Our prayer motivator verse from the Word of God today is James 5:17 which reads: “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”

Allow me to share with you some important points regarding this verse from Matthew Henry’s Commentary:

This instance with Elijah of the extraordinary efficacy of prayer is recorded for encouragement even to ordinary Christians to be instant and earnest in prayer. God never says to any of the seed of Jacob, Seek my face in vain. If Elijah by prayer could do such great and wonderful things, surely the prayers of no righteous man shall return void. Where there may not be so much of a miracle in God’s answering our prayers, yet there may be as much of grace.

Our prayer motivator quote today is from John MacNaughtan. He said: “[Prayer] is generally neglected; just as if the clear statements of Scripture regarding the potency, the almost miraculous efficacy of prayer, were designed as a pillow on which the church might slumber, rather than as a mighty stimulus to rouse to heroic achievements and urge on to glorious efforts in the cause of the Redeemer.”

Our prayer motivator devotional today is part 11 of our series titled “PRAYING THROUGH” from Dr. John R. Rice.

Years ago at Marquette Manor Baptist Church in Chicago, a young man came forward wanting to be saved. He was from Tennessee where they were accustomed to the mourners’ bench and to long waiting on God and begging God for salvation. His mother had shouted when she was saved; he, too, felt he must shout or he would not know he was saved. I told him that he only had to trust Christ. Then I asked dear Mr. Frank Sheriff of the Christian Business Men’s Committee to take the Bible and show the young man how to be saved.

They went to the inquiry room and spent a good long while together. After the services this young man came back with Mr. Sheriff. The Bible had done its blessed work. He shook my hand and said, “Brother Rice, I don’t feel like I wanted to feel, but the Bible says I am saved!”

You may be sure he was saved. When he trusted in Christ, he got everlasting life. If he went on to serve the Lord and win souls, and grow in grace, he had all the joy and blessed emotion that he needed. But the emotional crisis is not the sure proof of salvation. Simple trusting in Christ’s Word, in His blood, in His love, in His atonement, is the one sure way to be saved.

+ Plus, listen to CeCe Winans singing “Anybody Wanna Pray”

Our prayer motivator verse from the Word of God today is James 5:17 which reads: “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”

Allow me to share with you some important points regarding this verse from Matthew Henry’s Commentary:

The power of prayer is here proved from the success of Elijah. This may be encouraging to us even in common cases, if we consider that Elijah was a man of like passions with us. He was a zealous good man and a very great man, but he had his infirmities, and was subject to disorder in his passions as well as others. In prayer we must not look to the merit of man, but to the grace of God. Only in this we should copy after Elijah, that he prayed earnestly, or, as it is in the original, in prayer he prayed. It is not enough to say a prayer, but we must pray in prayer. Our thoughts must be fixed, our desires firm and ardent, and our graces in exercise; and, when we thus pray in prayer, we shall speed in prayer. Elijah prayed that it might not rain; and God heard him in his pleading against an idolatrous persecuting country, “so that it rained not on the earth for the space of three years and six months. Again he prayed, and the heaven gave rain.” Thus you see prayer is the key which opens and shuts heaven.

We will discuss this verse further in the next broadcast.

Our prayer motivator quote today is from D.A. Carson. He said: “What is both surprising and depressing is the sheer prayerlessness that characterizes so much of the Western church. It is surprising, because it is out of step with the Bible that portrays what Christian living should be; it is depressing, because it frequently coexists with abounding Christian activity that somehow seems hollow, frivolous and superficial.”

Our prayer motivator devotional today is part 10 of our series titled “PRAYING THROUGH” from Dr. John R. Rice.

So we see that the Bible promises never picture salvation as a long, drawn-out process of those who plead long enough, who mourn long enough, who persist until they touch the heart of a careless and indifferent God. By all the promises of the Bible, the sinner who turns in his heart to trust Christ is instantly saved. So praying through for a lost sinner is never necessary to his salvation.

Do not misunderstand me. I did not say that those who wait long before God and pray much never get saved. I am sure that they often do. But they never get saved until they trust. And if they had put the trusting at the first end of their pleading instead of at the last end, they would have been saved at once, and would have saved all that delay, that sinful rejection of Christ while they pleaded.

The one sure and blessed way to be saved is to take God’s Word for it that when you in your heart turn from sin to trust in Christ Jesus, you already have everlasting life.

