H.B. Charles Jr. - “The Pilgrim’s Prayer: Your Kingdom Come”

The message was delivered at the Truth in Love Conference at Founders Baptist Church in Spring, Tx: 

Prayer is a Weapon

Prayer is the soul's weapon, and is it not a grief to lack a weapon in our spiritual warfare? Prayer is the soul's ornament, the excellent garment of a Christian; and is it not an affliction, to be without this garment, and to be found naked? Prayer is the Christians element; and as the fish lives in the water as in its element, and dies when it is out of it, so a Christian lives in prayer as in his element, and his heart dies when he is out of it. Prayer is the soul's provisioner, bringing in provision for the soul and for all its graces.

Adapted from A Lifting Up for the Downcast by William Bridge

Essential Wisdom for the Christian Life

In this video, Paul Washer speaks with Mack Tomlinson and Don Currin regarding essentials to the Christian life, such as Bible reading and prayer, and how important they are.

A Church Must Be in the Art of Prayer

If a church is to be what it ought to be for the purposes of God, we must train it in the holy art of prayer. Churches without prayer meetings are grievously common. Even if there was only one church without prayer meetings, it would be one to weep over. In many churches, the prayer meeting is only the skeleton of a gathering; the form is kept up, but the people do not come. There is no interest and no power in connection with the meeting. 

Oh, my brothers, please don’t let this be true with you! Do train the people to continually meet together for prayer. Move them to never-ending prayer. There is a holy art in it. Study to show yourselves approved by the prayerfulness of your people. If you pray yourself, you will want them to pray with you, and when they begin to pray with you, and for you, and for the work of the Lord, they will want more prayer themselves, and the appetite will grow. Believe me, if a church does not pray, it is dead. Instead of putting united prayer last, put it first. Everything will hinge upon the power of prayer in the church. 

Charles Spurgeon, The Greatest Fight

A Prayer for Election Day

Our Father in Heaven,

We praise you for this day for every day is a gift from You and Your mercies are new every day.

Today, as our nation votes from a new leader, may we trust You for the results no matter what happens.

We acknowledge that you are sovereign above all else even when we do not understand what is happening all around us.

May Your church flourish and the gospel be preached no matter who is in office.

I pray Your people will come together and live holy lives in this present day no matter the results whether we know immediately or weeks later.

May our pastors preach with boldness after this day no matter the result for the glory of Your name.

In the name of Christ, Amen.

Pray for Courage to Stand

Let us all pray daily for faith and courage to confess Christ before men. Of sin, or worldliness, or unbelief, we may well be ashamed. We ought never to be ashamed of Him who died for us on the cross. In spite of laughter, mockery, and hard words, let us boldly avow that we serve Christ. Let us often look forward to the day of His second coming and remember what He says in this place. Better a thousand times confess Christ now and be despised by man than be disowned by Christ before His Father in the day of judgment.

J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Mark

Burk Parsons: Tapping into Our Source of Life through Prayer

The Privilege and Duty of Prayer

Prayer is both a spiritual privilege and duty of the Christian. It is the breathing-out of the soul its praise to God and its requests for the things perceived as necessary for one’s own life or the life of others. Prayer is a great privilege. The believer in Christ has God as his audience during prayer. Prayer is a means through which God beings needed things to souls. Prayer is a means of grace.

Adapted from The Lord's Supper as a Means of Grace: More Than a Memory by Richard Barcellos

10 Quotes from John Calvin on Prayer

1. We shall never want a reason for prayer, nor a ground of confidence, since the kingdom, power, and glory, can never be wrested from our Father.” 

2. “The prayers of the church are never in vain because God always furnishes his people with materials for a song of joy.” 

3. “Our prayers, which otherwise would be polluted are sanctified by the intercession of Christ.” 

4. “Praises that do not flow from this sweetness of love will never please God.” 

5. “The only prayer acceptable to God is that which springs from this presumption of faith and is founded on the full assurance of hope.” 

