What Is Prayer?
Answ. Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.
Qj What scripture-warrant have we for prayer?
A. The command of God, the example of Christ and his saints, with the promise of God to hear it, Psal. 1. 14.
Q. Why are some of the scripture-representations of prayer? A. It is called supplications, asking, seeking, knocking, enquiring, &c. Zech. xii. 10, &c.
Q. Why is it so called? A. Because in it we
ought, with humility and earnestness, to seek after God and his favours, as most precious and necessary, Dan. ix,
Q. Why is- prayer called meditation, lifting up our soul, una pouring out our heart? A. Because therein our
heart is principally concerned, and must be lifted up above this world to God in a full and familiar manner.
Q^ Why is prayer called a looking up to, a talking end wrestling with God, and taking hold of him?
A. Because therein we ought, with quietness and constancy, to plead for “God’s blessings, for the sake of hi3 own love, mercy, and faithfulness and that even when he seems to reject our requests, Gen. xxxii. 26. Dan. ix.;
Q. Why is prayer represented as a bowing, falling down, and spreading out our hands? A. Because in it,
our whole man is to be employed in a reverend, humble, and earnest manner, Psal. xcv. Lam. i. 17.
Q. Why is prayer expressed by crying, sighing, groaning, and breathing?
A. Because, in it, we, under a sense of burdens and danger, ought to seek relief from God.
Qj. Why is prayer represented as odours and incense?
A- Because when performed in faith, it is most precious and acceptable to God, Song ii. 14. Rev. v. 8.
Q. Who are bound to pray I A. All men, good
and bad, Matth. vi. and vii. 11. Luke xviii. 1.
Q. When ought all men to pray? A. While
they live in this world, Psal. lxii. S. lxv. 2. and.lxvi. 4.
jj. Why not in the other world A. Because
there the saints shall have no need, and the wicked no encouragement to pray, Matth. xxv. 10, 11, 12.
Q^ Why ought all men to pray? A. To give glory to God, and obtain blessings to themselves and o.hers.
Q. Wherein lies the sinfulness of neglecting prayer
A. It is a practical denial of God, a robbing him of his honour, a contempt of Christ as Mediator, a ruining of ourselves and others, &c. Psal. ix. 17. and x. 4.
Qj. How then do such as neglect prayer so often prosper in this world? A. God, by their prosperity, feeds them like bullocks for the slaughter, Psalm lxxiii.
Q. What kinds of prayer does God require of us?
A. Ejaculatory, secret, private, social, and public.
Q. What is ejaculatory prayer? A. It is a particular request offered to God, while we are engaged in other business, Gen. xlix. IS. Zech. ii. 4.
Q. Why is ejaculatory prayer necessary?
A. To maintain habitual communion with God, and keep our heart always in a praying frame, Psal. cxxxix.
Q. What is secret prayer? A. Prayer by
ourselves alone, Matth. vi. 6. Gen. xxxii. 24.
Q. Why is secret prayer necessary? A. Because
every man has secret sins to confess, secret wants to be supplied, and secret mercies to be thankful for.
Q. Is not the neglect of secret prayer a sure sign of a graceless heart? A. Yes, Psal. ix. 17. x. 4.
Q. What call you private prayer? A. Prayer
With our families, Zech. 12. Josh. xxiv. J 5.
Q. How prove you that family prayer is necessary?
A. Because every family has its particular sins, wants, and mercies ‘, and God threatens to pour out his wrath upon such families as call not on his name, Jer. x. 25.
Q. How often at least is secret and family prayer to be performed? A. Every morning and evening.
Q. How prove you that?
A. Because on these occasions, there is particular need of prayer and ground of praise: and this is warranted from the morning and evening sacrifice under the law; David’s praying evening, morning, and at noon, &c. Ezek. xlvi. 13, 15. Psal. lv. 17.
Q. What shall we think of those that perform the worship of God in private and secret only in the evening,. when they are dull and drowsy?
A. Such prefer the world to God, and offer to him a corrupt thing, Mai. i. 14.
Q. What is social prayer? A. Prayer performed by two or more persons occasionally, or at such stated times as they agree on betwixt themselves.
O. How prove you that social prayer is a duty?
A. Reason and scripture do both call for it, Mai. iii. 16.
Q. What is public prayer?
A. That which is performed in a public congregation, Zech. ix. 1 Kings viii.
Q. Why is prayer to be so much joined with our work, and especially that which is religious? A. Because it
tends to compose our heart, opens it for receiving God, and draws down his blessing on our labours, Luke xviii. 1.
Q. To whom only are we to pray?
A. To God j Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as one God, Psal. lxv. 2.
Q. Why must we pray to God only? A* He
only deserves religious honour and worship; and he only can know or supply all our wants, Matth. iv. 0.
Q. Why may we not pray to angels and saints departed? A. They are creatures, and so unworthy of such honour; nor can they fully know or supply our wants.
