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October 22, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's treatise on Prayer.
We truncated our introduction for the last half of our October episodes. Our shorter introduction ends at the 3:18 mark if you would like to skip to that mark. This way, you have less to wade through.
"Do you wish to find out whether you are a true Christian? Then rest assured that my question is of the very first importance—Do you pray?"
"I ask whether you pray, because there is no duty in religion so neglected as private prayer."
John Charles Ryle, a most faithful pastor and teacher of God's word, a Bishop from England, urges us once again to know prayer is a command.
Why?
First of all, as a shepherd of Jesus, he must feed His sheep:
"Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.
1 Samuel 12:23
Secondly, he realizes we have been given a privilege unprecedented until our forerunner no ordinary believer had:
“in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews 6:18-20
Thirdly, conforming to the will of God, we build our house upon the Rock, cut out without hands. Obedience in prayer is our most excellent assurance:
24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.
Matthew 6:24
Prayer is a command, and it's amazingly, astonishingly, immeasurably good for our souls, but it's still a command. We don't get access to the amazement, the wonder of God, the steadfastness of our soul, and the abundant life if we don't enter into that relationship through conversation with the Almighty.
“What a man is on his knees before God, that he is and nothing more.”
Robert Murray M’Cheyne
Assistant Editor: Seven Jefferson Gossard
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All our Scripture quotes are drawn from the NASB 1977 edition.
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Season 005
Episode 022
