The Family of God: from An Illustrated Summary of J.C. Ryle's Practical Religion

This is a chapter from J.C. Ryle's classic book Practical Religion.

THE FAMILY OF GOD

"The whole family in heaven and earth." Ephesians 3:15

There lives not a man or woman who is not a member of some family. Family gatherings are natural, right and good. Next to the grace of God, I see no principle that unites people so much in this world as family feeling. Nevertheless, family gatherings are often sorrowful things that show gaps and vacant places. Changes and deaths make sad havoc as time goes on.

There is one family to which I want everyone reading this to belong. It is a family more important than any on earth. To belong to it entitles one to far greater privileges than being the son or daughter of the wealthiest and most prominent people imaginable. It is the family of God, which the apostle Paul describes above as "the whole family in heaven and earth."

1. What is God's family? This family consists of all true believers in God and Christ from every age, nation, and tongue. Other names of this family from the Bible and from creeds are the Body of Christ, the elect of God, the household of faith, the Israel of God, the Bride of Christ, the living temple, the holy Catholic [universal] Church. Membership into this family does not depend on any earthly connection. It comes not by natural birth, but by the new birth (John 3:3-8; 1 Peter 1:3; Ezekiel 36:25-27). Ministers cannot impart it to their hearers. Parents cannot give it to their children. Only the Holy Spirit can make you a living member of His family. Those who are born again are born "not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13). Why does the Bible describe this company of all true Christians as a family?

A. True Christians are called family because they all have one Father. They are all children "of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26). They are all "born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). This is what "the Lord Almighty" Himself says: "I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters" (2 Corinthians 6:18). Paul explains, "You did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'" (Romans 8:15). Christians do not regard God with slavish fear, as if He were an austere Being ready only to punish. They look up to Him with tender confidence as a reconciled and loving parent who forgave all their sins because of their faith in Jesus, and is full of pity for the feeblest among them. It is our Lord Jesus who taught us to pray, saying, "Our Father" first and foremost (Matthew 6:9-13). That is because true believers in Him instantly become part of God's family.

B. True Christians are called family because they all rejoice in one name. That name is the name of their great Head and Elder Brother, the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as a common family name is the uniting link to all the members of a Scottish Highland clan, so does the name of Jesus tie all believers together in one vast family. As members of outward visible churches, they have various names, but as living members of Christ, they all with one heart and mind rejoice in one Savior. Every one of them feels drawn to Jesus as the only object of hope. All freely confess that Christ is all in all in His death on the cross for them; His triumphant resurrection, ascension, and daily intercession for them; and His coming again to unite them to Himself in one glorified company forever. You might as well take away the sun from the sky as take away the name of Christ from believers. No wonder they are called a family.

C. True Christians are called family because there is a strong family likeness among them. They are all led by one Spirit and are marked by the same general features of life, heart, taste, and character. All true sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty hate sin and love God, resting their hope of salvation on Christ and having no confidence in themselves. They all endeavor to separate from the ways of the world and set their affections on things above. They all turn naturally to the same Bible as the only food for the souls and only sure guide in their pilgrimage toward heaven as a lamp for their feet and a light to their path (Psalm 119:105). They all go to the same "throne of grace" (Hebrews 4:16) in prayer, finding it as needful and natural to speak to God as to breathe. They all live by the same rule, the Word of God, striving to conform their daily lives to its precepts. They all have the same inward experience of repentance, faith, hope, love, humility, and spiritual discipline. No wonder they are called a family.

The family likeness among true believers deserves special attention as one of the strongest indirect evidences of the truth of Christianity. It is one of the greatest proofs of  the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit Himself, Jesus said, is like the wind (John 3:8) in that He is invisible, but His effects are not, ranging from a gentle breeze to a mighty hurricane. Among true Christians around the world, some are highly educated and some unable to read; some are rich and some poor; some are old and some young; some attend formal churches and some informal. Notwithstanding, there is a marvelous oneness of heart and character among them all: their joys and sorrows, loves and hatreds, likes and dislikes, hopes and fears are very much the same. The Englishman will find he has more in common with an African brother in Christ than with non-Christian family members and school fellows. The same Spirit inhabits and guides each member of the forever family of God.

