Our prayer motivator verse from the Word of God today is 1 John 5:14 which reads: “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.”

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

Here we have, a privilege belonging to faith in Christ, namely, audience in prayer: “This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us”. The Lord Christ emboldens us to come to God in all circumstances, with all our supplications and requests. Through him our petitions are admitted and accepted of God. The matter of our prayer must be agreeable to the declared will of God. It is not fit that we should ask what is contrary either to his majesty and glory or to our own good, who are his and dependent on him. And then we may have confidence that the prayer of faith shall be heard in heaven. We also have the advantage accruing to us by such privilege: “If we know that he heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him”. Great are the deliverances, mercies, and blessings, which the holy petitioner needs. To know that his petitions are heard or accepted is as good as to know that they are answered; and therefore that he is so pitied, pardoned, or counselled, sanctified, assisted, and saved (or shall be so) as he is allowed to ask of God.

Our prayer motivator quote today is from R.W. Church. He said: “Here in His holy House of Prayer we may come on our day of rest, and be safe, if we will, from any thoughts but those of the world to come. Here we gather together for no earthly business, but for a purpose of one sort only; and that purpose is the same for which saints and angels are met together in that innumerable company before the throne of God. If there is a place on earth which, however faintly and dimly, shadows out the courts of God on high, surely it is where His people are met together, in all their weakness and ignorance and sin, in their poor and low estate, yet with humble and faithful hearts, in His House of Prayer.”

Our prayer motivator devotional today is part 2 of our series titled “PRAYING THROUGH” from Dr. John R. Rice.

Sinners Never Need to Pray Through to Be Saved. Trusting Christ Gets Instant Salvation Without Begging.

The “praying through” doctrine is certainly out of place when applied to the plan of salvation. Some people teach that in order to be saved, a sinner needs to wait on God and pray and weep and mourn. The theory is that if one prays long enough and earnestly enough, God will finally hear his prayer and save him. Such people use the term “getting through to God.” They tell how sinners “weep their way through,” or how they “pray through” and finally gain the victory and God saves them. And Christian workers who think in such terms urge sinners to keep on praying until they get saved. And if one makes a bright profession, then they say that he “came through gloriously.”

Such good people often have what they call a mourner’s bench or an altar where sinners are asked to kneel and pray. I remember in my boyhood hearing a good Baptist preacher say, “I guarantee that if you will come to the mourner’s bench three nights in succession, you will be saved.” No such guarantee is found, of course, in the Bible. I can guarantee something far better than that. If you will trust Jesus Christ the tenth part of a second, committing yourself to Him, He will save you. In fact, the tenth part of a second is too slow for the way God really saves a sinner who trusts Him.

This idea of sinners “praying through” for salvation is utterly foreign to the Bible. It is unscriptural, hurtful, and wrong. I do not mind having sinners put in words their acceptance of Christ as Saviour. I do not mind if a sinner wants to pray and say the words of the publican in the Temple, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Perhaps putting the matter in words may sometimes help to make it definite in his mind. But it is certainly foolish and unscriptural to think that any wording of prayer is essential to salvation. It is certainly foolish and unscriptural to believe that any process involving any set length of time is necessary for a sinner to be saved.

+ Plus, listen to Babbie Mason singing “Pray On”

Our prayer motivator verse from the Word of God today is Psalm 86:7 which reads: “In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.”

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

David was in a special manner earnest with God in prayer when he was in affliction: “In the day of my trouble, whatever others do, I will call upon thee, and commit my case to thee, for thou wilt hear and answer me, and I shall not seek in vain, as those did who cried, O Baal! hear us; but there was no voice, nor any that regarded.” It is thus our duty to pray always, without ceasing, and to continue instant in prayer; and then we may hope to have our prayers heard which we make in the time of trouble, if we have made conscience of the duty at other times, at all times. It is comfortable if an affliction finds the wheels of prayer a-going, and that they are not then to be set a-going.

Our prayer motivator quote today is from J.F. Cowan. He said: “No amount of good talking can make a good prayer-meeting. The impression prevails in some quarters that little homilies, pious exhortations, interesting anecdotes with a religious bearing, and well-selected quotations from popular religious writers are of equal value with prayer in a prayer-meeting. This cannot be true. In the former case we are talking among ourselves. It may be very edifying and helpful; but in the latter instance we are doing business directly with God. An ounce of believing prayer is worth a ton of edifying talk, if the Scriptures are good authority. To be sure, no prayer-meeting leader should object to a personal testimony, or to any contribution calculated to edify, but at the same time there is great need, in the average prayer-meeting, of developing the volume of prayer.”

Our prayer motivator devotional today is part 1 of a new series titled “PRAYING THROUGH” from Dr. John R. Rice.

No lost sinner ever need to “pray through” to be saved. Trusting in Christ brings instant salvation. Christians, however, should “pray through” about many things.

The preacher, wise King Solomon at Jerusalem, wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.”

