Daily Devotionals: (March 30th): Developing a Vibrant Prayer Life, part 2

Patrick of Ireland: A Devotional History

Reading: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” Ephesians 6:18

We considered yesterday the two points from which Patrick’s prayer life developed: self-sacrificing zeal and a love of God. Out of these twin graces Patrick discovered that as he developed in his prayer life the Lord helped him, first, through the answers to prayer. Second, the Lord helped him in prayer; grace was added to grace, and Patrick was greatly encouraged as he engaged in prayer that the Lord engaged in prayer with him. He “remembered the apostle’s words: ‘The Spirit helps the weaknesses of our prayer’ (Romans 8.26)” (Confession, sec. 25).

In those early days of Patrick’s Christian experience as he prayed on Slemish Mountain and grew into a man of prayer, the Lord began to answer his prayer and he says, “The Spirit was burning in me at that time” (Confession, sec. 16). It was there on that mountain alone with God that God met with him powerfully and that power became evident in subsequent occasions throughout his life.

But that power in the place of prayer was seen in another mark of a vibrant prayer-life: the spirit of prayer, not just the act of praying but living in the spirit of prayer, or, as Paul speaks of it “praying always” (Ephesians 6:18). Patrick found, as Nehemiah did, that in moments of great need and danger, he could pray effectively “to the God of Heaven” (Nehemiah 2:4). He speaks of an occasion when he was escaping from Ireland and he was refused passage on the merchant ship: “On hearing this I left them to go to the hut where I was staying, and on the way I began to pray and before I had finished my prayer I heard one of them; he was shouting loudly after me: ‘Come quickly!’” (Confession, sec. 18).

Christian, is this not the kind of vibrant Christianity you want, where prayer is intimate and powerful, fresh and attractive? Lord, teach us to pray!

“If you want that splendid power in prayer, you must remain in loving, living, lasting, conscious, practical, abiding union with the Lord Jesus Christ.”—C. H. Spurgeon 

All quotations from the Confession or Letter of Patrick are taken from the edition by A. B. E. Hood, 1978.

Daily Devotionals: (March 29th) Developing a Vibrant Prayer Life

Patrick of Ireland: A Devotional History

Reading: “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18  

Do you ever feel discouraged with your prayer life? Do you feel that you can’t get any victory in prayer—no sustained interest and no specific answers? This age of instant meals, immediate credit, and high-speed Internet has undoubtedly affected the patience of the Christian for personal holiness: we expect too many results too soon. But spiritual life is not a magical zap of spiritual victory. It is growth and development, and it is hard, self-sacrificing work.

As you read through the Confession of Patrick you are struck with the power and presence of the Spirit in his life. One author wrote, “Patrick’s life was marked by intense and persistent prayer and from time to time he was conscious of an inner monition in which he recognized a divine response to his prayers” (F. F. Bruce). This ought to be my desire. But where did this prayer life come from and how did Patrick get it?

The first thing we learn from Patrick’s prayer life is that it developed out of a life of self-sacrifice. Patrick states, “I would even stay in the forests and on the mountain and would wake to pray before dawn in all weathers, snow, frost, rain” (Confession, sec. 16). God has told us that this earth and all in it is cursed, and we cannot expect the blessing of heaven if we hold onto the curse: “He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:39).

But something else is noticeable in Patrick’s prayer life: it developed out of a love for Christ. “More and more did my love of God and my fear of Him increase, and my faith grew and my spirit was stirred, and as a result I would say up to a hundred prayers in one day, and almost as many at night” (Confession, sec. 16). Love for Christ was the breeding ground of prayer and the more Patrick prayed, the more he loved, and that in turn encouraged more prayer.

“Prayer is an art which only the Spirit can teach us. He is the giver of all prayer.”—C. H. Spurgeon 

All quotations from the Confession or Letter of Patrick are taken from the edition by A. B. E. Hood, 1978.

Daily Devotionals: (Feb. 9th) “With One Accord in Prayer”

The New Testament Church: Learning from the first disciples of Christianity

Reading: “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.” Acts 1:14

My Irish accent has caused certain problems as I minister in Greenville, South Carolina. Each week as I lead the congregation in prayer I usually say, “Let us unite our hearts in prayer.” Some keen listeners thought I was saying, “Let us knit our hearts in prayer.” They liked the thought of that. However, after many months one of them asked why I had changed to saying “unite” instead of “knit.” I informed the person that I had never been saying “knit” it was just the Irish accent that made it sound like that to their American ears.

Unite or knit, the point is the same: let’s be in agreement in prayer. This was the pattern for the early disciples; they were “with one accord in prayer.” The word accord comes from two Greek words, which mean to “rush along” or to be “in unison.” There is in this word the idea of an orchestra, where a number of notes are sounded which, while different, harmonize in pitch and tone.

When we apply that to the church it is obvious that there was spiritual agreement or harmony among the saints of God. All of these believers wanted the same thing. They all wanted to see their Lord glorified and the gospel taken to the nations. They were not in the prayer meeting with different desires, conflicting interests, or opposing concerns. They were not at odds with God or with each other. They were united.

If there is one thing we should fear in church life, it is a church at war with itself. A church full of suspicion and grudges, where believers verbally and emotionally bite and devour each other will be powerless. The Lord commands a blessing where there is unity (Psalm 133).

Daily Devotionals: (Feb. 8th) The Prayer Meeting

The New Testament Church: Learning from the first disciples of Christianity

Reading: “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.” Acts 1:14

When I was a young believer, I decided before God that I would attend the public prayer meeting in my church on alternate Wednesday evenings. In my immaturity I reckoned this every-other-week arrangement with God was a fair deal. However, when the first ”off” night came, I was miserable and quickly realized that I had made a mistake—I should have been at the prayer meeting! I thought of the first disciples when they returned from the Mount of Olives: they made their way immediately to an upper room to pray. This was a place to meet with their risen Lord! The assembly for prayer became a priority for them—they had a heart to pray.

First, they had a heart to pray because they were conscious of their dependence upon God. The disciples had just been given a commission that was humanly impossible. They knew their limitations—the fear, failures, and faults of the past—and they needed to pray.

Secondly, they had a heart to pray because they had a genuine desire for the blessing. To put it simply, they longed to know the power that Christ had spoken about! When they heard him speak of the promised Holy Ghost, a burden for Him arose within their hearts.

Thirdly, they had a heart to pray because they believed the promise of God. Christ had spoken of something that had never happened before. While the Holy Spirit was active previously, the outpouring of the Spirit was something else. Christ had promised these men a fullness of power that up until now had not been experienced—and they believed Him. They had heard the promise of Christ and they went to plead that promise in prayer.

Prayer is important for the church. Let’s stop making selfish excuses to be absent, and let us, like the early church, assemble with the saints for prayer. To do otherwise evidences spiritual independence, lack of desire, and unbelief.