2. What is the present position of God's family? The family of God is currently in two places: part of the family is in heaven and part is on earth, but they form one Body in God's sight. Their union is sure to take place in the future.

Two places, and two only, contain the family of God. There is no third habitation, such as purgatory, which is not a biblical concept. There is no house of purifying, training, or probation for those who are not true Christians when they die. 

A. Some of God's family are safe in heaven. They are in a joyful, active state of rest in the place Jesus referred to as Paradise (Luke 23:43). They have finished their course on earth, having fought their battles and completed their appointed work. They learned their lessons and carried their crosses. They passed through the waves of this troubled world and reached the safe harbor. Little as we know of what their lives are like in detail, we do know they are happy, no longer troubled by sin and temptation, poverty and anxiety, pain and sickness, sorrow and tears. They are with Christ Himself, who loved them and gave Himself for them. Being with Him is "far better" than anything we can imagine or experience here (Philippians 1:23). They have nothing to fear when looking back and nothing to dread when looking forward. Three things only are lacking to make their happiness complete: the second coming of Christ in glory, the resurrection of their own bodies, and the gathering together of all believers. And of those things they are sure.

B. Some of God's family are still upon earth. They are scattered to and fro in the midst of a wicked world. All are more or less occupied in the same way, according to the gifts of God's grace (Romans 12:3-8). All are running a race, doing a work, engaging in spiritual warfare, carrying a cross, striving against sin, resisting the devil, crucifying the flesh, struggling against the world, witnessing for Christ, hearing the Word of God, reading, and praying—however feebly—for the nourishment of their souls. Each and all stay on their path, a wonder to the ignorant world around them and often a wonder to themselves.

However divided God's family may be now in location, it is still one family. Both parts, in heaven and on earth, are one in character, possessions, and relation to God. The part in heaven has not so much superiority over the part on earth as at first sight may appear. The difference between the two is only of degree.

(1) Both parts of the family love our Savior and delight in God's will. The part on earth loves with much imperfection and infirmity, living by faith not sight. The part in heaven loves without weakness, doubt, or distraction. It walks by sight, not faith, and sees what it once believed.

(2) Both parts of the family are saints. The saints on earth are often poor, weary pilgrims who find their flesh lusting against their spirit and the spirit lusting against the flesh, so they do not do the things they wish they would (Galatians 5:17). They live in the midst of an evil world and are often sick of themselves and the sin they see all around them. The saints in heaven, on the contrary, are delivered from the world, the flesh, and the devil, enjoying a glorious liberty. They are called "the spirits of just men made perfect" (Hebrews 12:23).

(3) Both parts of the family are God's children. But the children in heaven have all learned their lessons, finished their appointed tasks, and have begun an eternal holiday. The children on earth are still at school. They are daily learning wisdom, though slowly and with much trouble, often needing to be reminded of their past lessons with disciplinary actions. Their holiday is yet to come.

(4) Both parts of the family are God's soldiers. The soldiers on earth are still on duty. Their fight is not yet over, which is why they need every day to "put on the full armor of God" (Ephesians 6:10-18). The soldiers in heaven are all triumphant. No enemy can hurt them now. No fiery dart can reach them. Helmet and shield may be laid aside. No longer do they need to watch and stand on guard.

(5) Both parts of the family are secure. Both are secured by "an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and secure" (2 Samuel 23:5). The members on earth, through the burden of the flesh and the dimness of their faith, may neither see nor feel their own safety. But they are safe. The whole family is "kept by the power of God through faith for salvation" (1 Peter 1:5). The family members yet on the road are as secure as those already home. Not one shall be found missing at the last day.

