A Method for Prayer, by Matthew Henry

A Method for Prayer, with Scripture Expressions Proper to be Used under Each Head. First published at London in 1710.

To the reader

RELIGION is so much the business of our lives, and the worship of God so much the business of our religion, that what hath a sincere intention, and probable tendency, to promote and assist the acts of religious worship, I think, cannot be unacceptable to any that heartily wish well to the interest of God’s kingdom among men. For if we have spiritual senses exercised, true devotion, that aspiring flame of pious affections to God, as far as in a judgment of charity we discern it in others ,- —

(though in different shapes and dresses, it may seem uncouth to one another) cannot but appear ° beautiful and amiable, and as far as we feel it in our own breasts, cannot but be found very pleasant and comfortable.

Prayer is a principal branch of religious worship, which we are moved to by the very light of nature, and obliged to, by some of its fundamental laws. Pythagoras’ Golden Verses begin with this precept, ‘whatever men made a God of, they ‘prayed to.” ‘Deliver me, for thou art my God.” Isa. xliv.17. Nay, whatever they prayed to, they made a God of—Deos qui rogat, ille facit. It is a piece of re-— spect and homage so exactly consonant to the natural ideas which all men have of God, that it is certain those that “live without prayer, live without God in the world.”

Prayer is the solemn and religious offering up of devout acknowledgments and desires to God, ora sincere representation of holy affections, with a design to give unto God the glory due unto his name thereby, and to obtain from him promised * favours, and both through the Mediator. Our English word prayer is too strait, for that properly signifies petition or request; whereas humble adorations of God, and thanksgivings to him, are as necessary in prayer, as any other part of it. The Greek word is a vow directed to God. The Latin word votwm is used for prayer. Jonah’s mariners with their sacrifices made vows; for prayer is to move and oblige ourselves, not to move or oblige God. Clemens Alexandrinus calls prayer (with an excuse for the boldness of the expression) a ‘conversing with God.” And itis the scope of a long discourse of his there, to show that the believer lives a life of communion with God, and so is praying always; that he studies by his prayers continually to converse with God. Some (saith he) have their stated hours of prayer, but he “ prays all his life long.”” The scripture describes prayer to be our drawing near to God, lifting up our souls to him, pouring out our hearts before him.

This is the life and soul of prayer; but this soul in the present state must have a body, and that. body must be such as becomes the soul, and is suited and adapted to it. Some words there must be, of the mind at least, in which, as in the smoke, this incense must ascend : not that God may understand us, for our thoughts afar off are known to him, but that we may the better understand ourselves.

A golden ihisend of Eat penyor must run through the web of the whole Christian life; we must be frequently addressing ourselves to God in short and sudden ejaculations, by which we must keep up our communion with him in providences and common actions, as well as in ordinances and religious services. Thus prayer must be sparsim (a sprinkling of it) in every duty, and our eyes must be ever towards the Lord.

In mental prayer thoughts are words, and they are the first born of the soul, which are to be consecrated to God. But if, when we pray alone, we see cause for the better ‘fixing of o inds, and exciting of our devotions, to clothe offonceptions with words; if the conceptions be the genuine products of the new nature, one would think words should not be far to seek. Verbaque previsam rem non invita sequuntur. Nay, if the groanings be such as cannot be uttered, that searcheth the heart knows them to be the mind of the Spirit, and will accept of them, Rom. viii. 26, 27, and answer the voice of our breathing. Lam. iti. 56. Yet through the infirmity of the flesh, and the aptness of our hearts to wander and trifle, it is often necessary that words should go first, and be kept i in mind for the directing anc exciting of devout, actions, and in-order thereunto, the assistance here offered I hope will be of some use. to God, our minds must attend them, by. an nt believing concurrence with th ich nse, and scope, and pe peesaee of w and this the scripture directs us to signify, by saying Amen, mentally if not vocally,’“at their giving of thanks.” 1 Cor. xiv. 16. And as far as our joining with them will permit, we may intermix pious ejaculations of our own with their addresses, provided they be pertinent, that not the least fragment of praying time may be lost.