Q. For whom are we to pray? A, For all men living, or that shall live hereafter, except such as are known to have sinned the unpardonable sin, 1 Tim. ii. 1.
Qj Why must we not pray for the dead?
A. Because departed saints have no need of prayers, as they have no wants; and the wicked in hell are without the reach of God’s mercy, Matth. xxv. 10, 11, 12.
Q. For whom ought we chiefly to pray? A. For
saints, ministers, magistrates, professors, the sick, &c.
Q. Why are we especially to pray for these?
A. Their work is most hard and useful; or their sin most dishonouring to God, and hurtful to men.
Q. What should we plead for to saints? A. Protec* tion, comfort, increase and perseverance in grace, &.c.
Q. What should we p’ead for to the wicked and our enemies? A. Conviction of sin, pardon, repentance,
peace with God, and all other blessings, Luke xxiii. 34.
Q. What should we plead for to ministers?
A. Knowledge, prudence, humility, harmony, zeal, spiritual comfort, success in their labours, &c. Eph. vi,
46 O/Prat/er. Quest. QB.
Qj What should we plead for to magistrates?
A. Eminent grace, prudence, courage, safety, &c.
Q. What should we plead for to the poor and afflicted?
A. Support under affliction, a blessing on it, and deliverance from it in God’s time and way, Psalm xxxv. 13.
Q. In whose name are we to pray? A. In the
name of Christ alone, John xvi. 23. 1 John ii. 1.
Qj Why may we not pray in cur own name?
A. Because we, and all our services, are worthless and polluted before God, Isaiah lxiv. 6. Phil. iii. 8, 9.
Q. Why are to pray in the name of Christ alone f
A. Because he in his righteousness and intercession, is our only way to the Father, Eph. ii. 18. and iii. 12.
Q. What is it to pray in the name of Christ?
A. To pray in his strength j out of obedience to his command; with confidence in his promise y and dependence on his merit and intercession, as the only ground of God’s acceptance and answer of our prayer.
Q. How ought we to prepare for prayer?
A. By emptying our hearts of carnal thoughts and cares j holy humiliation of soul j careful examination of our sins, wants, and mercies; and looking up for the assistance of the Holy Ghost, Luke xi. 1 Pet. iii. 1.
Q. How may carnal thoughts in prayer, and other religious exercises, be prevented? A. By watchfulness against the first motions of them j and a deep sense of our wants, and of God’s greatness, holiness, omniscience, and love, Mark xiii. 37. Eccl. v. J, 2.
Q. In what manner are we to pray? A. With
faith of the acceptance or our persons in Christ, and of the goodness of what we a-k ‘, hope of obtaining it j and with humility, sincerity fervour, and constancy.
O. Can we pray aright of ourselves? A. No we neither know what we should pray for, nor how to pray the greatest saints, as IVToses, Elias, Job, Jonah, &c. mistook in prayer for what they ought not; and all saints daily mistake in the manner of prayer, Numb, xi, &.c«
Q. Mow doth Christ cure these mistakes in us?
A. By giving his Spirit io assist us in our prayers.
Q. Wherein doth the Spirit of God assist in prayer I
A. In the matter and manner of it, Bom. viii. 26, 27”.
Qj How doth he assist us in the matter of prayer I
A. By leading us out to pray for the things which we most need, and God is most ready to bestow, Rom. viii.
Q. How doth the Spirit assist us in the manner of prayer? A.’ By implanting and exciting in our soul all these inherent graces which are necessary in prayer. Q. What graces are necessary to be exercised in prayer* A. Knowledge, faith, love, repentance, humility, &c. Q. Why is knowledge necessary in prayer? A. That we may not pray for unlawful things, or to a wrong object, or in a wrong manner, James iv. 3. Qj Why is faith necessary in prayer? A. To lay hold on the promises and perfections of God as our encouragement j and to depend on the strength, merit, and intercession of Christ, for enabling us to prayer, and obtaining answer in it, Jam. i. 6.
Q. Why should we pray with hope and expectation? A Because God hath promised, and Christ hath purchased all that we need, Phil. iv. 19. Heb. ix. 12. O. Why should we pray with great humility? A. Because we are so vile and unworthy, Luke xviii. Q. Why should we pray whhfervency and earnestness? A. Because of the greatness of our need, Psalm lxx. Q. Why must we pray with sincerity, repentance, and love? A. Because if we indulge hatred, dissimulation, or any Iniquity in our heart, the Lord will not hear us. Qj Why must we pray with constancy? A. Because of our frequent need, and God’s frequent delay to answer our prayer, Luke xviii. 1. 1 Thess. v. 17. gj. What is meant by praying without ceasing f A* Our keeping our heart always in a praying frame; and being frequent in the exercise of prayer, Eph. vi. 18. Q. What is meant by praying in the Spirit? A. Our praying with the gifts, and especially with the grace of the Spirit, Jude 20. 1 Cor. xiv, 15. Rom viii. 26. Q. Wherein do the gift and grace of prayer differ? A. The gift of prayer lieth in conceiving and uttering suitable expressions in an affecting manner, but the grace of prayer lies in the fervency of our desire after God. Q. In whom is the gift, or grace of prayer to be found? A. Wicked men may have the gift of prayer; but only believers have both the gift and grace of prayer. Q, Have all saints the gift of prayer? A. Some saints as well others have very little of it.
