Prayer

Prevailing Prayer – Samuel Chadwick

 

There is no power like that of prevailing prayer – of Abraham pleading for Sodom, Jacob wrestling in the stillness of the night, Moses standing in the breach, Hannah intoxicated with sorrow, David heartbroken with remorse and grief, Jesus in sweat of blood. Such prayer prevails. It turns ordinary mortals into men of power. It brings power. It brings fire. It brings rain. It brings life. It brings God.

– Samuel Chadwick –

What Should We Pray For? – Richard Baxter

O then, for what should my soul more pray, than for a clearer and stronger faith? ‘I believe; Lord, help my unbelief!’ I have many thousand times groaned to thee under this burden of remaining darkness and unbelief; I have many thousand times thought of the evidences of Christianity, and of the necessity of a lively, powerful, active faith. I have cried to thee night and day, ‘Lord, increase my faith!’

– Richard Baxter –
from Dying Thoughts, 34

Frequently in the Prayer Closet – Thomas Brooks

Be frequent in closet prayer, and not now and then only. He will never have a yearning for closet prayer who is not frequent in closet prayer.

– Thomas Brooks –
from The Secret Key To Heaven, 183

O Brother, Pray – Andrew Bonar

 

O brother, pray; in spite of Satan, pray; spend hours in prayer; rather neglect friends than not pray; rather fast, and lose breakfast, dinner, tea, and supper – and sleep too – than not pray. And we must not talk about prayer, we must pray in right earnest. The Lord is near. He comes softly while the virgins slumber.

– Andrew Bonar –

The act of praying – Samuel Taylor Coleridge

 

 is the very highest energy of which the human mind is capable; praying, that is, with the total concentration of the faculties. The great mass of worldly men and of learned men are absolutely incapable of prayer

– Samuel Taylor Coleridge –

Utility of Prayer – John Climacus

We know the utility of prayer from the efforts of the wicked spirits to distract us during the divine office; and we experience the fruit of prayer in the defeat of our enemies

– John Climacus –