Prayer

Prayers of an Excellent Wife

As wives we want to pray for our husbands, we try to pray for our husbands—but so often we come up short. Our prayers can be shallow and repetitive, and we feel guilty and discouraged.
 
But Andrew Case has come to our rescue with his new book: Prayers of an Excellent Wife
 
As Justin Taylor explains, “Unlike some other similar books, this one is saturated with Bible and sound biblical theology, along with lots of good sidebar quotes about the power and purpose of prayer.”
 
Here’s Mom’s endorsement.

“Charles Spurgeon said we can do our husband ‘no truer kindness in the world’ than to pray for him. Yet as wives, we often struggle to pray consistently for our husbands. We forget in the busyness of life; or when we do remember, our prayers may lack clarity and direction. That’s what makes this book such a valuable tool for any wife who wants to grow in praying for her husband-and isn’t that all of us? Prayers of an Excellent Wife will inspire you to pray faithfully and fervently, and instruct you how to pray according to Scripture. I hope many wives will use these prayers to lavish their husbands with kindness.”

 We hope many of you will benefit from this helpful tool for wives. (And hey, great gift idea for a friend!)

Praying Work

Nicole’s post from last week reminded me of what my long-time friend Nancy Loftness calls “praying work.”
 
Nancy’s a woman who loves God’s Word, loves to pray, and deeply cares for people. When she found that she didn’t have time to pray for everyone she wanted to pray for during her morning quiet time, she came up with a plan.
 
She thought about her regular chores that didn’t require any thinking or talking—such as ironing, cleaning the bathroom, or driving by herself—and she turned those into times for prayer on behalf of friends, family, members of her church and the unsaved. Praying work.
 
Just imagine how many requests Nancy has brought before the throne of grace while in her car or working around her house!
 
Consider your week: what tasks can you turn into “praying work”?
 
“I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers...” Ephesians 5:16
 
“No man can do me a truer kindness in this world than to pray for me.” Charles Spurgeon

“Give not up thy prayers”

Sometimes, we can grow weary of praying for our loved ones. We get discouraged, or begin to doubt God’s desire or ability to save. We must prepare for such temptations and be ready to fight for faith and persevere in prayer.
 
Two wise pastors are here to help! A.W. Tozer and C.H. Spurgeon remind us to look to Christ and His work in our lives to strengthen our faith:

“Unbelief says, ‘Some other time, but not now; some other place, but not here; some other people, but not us.’ Faith says, ‘Anything He did anywhere else He will do here; anything He did any other time He is willing to do now; anything He ever did for other people He is willing to do for us!’” A.W. Tozer

“Mighty to Save” Isaiah 63:1

“Christ is not only ‘mighty to save’ those who repent, but He is able to make men repent. He will carry those to heaven who believe; but He is, moreover, mighty to give men new hearts and to work faith in them. He is mighty to make the man who hates holiness love it, and to constrain the despiser of His name to bend the knee before Him….Believer, here is encouragement. Art thou praying for some beloved one? Oh, give not up thy prayers, for Christ is ‘mighty to save.’ You are powerless to reclaim the rebel, but your Lord is Almighty. Lay hold on that mighty arm and rouse it to put forth its strength…Whether to begin with others, or to carry on the work in you, Jesus is ‘mighty to save;’ the best proof of which lies in the fact that He has saved you.” Charles Spurgeon

Put these “keepers” (and other faith-building verses) where you will see them often. Regular reminders of God’s power and faithfulness will spur us on in expectant prayer!

How Do I Pray for the Unsaved?

Karen sent us two great questions about The FAM Club. We’ll take the first one today:

Hi girltalkers – I have just had my first time of prayer and fasting as part of the FAM club and I have to admit to finding myself a little perplexed. I am struggling with knowing how to really pray for those who are unsaved. More than just "Lord please save so and so" which is done in 2 minutes. I know lots of verses to pray for believers but nothing much in the same vein for unbelievers.

I love your desire to pray meaningful, biblical prayers for your loved ones!
 