6. “No heart will ever rise to genuine prayer that does not at the same time long for holiness.” 

7. “God cannot be favorable to any but those whom he pardons.” 

8. “Prayer digs up those treasures which the Gospel of our Lord discovers to the eye of faith.” 

9. “As faith springs from the gospel, so by faith our hearts are framed to call upon the name of God.” 

10. “Our most merciful Father will not reject those whom he not only encourages to come but urges in every possible way.”

Source 10 Quotes from Prayer: The Chief Exercise of Faith by John Calvin

Prayer as a Means of Grace

Christopher J Gordon:

Christians have the great privilege of coming boldly before the throne of grace and talking with God. This communion between us and God is called prayer. That believers have the ear of God and are invited to cast their cares upon the Lord because He cares for them is the most remarkable of all blessings. Yet, prayer is one of the most neglected disciplines of Christians in our day. J.C. Ryle once said: “Yes: few pray! It is just one of the things assumed as a matter of course, but seldom practiced; a thing which is everybody’s business, but in fact hardly anybody performs.” If this assessment can be made of our age as well, what are the consequences of a prayerless Christianity? Is the church’s mission suffering today from a lack of prayer? Are Christians stifled in their holiness because few are asking God for help in sanctification? 

Almost universally, people complain of the busyness of their lives. Families are pulled away from the dinner table to sports practices, music lessons, and a variety of other activities. We have the best of modern conveniences, and yet we run ourselves ragged with never-ending “appointments.” The restlessness of our age is an indication of priorities gone wrong. We spend time doing what we value the most, but prayer is not at the top of the list. We do have time, however, to openly talk about the many problems our society faces. Social media is not in want of Christians who use their time to express to the world their disillusionment with the “state of things.” Yes, we are living in distressing times. From the moral bankruptcy of society to the spiritual decline of the church, the problems are endless. Everyone is speaking, but who is taking these things to the Lord in prayer? If Ryle was at all correct in his assessment a century and a half ago, what can be said of our times? Is “hardly anybody” praying to our God of all deliverance? 

Read the entire post here.

Pray for the Class of 2020

Today is what suppose to be the beginning of the final month for the senior class of 2020. Unfortunately, with the COVID-19 pandemic, this month is going to be spent away from their school and friends. To many of us it may not seem like a big deal, but to them it is. In Texas, our Governor made the decision to close all schools till the Fall, which to some students they are thrilled they do not have to go back to school, but to our seniors its one of sadness and frustration.

This reality hits close at home for me. My son is a member of the class of 2020. This was suppose to be a time to be with friends he may never see again and a chance to enjoy his final days on the tennis team and band. As I talked with him on the day our Governor closed the schools, he told me he was sad yet understood why this had to be done. Thankfully, he has found himself busy with online classes and a part-time job to help get his mind off what would have been a celebration of him and his friends.

As May 2020 begins, I think it would be a good idea to pray for all our graduating seniors whether they are in high school, college, grad school, etc. What should we pray for? Let me give you some suggestions:

1. If they do not know the Lord, they would come to know the Lord as well as their loved ones.

2. They would find contentment in the Lord.

3. They would trust in the Lord as they are about to begin a new chapter in their life as another one closes.

4. Pray their families and communities would support them in their accomplishments.

5. Pray for the will of God to be done in their lives as they continue their education and/or begin their career.

Take time during the next few weeks to remember to graduating class of 2020. If you know one personally, give him/her some encouragement and offer a prayer on their behalf.

When God Says, "No"

As a parent, I have often told me kids no on many occasions. I am sure if you are a parent, you have done the same. When we come to God in prayer, we hope that He will answer our prayers. There are times He has answered our prayers and we rejoice. There are other times when God has not answered our prayers such as being offered that new job or waiting for an open door to ministry. We tend to think God must be testing our patience, but there often times that God did answer our prayers just not in the way we wanted. God sometimes answers our prayers not letting what you pray of happen.