But he that is the mouth of others in prayer, whether in, public or private, and therein useth that freedom of speech, that holy liberty of prayer which is allowed us, (and which we are sure many good Christians have found by experience to be very comfortable and advantageous in this duty,) ought not only to consult the workings of his own heart (though them principally, as putting most life and silat the performance), but the edification also of those that join with him: and both in matter and words should have an eye to that; and for service in that case I principally design this endeavour.

It is desirable ia. prayers should be copious and full. Our ens, cares, and wants are many, so are our sins and mercies. The promises are numerous and very rich; our God gives liberally, and hath bid us open our mouths wide, and he will fill them, will satisfy them with good things. We ot straitened in him, why then should we he Btitited and straitened in our own bosoms! Christ had taught his disciples the Lord’s prayer, and yet tells them, John xvi. 24, that - hitherto they had asked nothing, 7. e. nothing in comparison with what they should ask when the - Spiritshould be poured out, to abide with the church for ever; and they should see greater things than these. ‘Ask, and ye shall receive, that your Joy. 9 ‘maybe full.” We are encouraged to be paros wrest ticular'in. prayer, and in every thing to make our requests known to God, as we ought also to be particular in the adoration of the divine perfections, in the confession of our sins, and our thankful acknowledgments of God’s mercies.

But since, at the same time, we cannot go over the tenth part of the particulars which are fit to © be the matter of prayer, without making the duty burthensome to the flesh, which is weak, even where the spirit is willing (an extreme which ought carefully to be avoided), and without danger of intrenching upon other religious exercises, it will be requisite that what is but briefly touched upon at one time, should be enlarged upon at another time. And herein this storehouse of materials for prayer may be of use to put us in remembrance of our several errands at the throne of grace, that none may be quite forgotten.

And it is requisite to the decent performance of the duty, that some proper mage be observed, not only that what is said be good, but that it be said in its proper place and time ; and that we offer not any thing to the glorious Majesty of heaven and earth, which is confused, impertinent, and indigested. Care must be taken then more than ver, that’ we be not ‘rash with eS mouth, nor hasty to utter any thing before God,” that we say not what comes uppermost, nor use such repetitions as evidence not the fervency, but the barrenness and slightness of our spirits; but that the matters we are dealing with God about being of such vast importance, we observe a decorum in our words, that they be well chosen, well weighed, and well placed. ‘ And as it is good to be methodical ‘in prayer, so it is good to be sententious. The Lord’s prayer is remarkably so; and David’s psalms, and many of Paul’s prayers, which we have in his epistles. We must consider that the greatest part of those that join with us in prayer, will be in danger of losing or mistaking the sense, if the period be long, and the parentheses many; and in this as in other things, they that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak. Jacob must lead as the children and flock can follow.

’ As to the words and expressions we use in prayer, though I have here, in my enlargements upon the several heads of prayer, confined myself almost wholly to scripture language, because I would give an instance of the sufficiency of the scripture to furnish us for every good work, yet I am far from thinking but that it is convenient and often necessary to use other expressions in prayer, besides those that are purely scriptural; only I would advise that the sacred dialect be most used, and made familiar to us and others in our dealing about sacred things; that language Christian people are most accustomed to, most affected with, and will most readily agree to; and where the scriptures are opened and explained to the people in the ministry of the word, scripture t, language will be most intelligible, and the sense of it best apprehended. This is “ sound speech that cannot be condemned,” and those that are able to do it, may do well to enlarge by way of descant or paraphrase upon the scriptures they make use of; still speaking according to that rule, and comparing spiritual things with spiritual, that they may illustrate each other.