Scripture—since it is the story of God’s plan of salvation—is full of verses we can pray back to Him. Any verse that extols God’s saving power, that describes his saving work can be turned into a prayer that He would do the same, through Jesus Christ, for our loved ones.
 
We’d encourage you, as you read Scripture, to look for verses that celebrate God’s saving work and power, jot them down in a place where you can easily find them again, and turn them into prayers for your loved ones.

Matthew Henry has a wonderful collection of Scriptures for this purpose, and here’s a sampling of verses and Scripture-based prayers we’ve used to help you get started. We hope they inform and invigorate your prayer time for your family:

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekial 36:26

“O God, I cannot endure to see the destruction of my kindred. Let those that are united to me in tender ties be precious in thy sight and devoted to thy glory…. Let not those of my family who are amiable, moral, attractive, fall short of heaven at last; Grant that the promising appearances of a tender conscience, soft heart, the alarms and delights of thy Word, be not finally blotted out, but bring forth judgment unto victory in all whom I love." -Valley of Vision

"The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will." Proverbs 21:1

“But to the disciples he said, “But blessed are your eyes, for they see.” (Matthew 13:16) Do you have "blessed eyes"? The new birth is the gift of "blessed eyes." This is what Paul was sent to do in the power of Christ: "I am sending you to open their eyes" (Acts 26:18). And once we have "blessed eyes," we pray for the fullest use of them every day. Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. (Psalms 119:18) Nothing is more important for joy and love and worship than the gift of "blessed eyes." O pray for blessed eyes.” -John Piper

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." Titus 2:11-14

"Apply Your redemption to their hearts, by justifying their persons, and sanctifying their natures.  Teach them to place their happiness in Thee, the blessed God, never seeking life among the dead things of earth, or asking for that which satisfies the deluded; but may they prize the light of Thy smile, implore the joy of Thy salvation, find their heaven in Thee." -Valley of Vision

"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!" Psalm 67:1-2

Pray the Bible

Recently, I’ve been encouraged in my practice of prayer by a new website: an online edition of Matthew Henry’s Method of Prayer. His method, quite simply, is to “pray the Bible” and so the website is full of prayers composed almost entirely of Scripture.

“A Scriptural manner of praying,” says editor Ligon Duncan, “provides the order, proportion, and variety which should characterize all our prayers.”

So there are prayers of adoration, of confession of thanksgiving and intercession. There are also prayers for many occasions: morning and evening, and for Sundays and more specifically: “For Those Weighed Down and Burdened” or “For Parents Concerned About Their Difficult Children” or “For Those Who are Sick and Weak.”

Here’s a portion from the prayer “For Women Near the Time of Childbirth:”

“Be thou her strong habitation, her rock, and her fortress, give commandment to save her. Ps. 71.3 And when travail comes upon her, which she cannot escape, be pleased, O Lord, to deliver her; 1 Thess. 5:3 O Lord, make haste to help her; Ps. 40:13 be thou thyself her help and deliverer, make no tarrying, O our God. Ps. 40:17 Let her be safely delivered and remember the anguish no more, for joy that a child is born into the world, is born unto thee. Jn.16:21”

I also love the “Short Forms of Prayer” which includes prayers that are easier for children to pray, or for families to pray together. So if you want to grow in your practice of prayer—and who doesn’t?—let me encourage you to check out this site today.

Roll Your Burden

For over ten years I’ve had this verse and comments by Charles Spurgeon on a scrap of paper taped to my computer monitor at work or pinned to my bulletin board at home. If your soul is burdened today (especially you battle-weary moms) I pray these words encourage you to rest in God.

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” Psalm 37:5-6

“Commit your way” literally means to “roll your burden” and so Mr. Spurgeon urges us to:

"Roll the whole burden of life upon the Lord. Leave with Jehovah not thy present fretfulness merely, but all thy cares; in fact, submit the whole tenor of thy way to him. Cast away anxiety, resign thy will, submit thy judgment, leave all with the God of all....The ploughman sows and harrows, and then leaves the harvest to God. What can he do else? He cannot cover the heavens with clouds, or command the rain, or bring forth the sun or create the dew. He does well to leave the whole matter with God; and so to all of us it is truest wisdom, having obediently trusted in God, to leave results in his hands and expect a blessed issue."