Learn not to measure the numbers or privileges of God's family by what you see with your eyes. You see only a small body of believers in this present time. Do not forget that a great company has got safe to heaven already, and that when all are assembled at the last day they will be a multitude no one can number (Revelation 7:9). You currently see only the part of the family that is struggling on earth. The family of God is far more rich and glorious that you can even imagine. It is no small thing to belong to the "whole family in heaven and on earth" (Ephesians 3:15).

3. What are the future prospects of God's family? They are good and happy!

A. The members of God's family shall all be brought safe home. Here on earth they may be scattered, tried, and bowed down with afflictions, but to quote the Lord Jesus, "they shall never perish" (John 10:28). The weakest lamb shall not be left to perish in the wilderness.

B. The members of God's family shall all have glorious bodies. When Jesus comes the second time, the dead saints shall all be raised and the living shall all be changed. They shall no longer have a mortal body, full of weaknesses and infirmities; they shall have a body like that of their risen Lord, without the slightest liability to sickness and pain. Nothing will hinder them in their desire to serve God night and day without weariness or distraction. The former things will have passed away and this divine saying will then come true: "Behold, I make all things new" (Revelation 21:5).

C. The members of God's family shall all be gathered into one company. It does not matter where and when they have lived and died. All shall be gathered together from north, south, east, and west to meet in one happy assembly, and never to be parted from our Lord and each other again.

D. The members of God's family shall all be united in mind and judgment. They are not so now about many little issues. About the things needful to salvation there is a marvelous unity among them. One day partial knowledge and dim vision shall be at an end forever (1 Corinthians 13:9-12).

E. The members of God's family shall all be perfected in holiness. They are not literally perfect now, although complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10). Though born again and renewed after the image of Christ, they offend and fall short in many things (James 3:2). No one knows that better than they do, but one day they will be presented by their Head "without spot, wrinkle, or any such thing" (Ephesians 5:27), "fair as the moon, clear as the sun" (Song of Solomon 6:10). Those are word pictures representing perfect holiness. Grace even now is a beautiful thing when it lives, shines, and flourishes in the midst of imperfection. How much more beautiful will it appear pure and unmixed when Christ comes to be glorified in His saints at the last day!

F. The members of God's family shall all be eternally provided for. When the affairs of this sinful world are finally settled, there shall be an everlasting portion for all the sons and daughters of the Lord almighty. The smallest vessel of grace, as well as the greatest, shall be filled to the brim with glory. The precise nature of that reward is beyond what eye has seen or hear has heard (1 Corinthians 2:9). It is enough for us to know we will be satisfied when we see our Savior face to face, reflecting His likeness (Psalm 17:15). The inheritance reserved for us when we come of age is incorruptible, undefiled, and does not fade away ( 1 Peter 1:4). 

These prospects of God's family are great realities. They are not vague, shadowy talk of human invention. These are real, true things that will be seen before long. They deserve your serious consideration. Examine them well. Do you yet belong to the family of God? Do not miss the priceless opportunity set before you. If you indeed belong to the whole family in heaven and earth, count your privileges and learn to be more thankful. Think what a mercy it is to have something the world can neither give nor take away. Living by the grace of God, we shall make "our calling and election sure" (2 Peter 1:3-15), both to ourselves and others, inclining them by God's grace to say, "We will go with you."

Love: from An Illustrated Summary of J.C. Ryle's Practical Religion

This is a chapter from J.C. Ryle's classic book Practical Religion.

LOVE

"Now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13

Love, translated as charity in older English Bibles, is rightly called the queen of Christian graces. It is a virtue all people profess to admire, and seems a plain, practical thing everyone can understand. However, there are false ideas about it that need to be dispelled. My heart's desire and prayer to God is that the growth of love may be promoted in this sin-burdened world. In nothing does the fallen condition of mankind show itself so strongly as in the scarcity of Christian love. Let us therefore embrace the prominence the Bible gives to this kind of love, what it really is, where it comes from, and why it is the greatest virtue.