That saying is true. A thing which is proper at one time may not be proper at another time.

When we speak of “praying through,” different people, according to their background and experience, think of two entirely different things. One group thinks of a sinner mourning and begging God for salvation until after long hours of prayer, perhaps, he “gets through to God,” as people say. Others, when we speak of “praying through,” think of one who is already a Christian taking his burdens to God and waiting until he gets the answer to his prayers. The term “praying through” means entirely different things to different people. We will discuss both meanings in light of the Word of God in our next broadcast.

+ Plus, listen to Deitrick Haddon singing “Sinner’s Prayer”

Our prayer motivator verse from the Word of God today is Psalm 65:2 which reads: “O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.”

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

David gives God glory for hearing prayer. Praise waits for thee; and why is it so ready? “Because thou art ready to grant our petitions. O thou that hearest prayer! thou canst answer every prayer, for thou art able to do for us more than we are able to ask or think, and thou wilt answer every prayer of faith, either in kind or kindness.’’ It is much for the glory of God’s goodness, and the encouragement of ours, that he is a God hearing prayer, and has taken it among the titles of his honour to be so; and we are much wanting to ourselves if we do not take all occasions to give him his title. Because, for that reason, we are ready to run to him when we are in our straits. “Therefore, because thou art a God hearing prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come; justly does every man’s praise wait for thee, because every man’s prayer waits on thee when he is in want or distress, whatever he does at other times. Now only the seed of Israel come to thee, and the proselytes to their religion; but, when thy house shall be called a house of prayer to all people, then unto thee shall all flesh come, and be welcome.” To him let us come, and come boldly, because he is a God that hears prayer.

Our prayer motivator quote today is from A.T. Pierson. He said: “From the day of Pentecost, there has been not one great spiritual awakening in any land which has not begun in a union of prayer, though only among two or three. And no such outward, upward movement has continued after such prayer meetings have declined. It is in exact proportion to the maintenance of such joint and believing supplication and intercession that the Word of the Lord in any land or locality has had free course and been glorified.”

Our prayer motivator devotional today is part 22 of our series titled “ASKING REALLY FULFILLS ALL OTHER SPECIFIC CONDITIONS OF PRAYER” from Dr. John R. Rice.

Sometimes a hasty prayer does not seem to bring results. One may go on through the little forms of thanksgiving at the table, and of public formal prayer, but give any Christian a half-night alone with God, or a day of fasting and prayer, and as sure as his heart wants things made right, all the things that grieve God will be brought to light. The Spirit will help the honest Christian to judge them, to confess them and forsake them.

Oh, it is wonderful how prayer — I mean honest, surrendered, loving, persistent prayer — can remove every hindrance between man and God and cure all the ills of our poor frail Christian lives. Enough prayer, just so it be an honest and sincere prayer to God, really seeking God, can cure all hindrances and meet all God’s requirements for getting His blessing! You may need to leave the place of prayer, “leave there thy gift before the altar,” to be reconciled to a brother before you finish the prayer. Or you may, like Zacchaeus sliding down the tree into the presence of Jesus, make solemn vows that you will restore fourfold all you have gotten by false accusations, and to give half you get to the poor. But nevertheless, the place to settle that is in the presence of Christ, and nowhere else! So if you want anything from God, JUST PRAY!

I would not wait until I got everything fixed. I would not wait until I grew in faith. I would not wait until I had the victory. Come just as you are and pray. Keep on praying and waiting in God until God fixes all that is wrong, until God gives you the faith you need, until God modifies your prayer or increases it to fit His plan.

What you really need is simply to pray and honestly seek God. Asking, continually asking, meets God’s requirements and completes all the conditions that are necessary to have answers to our prayers.

+ Plus, listen to Tobymac singing “City on Our Knees”

Our prayer motivator verse for today is Psalm 145:18, which reads: “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.”

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

God is very ready to hear and answer the prayers of his people. In this appears the grace of his kingdom, that his subjects have not only liberty of petitioning, but all the encouragement that can be to petition. The grant is very rich, that God will be nigh to all that call upon him; he will be always within call of their prayers, and they shall always find themselves within reach of his help. If a neighbour that is near is better than a brother afar off, much more a God that is near. Nay, he will not only be nigh to them, that they may have the satisfaction of being heard, but he will fulfil their desires; they shall have what they ask and find that they seek. It was said that he satisfies the desire of every living thing, much more will he fulfil the desire of those that fear him; for he that feeds his birds will not starve his babes. He will hear their call and will save them; that is hearing them to purpose, as he heard David (that is, saved him) from the horn of the unicorn. The proviso is very reasonable. He will hear and help us, If we fear him, if we worship and serve him with a holy awe of him; for otherwise how can we expect that he should accept us? If we call upon him in truth; for he desires truth in the inward part. We must be faithful to God, and sincere in our professions of dependence on him, and devotedness to him. In all devotions inward impressions must be answerable to the outward expressions, else they are not performed in truth.