Praying for the President-Elect

Pastor Ligon Duncan has "Some Initial Thoughts on Praying for President-Elect Obama."

(HT: Justin Taylor)

No More “Quiet Times”

Today David Powlison guest-posts at Between Two Worlds and his thoughts on prayer have the potential to raise the noise level of your quiet times (yes, moms with toddlers, that is possible!). Here's an excerpt, but you really need to read the entire article for yourself:

"It's fair to say that having a "quiet time" is a misnomer. We should more properly have a "noisy time." By talking out loud we live the reality that we are talking with another person, not simply talking to ourselves inside our own heads....I've known many people whose relationship with God was significantly transformed as they started to speak up with their Father. Previously, "prayer" fizzled out in the internal buzz of self-talk and distractions, worries and responsibilities. Previously, what they thought of as prayer involved certain religious feelings, or a set of seemingly spiritual thoughts, or a vague sense of comfort, awe, and dependency on a higher power. Prayer meandered, and was virtually indistinguishable from thoughts, sometimes indistinguishable from anxieties and obsessions. But as they began to talk aloud to the God who is there, who is not silent, who listens, and who acts, they began to deal with him person-to-person....Out loud prayer became living evidence of an increasingly honest and significant relationship. As they became vocal, their faith was either born or grew up."

The Question God Always Answers

In difficulty, my first question is often “Why?” I can be tempted to demand an answer from God. Sometimes He makes his purposes clear: in many cases, our trials are indeed “preparation for the task.” But God is not obligated, nor does He always tell us why.

But there is another question He will always answer, as JI Packer asserts in his new book: Praying the Lord’s Prayer:

“If you ask, ‘Why is this or that happening?’ no light may come, for ‘the secret things belong to the Lord our God’ (Deuteronomy 29:29); but if you ask, ‘How am I to serve and glorify God here and now, where I am?’ there will always be an answer.”

Our Father in heaven will show us how to glorify Him, if we simply ask, ready to obey. So which question are you asking today?

“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:21

Not At Our Wits’ End

Not only when we are at our wits' end, but even when we have our wits about us, we should pray. Not only when we are sad, but even when we are happy we should approach the throne of grace. Not only in adversity, but also in prosperity, we should make our requests known to God.

There is never a moment of our lives when we do not need God’s help and mercy. For that reason, we should always pray. It has been said of Mr. Spurgeon that he never prayed more than five minutes at a time. But he never went more than five minutes without praying. We would do well to follow his example.

So why don’t we make full use of the two short and comprehensive prayers found in Psalm 30:10: “Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!” and “O Lord, be my helper!” We do not have to find extra time in our day or even stop what we are doing; we can offer up these brief petitions anytime, anywhere. Let’s not wait another five minutes to seek the Lord in prayer.

At Our Wits’ End

A mother of multiple young children recently approached me: “My children are driving me crazy right now!” she confessed. “Do you have any help for me?”

After attempting to offer a couple of practical tips for her situation, I sought to remind her of the One who is our “very present help” and encouraged her to pour out her heart to Him, just as the psalmist, David did in Psalm 30:8: "To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy."

Charles Spurgeon expanded on this verse: “Prayer is the unfailing resource of God’s people. If they are driven to their wits’ end, they may still go to the mercy-seat. Let us never forget to pray, and let us never doubt the success of prayer. Prayer will succeed where all else fails.”

Maybe it’s your little children, or your not-so-little children. Possibly it’s your in-laws or an aged parent. Or perhaps it is your boss or your co-workers. Are you feeling at your “wits end” with any relationship at present? Let’s not view our “wits’ end” as an end per say, but a beginning--the very point at which we cry out to the Lord for mercy. In fact, we should perceive our wits’ end as really a wonderful place to be--it’s the place where we have no other recourse but to cry out to God for help. And consider what will happen as we do: “They…were at their wits’ end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.” Ps. 107:27, 28

Our Savior’s Prayers

This week we have considered the biblical response to “all circumstances.” We are to pray earnestly and give thanks always. And as Janelle noted yesterday, we can rest in this truth: if we’ve repented and put our trust in Christ, our salvation is certain, no matter what our circumstances.

Among the countless blessings that flow from our salvation is the fact that we are now on the receiving end of our Savior’s prayers. Mr. Spurgeon comments 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….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!”

If our circumstances are difficult or challenging, this truth can provide immeasurable comfort—when we pray, and even when we don’t pray, our Savior never ceases to intercede on our behalf.

A Prayer for My Son

Prayer has always been a weak discipline in my life. I love to study, and therefore it is not uncommon for me to get so engrossed in whatever I am studying during my daily devotions that I don’t leave enough time for unhurried prayer. Whenever this happens, I simply resort to praying on the run--not a recommended prescription for a healthy prayer life!

So this past May during my planning retreat I came up with a new plan for daily prayer. I rearranged my morning routine to make sure I have ample time to pray. I also typed out numerous Bible verses and prayers that I have collected from others to further help me when I pray.   

I shared one of these prayers with you last week and there is one more I want to share with you again today. It’s a prayer I pray for my 13 year old son, Chad, derived from Psalm 12:7--You will guard us from this generation forever:

Lord, may Chad rise above his age as the mountaintops above the clouds. Fulfill in Chad the faithful saying of this verse! Guard him from this generation, from being polluted by its evil influence. Thank you for those two assuring words that declare, “You will.” (Adapted from Psalms Volume I, Charles Spurgeon)

Our teenagers face a three-fold enemy (as do we all): the world, the flesh and the devil. With this prayer, I am specifically asking that God help Chad to resist the temptations of this ungodly world and instead live for the delights of following the Savior. I hope it inspires you to pray with faith for your sons and daughters.

Mrs. B

I have two names.  Most people know me as “Janelle,” but to a very special group of people I am “Mrs. B.”  You see, my husband is the Children’s Ministry pastor at our church and somewhere along the way he became affectionately known to all the kiddos as “Mr. B.”  It naturally followed suit that I be dubbed “Mrs. B.”  I have to say that this name took some getting used to.  For a girl who would like to think of herself as still somewhere around the age of 17, the title “Mrs. B” was a bit of a wake up call. But this name is totally worth the front row seat I get into the world of Children’s Ministry.  There are many lessons to be learned there.  One recent lesson stands out.

On the first Sunday of every month, Mike teaches the 2nd through 5th grade class, and I usually slip in and watch.  One of my favorite parts of the morning is listening to the children pray.  Have you ever heard a child pray?  They pray with faith.  There is no doubt in their little minds that the Lord hears and He will answer.  Our church has recently been raising money for a new playground and the kids have been praying about this.  Their prayers are simple and sincere, “Lord, please give us the money for the playground so that we can play on it after school tomorrow.”  They aren’t contemplating all of the potential obstacles.  They simply ask Jesus to meet their present need and expect Him to answer.

I want to pray like this.  Recently, I found myself approaching the throne of grace with a heart full of unbelief.  I was struggling to believe that the Lord was working in the midst of a difficult situation facing me.  Does He really hear me?  Will things ever change?  I wasn’t voicing these questions, but my heart betrayed me.  I could not hide the pride that was--and still is--present in my heart. 

Mrs. B needs to spend a lot more time in children’s ministry.  I want to learn, just like the kids, to approach God fully expecting Him to provide for my every need.   

Watching

O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. Psalm 5:3

As I read this verse during my morning devotional time, I was struck by the last 2 words: and watch. It dawned on me that normally I only apply the first part of this verse: O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you.  But rarely do I follow up my praying with “watching” – which to summarize Spurgeon means to be on the look out for the answer to our prayers; to expect that God’s grace will come.

So, I am asking for the Holy Spirit’s help not only to pray, but to be on the look out for God’s gracious response to my prayers. May I encourage you to pray and watch today?