Q. Whence doth that proceed? A. From their
negligence in searching the scripture and their own hearts.
Q. Maytnot such wicked men as have the gift of prayer, pray with great warmth of affection? A. Yes.
Q. Wherein do the raised affections of wicked men in prayer, and of believers, differ?
A. The raised affections of the wicked flow from fear of God’s wrath, false confidence of his love, or the weight of affliction, and encourage their pride j but these of believers flow from desire to be like and with Christ, and are attended with great humility, Psalm lxxviii.
Q. Of how many parts doth prayer consist?
A. Three *, petition, confession, and thanksgiving j but most properly prayer consists in petition.
Q. Which of these parts will the saints longest retain the use of? A. Of thanksgiving, Rev. v. Ps. cxlv, — cl.
Q. What is petition? A. The offering up of
the desires of our hearts unto God, Psalm lxii. 8.
Q. Are not mere verbal requests prayer? A. They are prayer before men, but not in the sight of God..
Q. What things may we desire and plead for in prayer?
A. Whatever is agreeable to God’s will of precept and promise, 1 John v. 14.
Q. What is agreeable to this revealed will of God?
A. The removing or preventing of all evil, and the bestowing of every thing good for our soul and body..
Q. Why must v,Te plead for these mercies?
A. Nut to change God’s will; but to testify our needy dependence on him, and to prepare our heart to receive these mercies with thankfulness, Ezek. xxxvi. 37.
Q. May wTe pray for all mercies in the same manner?
A. No *, we must pray for some mercies absolutely, and for others conditionally, Psalm xxv. Gen. xviii.
Q. For what may we pray absolutely?
A. For a new nature, justification, adoption, sanctification, and every other thing inseparable from our eternal salvation, Psalm li. Dan. ix.
Q. Why may we pray absolutely for these mercies?
A. Because our receiving them cannot but tend to the glory of God, and our real advantage, Psal. cxlii. 4,- — 7.
Q. For what mercies must we pray conditionally .?
A. For the good things of this world, sensible comfort to our soul, freedom from temptation, &c. 2 Cor. xi. 2,
Q. Under what condition or limitation must we pray for these? A. If they tend to Gods glory and our goad,
g. Why must we pray for them with this limitation?
A. Because it may be for the glory of God, and our real advantage that we want them, 2 Cor. xii. 9.
Q. What are we to confess in prayer? A. All our
sins, with the several aggravations of them, Psal. xxxii, li.
Q. Why ought we to confess our sins in prayer <?
A. To testify our belief of God’s holiness and omniscience; and to affect our heart with a sense of our vileness and unworthiness before him, Dan. ix. 3, — 19.
Q. In what manner are we to confess our sins?
A. In an. humble and affectionate manner, with faith’s views of a crucified Christ as the propitiation for them.
Qj For what are wye to give God thanks in prayer f
A. For all his mercies, spiritual or temporal, Ps.cv,cvii«
O. What call you mercies?
A. Whatever springs from God’s pity, and tends to the good of our soul or body.
Q. Is there ground of thanksgiving in our afflictions?
A. Yes j it is matter of thanksgiving that they are not more severe, and are sent while they may be useful to us,
O. Why is thanksgiving necessary in prayer?
A. To acknowledge the goodness and mercy of God, and stir up our heart to love him, Psalms ciii, cxlv, — - cl.
Q.’ What is our duty after offering up our requests unto God? A. To expect an answer; wait for it in the -diligent use of means, submitting the season, measure, and form of the blessing asked to God’s sovereign will.
Q. .What mean you by an answer of prayer?
A. God’s granting the very thing we a?k in prayer, or something as good, or better, in its place, Psalm xci. 15.
Q. May not God answer wicked men’s prayers, which he never accepts?
A. Yes; as in the case of Nineveh, &c.
O. Doth God accept and answer ali the prayers of believers? A. No •, but only these that are offered up in faith, James i. 6, 1. Dan. ix I Kings viii.
Ql When doth God grant the answer of such prayers?
A. When it is most for his glory and his people’s good, but not always when they would have it.
Q. Why doth God of en long delay the answering of his people’s prayers, which he hath already accepted? % Gg
A. To keep them in the exercise of waiting on, and crying to him 5 and that their mercy may be the greater -when it comes, Isa. xxx. 18. Luke xviii. 1, — 8.
Qj How may we know that God hath heard and accepted our prayer, and will grant an answer, though lie long delay it? A. If we are led out to much resignation to his will, waiting on him for an answer in a holy practice, and deep sense of our unworlhiness of the least .of his mercies, Psalm v. 2. Isa* viii. 17. Gen. xxxii. 10.