There is much that could be said about the Bible's teaching on the theology and language of prayer. But there is very little on the detailed practicalities individual prayer lives in God's Word. For sure, there are examples that show regular daily prayer (Dan 6:10b), informal quick prayer (Neh 2:4–5), special times of lengthy prayer (Luke 6:12), and believers gathering together to pray (Acts 1:14). We also have commands to pray (Eph 6:18). But when it comes to the fullness of an individual's prayer life--what it looks like day in and day out for years--there is no example and little commanded. Instead, each person should apply these examples and commands according to their ability and personality.
At the same time, we should be seeking to grow in prayer. Like any other part of our spiritual life, we should be striving to mature in Christ. Although, I see a rise in the desire for better prayer lives at PBF, I'm sure we will never be able to say, "I arrived." In an effort to spur our members on to love and good work in prayer, I want to take a few, sporadic blog posts to highlight the prayer lives of godly Christians. The goal is not to emulate them in every detail. Rather, we look at them for encouragement and ideas for growing in our own time with God.
To begin, I want to consider the prayer life of Charles H. Spurgeon. If you're unfamiliar with him, there are a few places that would give you a quick overview of his life. To be sure, Spurgeon was a unique man in many regards--knowledgeable without formal training, biblical in his theology and preaching despite an increasingly liberal culture, incredible productivity while pastoring, preaching, and overseeing several ministries, and an unrelentingly Christ-centered when it was becoming out of fashion to be so. He was a Victorian giant whose life and ministry has stood the test of time. And he attributed his unusual power in the pulpit to the prayers of his people. So, it's worth asking, 'What did his own prayer life look like?'
Spurgeon's Heart in Prayer
What was Spurgeon's attitude or heart in prayer? How did he think about it and approach it? Consider some quotes that get at this inner mindset toward communion with God in prayer.
“Our God not only hears prayer but also loves to hear it” (Morning and Evening, November 3, AM).
“The very invitation to us to pray implies that there are blessings waiting for us at the mercy-seat: ‘let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace'” (MTP 17:1024).*
“When prayer is a mechanical act, and there is no soul in it, it is a slavery and a weariness; but when it is really living prayer, and when the man prays because he is a Christian and cannot help praying, when he prays along the street, prays in his business, prays in the house, prays in the field, when his whole soul is full of prayer, then he cannot have too much of it” (MTP 18:1039).
“Some brethren pray by the yard; but true prayer is measured by weight, and not by length. A single groan before God may have more fulness of prayer in it than a fine oration of great length” (MTP 34:16).
“That which is gained speedily by a single prayer is sometimes only a second rate blessing; but that which is gained after many a desperate tug, and many an awful struggle, is a full weighted and precious blessing. . . . The blessing which costs us the most prayer will be worth the most” (MTP 17:612).
“If you do not pray except when you feel like praying, you will not pray much, nor pray when you most need it. My brethren, when you do not feel like praying, you ought to pray all the more, and go to the Lord to help you to pray” (MTP 35:583).
How can we summarize this heart of prayer? I think we can say that Spurgeon knew he was loved by God in Christ and, therefore, was welcome at his throne in prayer. This led to boldness in prayer. But also intimacy in prayer. Prayer is more than formality--it's the act of laying our most pressing concerns before the Lord and spending time with him there. Spurgeon saw prayer as an essential means of staying connected to the living God. Even when we don't feel like praying, we should ask for help and keep praying, waiting for the Lord's encouragement to break out upon us like an enlivening spring rain.
Spurgeon's Practice of Prayer
Spurgeon had a large heart toward prayer. But how did he actually pray? Was it the same each day? Did he hold to a strict schedule or simply pray when he felt like it? Again, some quotes from him and others illuminate his rhythms and requests.
“Souls abiding in Jesus open the day with prayer; prayer surrounds them as an atmosphere all day long; at night they fall asleep praying. I have known them even [to] dream a prayer” (MTP 34:15).
“The act of prayer is blessed, the habit of prayer is more blessed, but the spirit of prayer is the most blessed of all” (MTP 29:532).
“If I am to pray without ceasing, then every second must be suitable for prayer, and there is not one unholy moment in the hour, nor one unaccepted hour in the day, nor one unhallowed day in the year” (MTP 18:1039).
“To make prayer of any value, there should be definite objects for which to plead. My brethren, we often ramble in our prayers after this, that, and the other, and we get nothing because in each we do not really desire anything” (NPSP 6:328)
“The best praying man is the man most believingly familiar with the promises of God. After all, prayer which is not based on a promise has no true foundation” (MTP 34:21).
"His basic pattern was to pray morning and evening. . . Sometimes he would pray with his family . . . sometimes he would be alone. But his prayer life certainly did not stop there; Spurgeon wanted to maintain continued communion with God throughout the day. One of the ways he sought to do this was by praying short, one-sentence prayers as he went about his daily work. . . These short, pithy prayers are what have been called 'arrow prayers', prayers addressed to God in the midst of a day full of all sorts of different tasks" (Peter Morden, C.H. Spurgeon--The People's Preacher).
This is just a small offering of quotes. We could offer dozens more! But I think they capture well the essence of Spurgeon's habits in prayer. Spurgeon saw prayer as essential as breathing for the Christian. Clearly, his day was shaped by prayer--both formal times set aside for prayer in the morning and evening, as well as by informal times throughout the day. This 'spirit of prayer' that pervaded his life meant that any situation became an opportunity to talk with his Heavenly Father. Yet it was not a nebulous sense of prayer. Spurgeon prayed about specific situations and needs. Did he see evidence of God's grace? He could pray with praise and thanksgiving. Had he sinned in some way in mind or mouth? He could offer a word of repentance through Christ. Did he need help preparing a sermon, leading a meeting, or counseling a member? He could ask for wisdom, direction, or illumination. And all that he prayed for was based on the promises and assurance from Scripture.
Spurgeon's Encouragement for Prayer
Again, we do not need to laboriously follow Spurgeon's specific habits. But, I start here because he provides a wonderful all-around example of the praying Christian. His thinking and theology were shaped and guided by the truth of Scripture. This led him to have a big heart for the Lord and a great desire to commune with him prayer. Because of the work of Christ, he felt welcome to pray and wanted to pray. In this, Spurgeon also balanced discipline and spontaneity. His mornings and evening times of prayers were a fixed point in his schedule, yet he would pray in different ways and with different people at night. Moreover, these structures were not the end all of his prayer life, but the rails from which is openness to pray at any moment about any need speed ahead each day.
Consider Spurgeon's life of prayer. Then consider your own. What you can you learn from him? how have you been challenged by him? In what ways has Spurgeon's life of prayer encouraged you in your own life of prayer? Now, start praying.
*Most of Spurgeon's sermons are collected into a 63 volume series called Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, which is abbreviated MTP. Along with this is his early years of preaching when the church was located on New Park Street (abbreviated NPSP). You can dip into these sermons online or in print.
Comments