Our prayer motivator quote today is from Erroll Hulse. He said: “Prayer [is] the genesis of revival. The beginning of a time of revival invariably has been marked by quickening of the ordinary prayer meetings, resulting in new vitality, more participation, more sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit, and more unction in intercession.”

Our prayer motivator devotional today is part 21 of our series titled “ASKING REALLY FULFILLS ALL OTHER SPECIFIC CONDITIONS OF PRAYER” from Dr. John R. Rice.

Nowhere in the world is the conscience so alive as in the place of prayer! How many, many times I have found that I did not know anything was wrong between me and God, I did not know He was grieved with me, until I began to pray. There the blessed Spirit of God began to point out the things that were wrong. Many others can live with their consciences all right, except when they try to pray!

One dear woman told me, “Every time I’ve tried to pray for 14 years, God has seemed to say to me, ‘What about that $800.00?’” She was left a widow and wickedly burned down her little home and collected $800.00 of insurance. Often she did not remember it, but every time she tried to pray, God brought that sin to remembrance!

So if you really want to know what is wrong between you and God, draw near to Him and begin to pour out your heart. Ask Him for anything you want or need. Be honest with God and He will be honest with you. If there are things grieving His Spirit, if there are things that block His blessing, He will tell you so. He will reveal what it is.

And where else would be a better place to have things made right than in the secret closet of prayer? Would you be as apt to have your evil lusts fixed while at the theater? Would your covetousness as likely be cured in the business house? Would your intemperate eating be most likely cured at the table, with many delicacies spread out temptingly before you? Would your hot anger best be overcome as you go to contend with your brother? No!

The place to remedy whatever is wrong is at the place of prayer. Go wait before God. Open your heart honestly to the searchlight of the Holy Spirit. God’s finger will surely press upon the sore spot, if you are honest and really want to please Him, if you are really trying to find His will and get His blessing.

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

pray, prayer, praying, john r rice, daniel whyte iii, christian, faith, God

Our prayer motivator verse from the Word of God today is 1 Chronicles 16:11 which reads: “Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.”

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

Let God be glorified in our praises; let his honour be the centre in which all the lines meet. Let us glorify him by our thanksgivings (Give thanks to the Lord), by our prayers (Call on his name), by our songs (Sing psalms unto him), and by our discourse—Talk of all his wondrous works. Those that give glory to God’s name [through prayer] are allowed to glory in it, to value themselves upon their relation to God and venture themselves upon his promise to them. Let the heart of those rejoice that seek the Lord, much more of those that have found him. Seek him, and his strength, and his face: that is, seek him by the ark of his strength, in which he manifests himself, [and hears and answers our prayers].

Our prayer motivator quote today is from C.H. Spurgeon. He said: John Bunyan says that he never forgot the divinity he taught, because it was burnt into him when he was on his knees. That is the way to learn the gospel. If you learn it upon your knees you will never unlearn it. That which “men” teach you, men can unteach you – if I am merely convinced by reason, a better reasoner may deceive me. If I merely hold my doctrinal opinions because they seem “to me” to be correct, I may be led to think differently another day. But if “God” has taught them to me – he who is himself pure truth – I have not learned amiss, but I have so learned that I shall never unlearn, nor shall I forget.”

Our prayer motivator devotional today is part 20 of our series titled “ASKING REALLY FULFILLS ALL OTHER SPECIFIC CONDITIONS OF PRAYER” from Dr. John R. Rice.

Can just praying get hindrances out of the way so God will hear our prayers? Yes, undoubtedly! Honest, earnest asking will lead to the cure of everything that is wrong with our prayers. We are told that wrong relationship between husband and wife hinders prayer in 1 Peter 3:1-7. Being unreconciled to our brother hinders prayer according to Matthew 5:23-24. So does unforgiveness in Matthew 6:12 and 15. Any sin, unrepented, unlamented, unforsaken, turns away God’s face and hinders our prayers. And James 4:3 says, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” So it is quite clear that sometimes evil motives and covered sin make it so God cannot answer our prayers. In such cases, what shall we do?

The answer again, first of all, is simply to pray! For there is something in praying that tends constantly to correct all the hindrances to prayer. Anyone who consciously, earnestly seeks God, has already turned in his heart toward the way out of his troubles. And if he will but follow it honestly and earnestly, he will be led out into the clear light of sweet fellowship with God and unhindered prayer!

This is made quite clear by the teaching of our Saviour in Matthew 5:23-24: “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” Did you notice the significant statement, “…and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee”?

Where is it that your sins are brought to mind? Where is it that God will remind you of the hindrances to your prayers? In the very place of prayer itself! If you want God to show you what is wrong, then try to pray. At the very place where you come to talk to God, to make your gift to God, to ask God’s blessing, there God is most likely to reveal the things that grieve Him.

+ Plus, listen to the Brian Free and Assuring singing “Praying Man: