Prayer (continued)
Israel prevailed with God in wrestling with Him, and therefore it is that he prevails with men also. If so be that we will wrestle with God for a blessing, and prevail with Him, then we need not to fear but we shall wrestle the enemies out of it also. (Alexander Henderson)
Misbelief doth seek many ways for delivery from trouble; but faith hath but one way - to go to God, to wit, by prayer, for whatsoever is needful. (David Dickson)
When people do not mind what God speaks to them in His word, God doth as little mind what they say to Him in prayer. (William Gurnall)
Christ went more readily ad crucem, than we to the throne of grace. ( Thomas Watson)
God looks not at the excellency of your prayers, to see how neat they are; nor yet at the geometry of your prayers, to see how long they are; nor yet at the arithmetic of your prayers, to see how many they are; nor yet at the music of your prayers, nor yet at the sweetness of your voice, nor yet at the logic of your prayers; but at the sincerity of your prayers, how hearty they are. There is no prayer acknowledged, approved, accepted, recorded, or rewarded by God, but that wherein the heart is sincerely and wholly. The true mother would not have the child divided. God loves a broken and a contrite heart, so He loathes a divided heart. God neither loves halting nor halving. (Thomas Brooks)
Be very particular in secret prayer, both as to sins, wants and mercies. Be not ashamed to open out all thy necessities. Before God we may speak out our minds fully, and name the persons that afflict, affront, and trouble us; and woe to them that a child of God upon a mature judgment names in prayer! I find not that such a prayer in Scripture ever returned empty. A great reason why we reap so little benefit in prayer is, because we rest too much in generals. (Samuel Lee)
(The hypocrite) when he hath got what he hath a mind to in prayer, he hath no more mind to pray. (Joseph Caryl)
Prayer that is faithless is fruitless. (Thomas Watson)
It is a sweet saying of one, "O Lord; I have come to Thee; but by Thee, I will never go from Thee, without Thee." (Thomas Brooks)
"Ask ..." (Matthew 7:7). If we don't receive by asking, then let us seek; if we don't receive by seeking, then let us knock. (Thomas Manton)
A Christian should shut both the door of his closet and the door of his lips so close, that none should hear without what he says within. (Thomas Brooks)
Furnish thyself with arguments from the promises to enforce thy prayers, and make them prevalent with God. The promises are the ground of faith, and faith, when strengthened, will make thee fervent, and such fervency ever speeds and returns with victory out of the field of prayer. The mightier any is in the Word, the more mighty he will be in prayer. (William Gurnall)
Cold prayers always freeze before they reach heaven. (Thomas Brooks)
Observe whether thy fervency in prayer be uniform; a false heart may seem very hot in praying against one sin, but he can skip over another, and either leave it out of his confession, or handle it very gently, as a partial witness, that would fain save the prisoner's life he comes against, will not speak all he knows, but minceth his evidence; thus doth the hypocrite deal with his darling lust. (William Gurnall)
Take heed of carrying purposes of going on in sin with thee to the throne of grace! This were a horrible wickedness indeed. Is it not enough to sin, but wouldst thou make God accessary to His own dishonor also? (William Gurnall)
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