_ It is not to be reckoned a peryerting of scripture, but is agreeable to the usage of many divines, especially the Fathers, and I think is warranted by divers quotations in the New Testament out of the Old, to allude to a scripture phrase, and to make use of it by way of accommodation to another sense than what was the first intendment of it, provided it agree with the analogy of faith. As for instance, those words, Psa. Ixxxvi. 7, “ All my springs are in thee,” may very fitly be applied to God, though there it appears by the feminine article in the original, to be meant of Sion; nor has it ever been thought any wrong to the scripture phrase, to pray for the blessings of “the upper springs and the nether springs,” though the expression from whence it is borrowed, Judges i. 15, hath no reference at all to what we mean; but by. common use every one knows the signification, and. many are pleased with the significancy of it. _

Divers heads of prayer may no doubt be added to those which I have here put together, and many scripture expressions too, under each head, (for [I have only set down such as first occurred to my thoughts,) and many other expressions too, not in scripture words, which may be very comprehensive and emphatical, and apt to excite devotion. Perps those who covet earnestly this excellent gift, and covet to excel in it, may find it of use to them to have such a book as this interleaved, in which to insert such other heads and expressions as they think will be most agreeable to them, and are wanting here. Though I have here recommended a good method for prayer, and that which has been generally approved, yet I am far from thinking we should always tie ourselves to it; that may be varied as well as the expression. Thanksgivings may very aptly be put sometimes before confession or petition, or our intercessions for others before our petitions for ourselves, as in the Lord’s prayer. Sometimes one of these parts of prayer may be en- Jarged upon mueh more than another; or they may be decently interwoven in some other method.

There are those, I doubt not, who, at some times, have their hearts so wonderfully elevated and enlarged in prayer, above themselves; at other times, such a fixedness and fulness of thought, such a fervour of pious and devout affections, the product of which is such a fluency and variety of pertinent and moving expressions, and in such a just and natural method, that then to have an eye to such a scheme as this, would be a hindrance to them; and would be likely to cramp and straiten them. If the heart be full of its good matter, it may make “the tongue as the pen of a ready writer.” But this is a case that rarely happens, and ordinarily there is need of proposing to ourselves a certain method in prayer, that the service may be performed decently and in order; in which yet one would avoid that which looks too formal. A man may write straight without having his paper ruled.

Some few forms of prayer I have added in the last chapter, for the use of those who need such helps, and who know not how to do as well or better without them ; and therefore I have calculated them for families. If any think them too long, let them observe that they are divided into many paragraphs, and these mostly independent, so that when brevity is necessary, some paragraphs may be omitted.

TO THE READER. xili

But after all, the intention and close application of the mind, the lively exercises of faith and love, and the outgoings of holy desire towards God, are so essentially necessary to prayer, that without these in sincerity, the best and most proper language is but a lifeless image. If we had the tongue of men and angels, and have not the heart of humble serious Christians in prayer, we are but as a Sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. It is only the ‘effectual fervent prayer,” the “inwrought, in-laid’” prayer that “avails much.” Thus therefore we ought to approve ourselves to God in the integrity of our hearts, whether we pray by, or without a precomposed form.

CHESTER, March 25, 1710. 2 “page omits) . sibiveiaat -

: er mo aY aie at ile.

WITH

The chapters

1. Adoration: Of the first part of prayer, which is, address to God, and adoration of him, with suitable acknowledgments, professions, and preparatory requests.
2. Confession: Of the second part of prayer, which is confession of sin, complaints of ourselves, and humble professions of repentance.
3. Petition: Of the third part of prayer, which is Petition and Supplication for the good things which we stand in need of.
4. Thanksgiving: Of the fourth part of prayer, which is thanksgivings for the mercies we have received from God, and the many favours of his we are interested in, and have, and hope for benefit by.
5. Intercession: Of the fifth part of prayer, which is Intercession, or Address and Supplication to God for others.
6. Occasions: Of addresses to God upon particular occasions, whether domestice or public,
7. Conclusion: Of the conclusion of our prayers.
8. The Lord’s Prayer: A paraphrase on the Lord’s Prayer, in Scripture expressions.
9. Forms of prayer: Some short forms of Prayer, for the use of those who may not be able to collect for themselves out of the foregoing materials.

Henry’s text is in the public domain. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, No. 265 Chestnut Street. Undated, about 1840 to 1860. The preface is dated Chester, March 25, 1710. From the Internet Archive scan. The KJV text is in the public domain.