A Guide to Prayer
| Weight | 0.31 kg |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 19.6 × 13.3 × 1.9 cm |
| ISBN | 9781848719491 |
| Topic | Prayer |
| Format | Book |
| Original Pub Date | 1715 |
| Banner Pub Date | Dec 1, 2001 |
| Binding | Cloth-bound, eBook (ePub & Kindle), Cloth-bound & eBook (ePub & Kindle) |
| Page Count | 192 |
| Scripture | Whole Bible |
Book Description
To Isaac Watts, prayer was more than a duty required in the worship of God. It was ‘the conversation which God allows us to maintain with himself above, while we are here below…in which the soul of a saint often gets near to God, experiences great delight and, as it were, dwells with his heavenly Father for a short time before he comes to heaven.’
But Watts knew that most Christians need help in the use of this great privilege, so that our prayers should be both acceptable to God and ‘a delightful and profitable exercise to our own souls and to those that join with us’.
In this helpful and practical guide, Watts deals in turn with the nature of prayer, prayer viewed as a gift which can be developed, prayer as dependent on the fruits of divine grace, and the assistance of the Spirit of God in prayer. In his final chapter he brings forward several arguments to persuade all Christians to develop and use ‘this holy skill of conversation with God’.
Table of Contents Expand ↓
| Preface | 1 | |
| Introduction | 8 | |
| CHAPTER 1: THE NATURE OF PRAYER | 10 | |
| Invocation | 10 | |
| Adoration | 11 | |
| Confession | 13 | |
| Petition | 16 | |
| Pleading | 20 | |
| Profession, or Self-Dedication | 26 | |
| Thanksgiving | 29 | |
| Blessing | 32 | |
| Amen, or the Conclusion | 33 | |
| CHAPTER 2: THE GIFT OF PRAYER | 34 | |
| What the Gift of Prayer Is | 34 | |
| Forms of Prayer, Free or Conceived Prayer, and Praying Extempore | 36 | |
| The Content of Prayer | 49 | |
| The Method of Prayer | 62 | |
| Expression in Prayer | 68 | |
| The Voice in Prayer | 86 | |
| Gesture in Prayer | 92 | |
| General Directions on the Gift of Prayer | 102 | |
| CHAPTER 3: THE GRACE OF PRAYER | 109 | |
| The Grace of Prayer, and How It Differs from the Gift | 109 | |
| General Graces of Prayer | 113 | |
| Graces that Belong to Particular Parts of Prayer | 115 | |
| Directions to Attain the Grace of Prayer | 119 | |
| CHAPTER 4: THE SPIRIT OF PRAYER | 124 | |
| Proofs of the Assistance of the Spirit of God in Prayer | 125 | |
| How the Spirit Assists Us in Prayer | 134 | |
| Cautions about the Influences of the Spirit | 147 | |
| Directions to Obtain and Keep the Spirit of Prayer | 157 | |
| CHAPTER 5: PERSUASIVE ARGUMENTS TO LEARN TO PRAY | 167 |
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The Banner of Truth Magazine
Issues 1-16 (Sept 1955 through Aug 1959)
price
£16.00
Description
A helpful and practical guide from the great hymn-writer. 192pp.
matteob –
I would thoroughly recommend this book. I don’t think Brother Watts intended for this book to be followed mechanically but it offers a very helpful guide if you are struggling with prayer and are going through a period of spiritual depression. It is not a heavy read: the style is simple and engaging. The book is also presented as a handsome and strong small format hardback so should last a lifetime.