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More helpful teaching on prayer from Thomas Brooks

I have been reading Thomas Brooks’ The Secret Key to Heaven to as part of my private worship, and he has convinced me that I have no idea how to pray! As I talk with members of my congregation, I find that most of them, as well, wonder if they really know how to pray. In fact, I am curious if any Christian can truly say that they are adept at prayer! Although it seems so simple, anyone who has actually tried to pray knows that it is hard work. Our adversary and our own flesh do not want us communing with our Creator; they will do everything in their power to rob us of any vitality in our practice of prayer. Often, in the midst of such a struggle, we feel defeated and unqualified to pray. Our hearts tell that we lack the ability to articulate supposed “good prayers,” and so we offer up no prayers. In answer to such a pervasive challenge, hear the words of tender pastor from a previous generation:

“If you cannot pray as you would, nor as you should, pray as well as you can. Joseph’s brothers stood so long dallying, and delaying, and trifling out the time, that, having a journey to go to buy corn, they might have bought and returned twice before they went and bought once. . . O friends! Take heed of dallying, delaying, trifling, and beating about the bush, when you should be getting down to the work of prayer. What though with Hannah you can’t but weep out a prayer, or with Moses stammer out a prayer, or with Hezekiah chatter out a prayer, yet do as well as you can, and you shall find acceptance with God: 2 Cor 8:12…The publican’s prayer did not have much rhetoric or eloquence in it, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner,’ (Luke 18:13), and yet God accepted it. He prayed much, though he spoke little, and God did not turn a deaf ear upon him.”

~Thomas Brooks, The Secret Key to Heaven, pp.131-132