+ Plus, listen to Jessy Dixon singing “I Know What Prayer Can Do”

Our prayer motivator verse from the Word of God today is James 5:17 which reads: “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”

Allow me to share with you some important points regarding this verse from Matthew Henry’s Commentary:

The great advantage and efficacy of prayer are declared and proved: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much,” whether he pray for himself or for others: witness the example of Elias. He who prays must be a righteous man; not righteous in an absolute sense (for this Elias was not, who is here made a pattern to us), but righteous in a gospel sense; not loving nor approving of any iniquity. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my prayer.” Further, the prayer itself must be a fervent, in-wrought, well-wrought prayer. It must be a pouring out of the heart to God; and it must proceed from a faith unfeigned. Such prayer avails much. It is of great advantage to ourselves, it may be very beneficial to our friends, and we are assured of its being acceptable to God. It is good having those for friends whose prayers are available in the sight of God.

We will discuss this verse further in the next broadcast.

Our prayer motivator quote today is from The Kneeling Christian. He said: “The great Heavenly Banker will not cash checks for us if our motives are not right. Is not this why so many fail in prayer? Christ’s name is the revelation of His character. To pray “in His name” is to pray in His character, as His representative sent by Him: it is to pray by His Spirit and according to His will; to have His approval in our asking, to seek what He seeks, to ask help to do what He Himself would wish to be done, and to desire to do it not for our own glorification, but for His glory alone. To pray “in His name” we must have identity of interests and purpose. Self and its aims and desires must be entirely controlled by God’s Holy Spirit, so that our wills are in complete harmony with Christ’s will.”

Our prayer motivator devotional today is part 9 of our series titled “PRAYING THROUGH” from Dr. John R. Rice.

In Romans 10:13 we are told, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

But to call, in the sense of that verse, simply means to call once. It is not a prolonged begging and pleading. Nothing like that is taught in that verse or any other Bible verse. The soul that asks Jesus for mercy gets it. The very asking is simple evidence of the faith in the heart, a willingness to receive what God has long been offering the sinner. It is not that any certain outward calling is necessary to salvation, for it is not. Rather, one who calls on the Lord shows, proves he has trusted. In the following verse, Romans 10:14 explains, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?”

One who calls on Christ has already trusted Him, and the calling is simply the evidence and proof of the faith that instantly saves. The one who calls has already trusted.

Again, a similar thought is involved in the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:32, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.”

One who claims Christ is saved. Certainly, it does not take long to own or claim Christ. Again, it is not the confession that saves. Joseph of Arimathaea was a disciple of Christ, and was saved, though he was a secret disciple and had never openly confessed Christ. Confession does not save. Rather, it is the proof that one has trusted Christ in the heart. As little time as it takes a poor sinner to claim Christ as Saviour, in less time than that he has looked to the Saviour, trusted Him in the heart, and has been saved.

+ Plus, listen to Daniel White Jr. singing “Prayer”

Our prayer motivator verse for today is 1 Samuel 1:10 and 15 which reads: “And [Hannah] was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore…And Hannah answered [Eli] and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.”

Allow me to share with you some important points regarding this verse from Matthew Henry’s Commentary:

Hannah mingled tears with her prayers; she considered the mercy of our God, who knows the troubled soul. God gives us leave, in prayer, not only to ask good things in general, but to mention that special good thing we most need and desire…Hannah went away with satisfaction of mind. She had herself by prayer committed her case to God, and Eli had prayed for her. Prayer is heart’s ease to a gracious soul. Prayer will smooth the countenance; it should do so. None will long remain miserable, who use aright the privilege of going to the mercy-seat of a reconciled God in Christ Jesus.

Our prayer motivator quote today is from an John Stott. He said: “Because [prayer for the church] is secret and therefore unrewarded by men, we shall only undertake it if we long for their spiritual welfare more than for their thanks.”

Our prayer motivator devotional today is part 8 of our series titled “PRAYING THROUGH” from Dr. John R. Rice.

Many other Scriptures which deal with the plan of salvation make it clear that it is instantaneous.

For instance, John 6:37 says, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

That coming is by faith, of course, a believing act of the heart. It is another way of saying the same thing. But it does not say, “Him that cometh and keeps on coming and keeps on coming unto me, I will in no wise cast out.” No! There is no time element in that coming. The instant a sinner in his heart comes to God, he has salvation.

Just so in John 1:12, which says, “As many as received him”, were saved. And the receiving is simply to say “yes” to Jesus and let Him come into the heart. It could not possibly require any prolonged process. When the door is unlocked, the Saviour comes in. When the heart says “yes”, the Saviour does what He has longed to do and has been begging to be allowed to do.

+ Plus, listen to Daitrick Haddon singing “Prayer Changes Things”