'Voices From The Past' Vol. 1 — November 25

This duty suggests diligence in prayer. Every Christian who seeks to be a true one in deed and not name only must be a man of prayer. Prayer is like an investment in bonds that give a future return for your investment. Prayer is most certain to increase more. There are, however, a great many Christians full of complaints and discouragements in prayer: ‘I have prayed for so long and I am worse; I had better leave off, seeing I am not the better for it.' But there are conditions and limitations that God has revealed to us in his Word that must be considered. The first condition on our part is that we are in the state of faith and repentance. The promises are for those in Christ. Secondly, we must pray according to God's nature and will. Some things are ill for us, and if God does not hear us in them, Christ will not forfeit his word, but we must forfeit our prayers. We must also have the right motive in prayer (James 4:3). The order of our desires is also important. There will be no speedy answer for temporal things if we are not first seeking the kingdom of God. If your desires are crossed, it is not because he would put you off without hearing, but he desires to teach you a better way. He desires to teach you what is most important. We may further note that our prayers should be offered in faith, humility and fervency. Delays teach us to watch and pray with perseverance, waiting in hope until God hears us (Psa. 40:1-2). Waiting causes us to focus upon him. If we are earnest, we will not go away until we speak with him. Faith remains at the door until he comes. All of us fail in this; we do not wait until we obtain. Let us not blame the Saviour whose promise is firm without change. If we would learn to wait, we would hear more from him.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Devotional Readings 'Voices From The Past Vol.1.'
Richard Sibbes, Works, VII:232-235
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