1. The prominence the Bible gives to love. Hear what Paul says to the Corinthians: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). 

Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ Himself says about love: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35).  Let us read our Lord's account of the last judgment, paying close attention to the lack of love that will condemn millions (Matthew 25:41-46).

Hear what Paul says to the Colossians: "Above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfection" (Colossians 3:14). Hear what he says to Timothy: "The purpose of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith" (1 Timothy 1:5). 

Hear what Peter says: "Above all things, have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). 

Hear what Paul says to the Romans: "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the Law" (Romans 13:8). Hear what he says to the Ephesians: "Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us" (Ephesians 5:2).

Hear what John says: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:7-8). 

The evidence of these texts is clear, plain, and incontrovertible. They show the immense importance of love as one of the "things that accompany salvation" (Hebrews 6:9). They prove that love has the right to demand the serious attention of all who call themselves Christians.

2. What love actually is as described in the Bible. Here are where mistakes about love begin:

A. Christian love does not consist of giving to the poor. Remember that Paul warned us about people who bestow all their goods to give to the poor, "but have not love." The loving Christian, of course, will eagerly "remember the poor" (Galatians 2:10), but there is more to Christian love than that.

B. Christian love does not consist in never disapproving of anyone's conduct.  Thousands pride themselves on never calling anyone or anything wrong, perverting Christ's prohibition against rash judgments into a prohibition of all judgment whatsoever. Jesus commanded, "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment" (John 7:24). It is not biblical love to throw a veil over sin and refuse to call things by their right names—to talk of hearts being good when lives are flatly wrong.

C. Christian love does not consist in never disapproving of anyone's religious opinions. There are many who pride themselves on never pronouncing others mistaken, whatever views they may hold. Such foolishness pours contempt on the Bible and talks as if God has not given us a written test of truth. True love, out of genuine concern, cries out, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.... If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him" (1 John 4:1; 2 John 10).

D. Christian love for God and man is the fruit of God's Spirit. Love is what Paul  lists first among the fruits that the Spirit of God brings forth in the lives of genuine Christians (Galatians 5:22-23). Our Lord Jesus Christ described sincere, all-encompassing love for God and others as the greatest of God's commands (Matthew 22:36-40). 

E. Christian love always displays itself in loving deeds. It will make a believer ready to do kind acts to the body and soul everyone within his or her reach. It will not let him be content with soft words and wishes. It will make her diligent in doing all in her power to lessen the sorrow and increase the happiness of others.  Like their Master, His faithful disciples will care more for ministering than in being ministered to, and will look for nothing in return. They join Paul in saying, "I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls" (2 Corinthians 12:15). 

F. Christian love always displays a readiness to bear hardships. It will make believers patient under provocation, forgiving when injured, meek when unjustly attacked, and gentle or even quiet when slandered. It will make them put up with much and look over much, submit often and deny themselves often, all for the sake of peace. It will make them exercise mastery over their tongues and tempers. Those characterized by Christian love are not always asking, "What are my rights?" and "Am I being treated as I deserve?" but instead, "What can I do that is most edifying to others?" and "How can I best promote peace and harmony?"

G. Christian love always displays itself in the general spirit and demeanor of a believer. It will make her kind, unselfish, good natured, and considerate of others. It will make him gentle, pleasant, and courteous in all his daily interactions, thoughtful about the comfort of others, tender for the feelings of others, and much more eager to give pleasure than to receive it. Those characterized by Christian love do not envy others when they prosper or rejoice in the calamities of others when they are in trouble. They will try to think the best of others and even with those at their worst, they will be full of pity, mercy, and compassion.

Do you know where we can find all these characteristics of Christian love displayed most prominently? In the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ, the captain of our salvation (Hebrews 2:10), who left us an example to follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21). Love shines in all His doings. In His daily life He "went about doing good" (Acts 10:38). Throughout His ministry Jesus  was increasingly hated, persecuted, slandered, and misrepresented, but He patiently endured it all. No ill temper ever appeared in His demeanor. "When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously" (1 Peter 2:23). Among weak and impatient disciples, among sick and sorrowful crowds needing help, among the most disreputable members of society, and among the religious leaders He was kind and patient to all.

