Jul 07 2009
Various Thoughts On Prayer
Toward the end of his book entitled, “The Invisible Hand,” R.C. Sproul shares some valuable thoughts on prayer. While I do not typically fill a blog with quotes, I would only fail, were I to try and say this in my own words. So, for our edification, here are R.C.’s thoughts:
“Prayer is a vital vehicle, or tool, that God has given His church so that we may become fully sanctified. By prayer our thoughts are lifted toward Him and our hearts are bent to His perfect will. As Calvin says in his Institutes, we pray ‘not so much for [God’s] sake as for ours.’
“We pray so that we may not lose heart. . .Prayer changes us. . .In prayer we have the opportunity to learn of the character of the Father. Indeed, prayer is one of the most effective means we have to discern the invisible hand of Providence. The more we understand the character of God, the easier it is for us to see this hand at work in our lives.
“When we are praying in general we tend to see the work of Providence likewise ‘in general.’ When we pray specifically we begin to be overwhelmed by the specific answers to our prayers that vividly display His hand to us. By this our faith is strengthened and our confidence in His Providence is intensified.
“We are created with the capacity for worship. . .The closer David [drew] to God, the more intense his expressions of praise and worship [became]. Thus we find the Psalms full of adoration.” We find them focusing on God’s glory and majesty. They reveal the Psalmist’s delight in His presence. They show us a behind-the-scenes look at a worshiper, immersed in the praise of God’s perfection and excellency.
“In confession we lose our burden of unconfessed guilt. . .the more we contemplate the excellency of God in His perfect holiness, the more cognizant we become of our own unworthiness. The more we learn about God, the more we learn about our selves. The more we learn about ourselves, the more we realize how much we have to confess.
“Professing Christians often ask God to bless or sanction their sin. . They are even capable of telling their friends they have prayed about a certain matter and God has given them peace despite [the fact that] what they were praying for was contrary to His will. Such prayers are thinly veiled acts of blasphemy.
“When we contemplate the mercies we receive from the hand of Providence. . . .we are moved to gratitude. A grateful heart is a joyous heart. . .To keep [one’s] blessings in mind is a fortress against despair and an overflowing fountain of joy.”
If we meditate on these thoughts, I believe we will find much fodder for our own prayers.
