A Guide to Prayer

Author

Isaac Watts

Category Christian Living

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Weight	0.68 lbs
Dimensions	7.7 × 5.25 × 0.75 in
ISBN	9781848719491
Binding	Cloth-bound, eBook (ePub & Kindle), Cloth-bound & eBook (ePub & Kindle)
Topic	Prayer
Original Pub Date	1715
Banner Pub Date	Dec 1, 2001
Page Count	192
Scripture	Whole Bible
Format	Book

Book Description

Isaac Watts’ book A Guide to Prayer, is a helpful and practical guide to prayer. 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’.

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

Testimonials

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Gerry – January 31, 2023

Only yesterday did I receive my copy of this little book on prayer, and though I have only had time read and marvel, and yes, enter into, some of the examples my dear brother Watts offers as examples of true prayer (much as I find myself praying the Psalms, as most expressive of my own hearts desire’s) I must say that this book is already blessing indeed, and I look forward not only to unfolding the rest of its contents, but also to retuning to it again and again.

I have read a few other books on prayer over the years, but this is clearly, for me, the best of anything I have seen, or experienced.

I offer all of this as one who feels myself to be a great struggler in this most important privilege and indeed necessity if we are to prevail in this very real war we fight against world, flesh and devil.

Just as Watts hymns have always touched a special place in my soul, here I find his thoughts and words on prayer do so also.

Thank You Lord, for leading me to this elder brothers help in lifting up my heart to You, and for leading BOT to publish this precious wisdom for Your children in the midst of what appears to me to be the great Apostacy Paul spoke of by way of warning in his letters. May it be a means of refreshing and procurement of sustaining power to your saints to stand in an evil and wicked generation. I ask it it Jesus Name and for His Sake, Amen.