Yet also remember that our blessed Master never flattered sinners or winked at sin. He never shrunk from exposing wickedness in its true colors or from rebuking those who would cleave to it. He never hesitated to denounce false doctrine by whomever it might be held or to expose false practices and the certain end to which they lead. He called things by their right names. The Lord Jesus spoke as freely of hell and the fire that is not quenched as He did of heaven and the Kingdom of glory. He has left on record everlasting proof that perfect love does not require us to approve everyone's life or opinions, and that it is quite possible to condemn false doctrine and wicked practice, yet be full of love at the same time.

3. Where Christian love comes from. This love I have described from the Bible is not natural to man. By nature we all are more or less selfish, envious, ill-tempered, spiteful, and unkind. We have only to observe children left to themselves to see proof of that. Let boys and girls grow up without Christian training, and you will not see any of them possessing Christian love. Some of them will think first of themselves and their own comfort and advantage; others will be full of pride, greed, and anger. The natural heart knows nothing of true love, but a heart prepared by the Holy Spirit will. Christian love is a tender plant that grows in one soil only.

The heart in which such love grows is changed, renewed, and transformed by God's Spirit. The image and likeness of God, marred by the Fall of our first parents in the Garden, has been restored to it, however feeble and imperfect the restoration may at first appear. It is a "partaker of the divine nature" by union with Christ and sonship to God. One of the first features of that new nature is love (2 Peter 1:3-7). Such a heart sees sin for what it is, hates it, flees from it, and fights it from day to day—especially against selfishness and lack of love.

Such a heart is deeply sensible of its mighty debt to our Lord Jesus Christ. It feels continually that it owes to Him who died for us on the cross all its present comfort, hope, and peace. How can it display its gratitude? If it can do nothing else, it strives to be like Him, drink of His Spirit, walk in His footsteps, and be full of love like Him. "The love of God ... poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:5) is the surest fountain of Christian love. Love will produce love.

Careful attention is required here: many profess to admire Christian love, but care nothing about vital Christianity. They like some of the fruits and results of the Gospel, but not the root from which those fruits alone can grow, or the doctrines with which they are inseparably connected. Hundreds will praise love and charity who hate to be told of man's corruption, the sacrificial death of Christ, and the inward work of the Holy Spirit. Many parents would like their children to grow up unselfish and good tempered, but do not want conversion, repentance, and saving faith in Christ alone brought to their attention. All such feelings are futile: you cannot have the fruits of Christianity without its roots.

Once in awhile you see a person who seems very charitable and amiable without any distinctive doctrinal religion, but such cases are so rare and remarkable that, like exceptions, they only prove the truth of the general rule. All too often, it may be feared, the apparent charity is only surface and in private completely fails. Holy practice will not flourish without sound doctrine. What God has joined together, it is useless to expect to have separate and apart. Beware that where you do find them separate is in the realm of novels, romances, and tales of fiction. The greater part of them give a false or incorrect view of human nature. They paint their model men and women as they ought to be and not as they really are. Real love comes down from above. He or she who would really have it must sit at Christ's feet and learn from His Word.

4. Why Christian love is called the greatest of the graces. As noted at the head of this chapter, Paul concludes his great treatise on love like this: "Now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13). What are we to understand when we hear of love being greater than the highly exalted biblical virtues of faith and hope? It does not mean that love can atone for our sins or make our peace with God. Nothing can do that for us but the sacrificial death of Christ, and nothing can apply  His death to our account apart from our faith in Christ (Romans 3:19-31). As valuable as faith and hope are, however, there are three things that set love above those virtues:

A. Love displays some likeness between God and His people. God has no need of faith. He is dependent on no one. God has no need of hope. To Him all things are certain, whether past, present, or future. But "God is love" (1 John 4:8), and the more love His people have, the more they are like their Father in heaven.