What do we do when God says, not audibly, "No"? R.C. Sproul writes:

I am astonished that, in the light of the clear biblical record, anyone would have the audacity to suggest that it is wrong for the afflicted in body or soul to couch their prayers for deliverance in terms of “If it be thy will….” We are told that when affliction comes, God always wills healing, that He has nothing to do with suffering, and that all we must do is claim the answer we seek by faith. We are exhorted to claim God’s yes before He speaks it.

Away with such distortions of biblical faith! They are conceived in the mind of the Tempter, who would seduce us into exchanging faith for magic. No amount of pious verbiage can transform such falsehood into sound doctrine. We must accept the fact that God sometimes says no. Sometimes He calls us to suffer and die even if we want to claim the contrary.

Never did a man pray more earnestly than Christ prayed in Gethsemane. Who will charge Jesus with failure to pray in faith? He put His request before the Father with sweat like blood: “Take this cup away from me.” This prayer was straightforward and without ambiguity—Jesus was crying out for relief. He asked for the horribly bitter cup to be removed. Every ounce of His humanity shrank from the cup. He begged the Father to relieve Him of His duty.

But God said no. The way of suffering was the Father’s plan. It was the Father’s will. The cross was not Satan’s idea. The passion of Christ was not the result of human contingency. It was not the accidental contrivance of Caiaphas, Herod, or Pilate. The cup was prepared, delivered, and administered by almighty God.

Jesus qualified His prayer: “If it is Your will….” Jesus did not “name it and claim it.” He knew His Father well enough to understand that it might not be His will to remove the cup. So the story does not end with the words, “And the Father repented of the evil He had planned, removed the cup, and Jesus lived happily ever after.” Such words border on blasphemy. The gospel is not a fairy tale. The Father would not negotiate the cup. Jesus was called to drink it to its last dregs. And He accepted it. “Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).

This “nevertheless” was the supreme prayer of faith. The prayer of faith is not a demand that we place on God. It is not a presumption of a granted request. The authentic prayer of faith is one that models Jesus’ prayer. It is always uttered in a spirit of subordination. In all our prayers, we must let God be God. No one tells the Father what to do, not even the Son. Prayers are always to be requests made in humility and submission to the Father’s will.

The prayer of faith is a prayer of trust. The very essence of faith is trust. We trust that God knows what is best. The spirit of trust includes a willingness to do what the Father wants us to do. Christ embodied that kind of trust in Gethsemane. Though the text is not explicit, it is clear that Jesus left the garden with the Father’s answer to His plea. There was no cursing or bitterness. His meat and His drink were to do the Father’s will. Once the Father said no, it was settled. Jesus prepared Himself for the cross.

A Prayer When Dealing With Temptation

Grant, Almighty God, that since Satan at this day sets against us many terrors to cast us down, and we are very weak— O grant that with our eyes lifted above we may meditate on that invincible power which you possess, and by which you can overcome all the hindrances of this world, and then, when nothing in this world but what is contemptible appears to be capable of confirming and supporting our faith, may we, nevertheless, by the eyes of faith, behold your hidden power and never doubt that you will at length perform what the world at this day thinks to be impossible, and therefore ridicules; and may we so constantly persevere in this confidence that every one of us may devote to you his labor to the end, and never faint in the work of promoting the spiritual building, until at length we ourselves shall be assembled, and others also shall be gathered through our labors, to offer to you not only spiritual sacrifices such as you receive now from us, but also to offer to you, together with the angels, that eternal sacrifice of praise and triumphant thanksgiving on seeing perfected what at this day is only feebly begun.

John Calvin

Adapted from the ESV Prayer Bible

What Does It Mean To Pray In Jesus' Name?

Most Christians end in their prayers with these words, "In Jesus' name, Amen." What does it mean to pray for something in Jesus' name. In this video Costi Hinn and Jon Benz explain what that means.

