christianity, that you might as reasonably expect to find a living man without breath, as a true Christian without the spirit of prayer and supplication.” So writes George Whitefield in his message, “Intercession—Every Christian’s Duty.”
Yet strangely, prayer is often one of the most neglected disciplines in the Christian life. This seems to be especially true among believers that hold to a more Reformed view of God’s sovereignty. In these circles, many often wonder about the effectiveness of prayer since God has already determined and decreed whatever happens before the beginning of time. But Jesus taught his disciples to ask, “Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you shall received that your joy may be made full” (John 16:24). James likewise tells us, “Ye have not because ye ask not” (James 4:2). Clearly passages like this remind us of the importance of praying. In this issue, John Calvin’s essay on Prayer addresses many of these concerns.
For others, Spurgeon’s two sermons may provide much needed encouragement in the area of prayer. In the “The Golden Key of Prayer,” Spurgeon reminds us of the importance of calling upon the Lord in prayer. His “Comfort for Those Whose Prayers Are Feeble” is an excellent encouragement for those who struggle in prayer.
We have also included two articles that provide some practical exhortation on prayer. Whitefield’s sermon on Intercession challenges believers to become involved in the work of prayer and Pink’s “Family Worship” provides a call to believers to consider meeting together and praying together as a family.
Most important in this issue on prayer are the two articles on the nature of God, one by Jonathan Edwards and the other by A. W. Pink. At the heart of any theology of prayer is a right theology of God. In both of these articles, we are reminded of the type of God to whom we pray—He is a “Prayer-Hearing God” and “The God of All Grace.” Both keep us god-centered in our view of prayer.
We hope this issue provides you an encouragement to pray—boldly, regularly, and expectantly. But no greater encouragement is really needed than the invitation of our Father, “Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things that thou knowest not.”
By His Grace, Jim & Debbie