Around The Web-September 25, 2019

50% off on all ESV Reader's Bibles from WTS Books

Thomas Kidd- Who is an Evangelical: The History of a Movement in Chaos from Equipping You In Grace

You Pray Not Because You Read Not by Josh Buice

Origins of the Creed by James Renihan

12 Reasons to Commit to Expository Preaching by Jason Allen

William Carey with Jake Stone from Covenant Podcast

The Church is a Means of Grace by Jared Olivetti

Thinking Through Suicide from Doctrine and Devotion

Around The Web-June 14, 2019

Bavink's previously unpublished work, Reformed Ethics, is now available

The Woke Tools of the SBC: A Review of Resolution 9 on Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality by Josh Buice

God Does Not Need You…and That’s Good News! by Matthew Barrett

Bennett Rogers– A Tender Lion: The Life, Ministry, and Message of J.C. Ryle from Equipping You In Grace

An Eternal Perspective of Justice by Tom Buck

John Owen on the Work of the Holy Spirit in and on the Human Nature of Christ

The Dirty Dozen: Some Thoughts on Why We Stink at Evangelism by Sam Storms

Founders Event: Mature Manhood in an Immature Age

The Greatest Gift to Your Pastor by Ryan Vinten

Our Prayers Reveal Our Priorities by Alistair Begg

Around The Web-June 7, 2019

WTS Books has two sales going on: The Bible Speaks Today and Theorectial Practical Theology

Living Out – A Follow-Up and Call to Further Action by Tom Buck

Dave Jenkins on The Importance of the Clarity of Scripture for the Christian Life

The Theological Grounds for Orderly Public Gatherings by Tom Nettles

'I Don’t Need Theology, I Just Need Jesus’ Just Means You Have Bad Theology by Jack Lee

Calvinism 101 with Kevin DeYoung from Crossway

Love Is Not A Feeling by Carl Trueman

Doctrine and Devotion discuss David Platt's prayer for President Trump

The Sword and The Trowel on the history of the Southern Baptist Convention and their hope for reformation

Around The Web-May 22, 2019

4 new ESV Bibles on sale at WTS Books

Cody Floate reviews Before the Throne by Allen Nelson IV

Is Covenant Theology the Same as Replacement Theology?

God Doesn't Need Us by Matthew Barrett

The Sufficiency of Scripture: Enough to Know and Love the Lord by Joseph Hamrick

4 Reasons You Should Pray For Your Pastor Daily by Jason K Allen

Pastors' Talk on the Prosperity Gospel

Book Review: ESV Prayer Bible

Prayer is an easy yet hard thing to do. We can pray to God, but there are times we may not have the words or think we have the right words. We have examples of prayers in the Bible such as the Psalms and the Model Prayer a.k.a the Lord's Prayer. The Bible is the best place to start when it comes learning about prayer and what to pray.

Crossway has released a new resource to help believers pray as they engage with Scripture, which is appropriately titled, the ESV Prayer Bible. At first, I thought this was going to be a book with Scripture references and prayers to help believers pray, but this is not the case. It is an actual Bible with all the books with prayers from people in church history such John Wesley, George Herbert, John Calvin, Richard Baxter, and George Whitefield.

This Bible uses the popular single-column format and the font is really good which a small font is used for the prayers so that did not get confused with Scripture. Each book has a little introduction as you begin reading the Bible. There is also an introduction from Donald Whitney on how and why we should pray the Bible. There is also a reading plan, a concordance, and an index to find the various prayers in this Bible.

I am delighted to recommend the ESV Prayer Bible to everyone. I hope this resource will help you as a guide to go the Father in prayer.

Thanks Crossway for letting me review this Bible.

Around The Web-April 26, 2019

WTS Books has a sale going on for their best books on Colossians and Philemon

A Time to Be Silent: When to Refrain from Sharing the Gospel by Bob Gonzalez

The Ascension of Jesus by Erik Watkins

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How Your Church Can Serve Survivors of Domestic Abuse by Tom Hicks

Pastors' Talk On Church Buildings

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