B. Love is most useful to others. Faith and hope, however precious, are for the believer's own, private benefit. Faith unites the soul to Christ, bringing peace with God and opening the way to heaven. It does not do those things for others. Hope fills the soul with cheerful expectation of things to come. Amid the many discouragements of things seen, hope brings comfort with visions of things unseen. But love is preeminently the grace that makes people useful. It is the spring of good works and kindness. It is the root of missions, schools, and hospitals. Love made the apostles spend and be spent for the souls of others. Love raises up workers for Christ and keeps them working. Love smooths over quarrels and stops strife, in that way "covering over a multitude of sins" (James 5:20; 1 Peter 4:8). Christian love adorns the Christian faith and commends it to the world. Faith and hope can sometimes be invisible, but love cannot.

C. Love endures the longest. In fact, it will never end. Faith will one day be swallowed up in sight and hope in certainty. But love will live on through the endless ages of eternity. The inhabitants of heaven will be full of love, and in ever-increasing quantities since they cannot exhaustively know our great God, who is the essence of love itself!

I conclude with a question: Does Christian love have an obvious home in your heart and life? The strong language Paul uses in the love chapter deserves a fresh look: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:1-8).

Look at your daily life. What is your temper like? How do you behave toward all around you at home and at work? What is your manner of speaking, especially in trying times and circumstances? What do you know of the mind of Him who "went about doing good" (Acts 10:38), who had a heart wide enough to feel for all? Give yourself no rest until you know something by experience of real Christian love. Go and learn from Him who is meek and lowly of heart, and ask Him to teach you how to love. Ask the Lord Jesus to put His Spirit within you, to take away your old heart and give you an new nature. Happy indeed will your life be when you really understand what it is to "walk in love" (Ephesians 5:2)!

For those of you who are characterized by Christian love and long to feel more of it every year, I urge you to practice it diligently and teach it to others. Love grows by constant exercise. Watch over your tongue and temper throughout each day, especially in your dealings with children, near relatives, and people who serve you one way or another. Remember the character of the excellent woman "who opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness" (Proverbs 31:26). "Let all that you do be done with with love," says Paul (1 Corinthians 16:14), and not just any kind of love, but "fervent love," as Peter clarifies (1 Peter 4:8). It takes effort to keep all these things in mind, and there may be little encouragement from the example of others, but persevere. Love like this brings its own rewards. Teach your children, grandchildren, and anyone else you influence to above all things "put on love, which is the bond of perfection" (Colossians 3:14).

Prayer: from An Illustrated Summary of J.C. Ryle's Practical Religion

This is a chapter from J.C. Ryle's classic book Practical Religion.

PRAYER

"Men ought always to pray." Luke 18:1

"I desire that men pray everywhere." 1 Timothy 2:8

Prayer is the most important subject in practical religion. All other subjects are second to it. I now present 7 plain reasons why I use such strong language about prayer.

1. Prayer is absolutely needful for a person's salvation. I am not now speaking of infants and the like. A person cannot have salvation without asking for it. Nobody will be saved by his prayers, but without prayer nobody will be saved. By contrast, it is not absolutely needful to salvation that a man should read the Bible or hear the Gospel preached. He may live where the Gospel is not preached, be bedridden, blind, or deaf, yet believe the saving Gospel truth he has been exposed to. The same thing cannot be said about prayer.

No one can eat, drink, or sleep by proxy. No one can get the alphabet learned for him by another. All these are things everyone must do for him or herself or they will not be done at all. Just as it is with the mind and body, so it is with the soul. There are certain things absolutely needful to the soul's health and well being. Each one must attend to these things for himself. Each must repent for himself. Each must apply to Christ for himself. And for himself each one must speak to God and pray.

How can we expect to be saved by an unknown God? (Acts 17:22-24). If we wish to be with Him in heaven, we must be His friends on earth. If we wish to be His friends on earth, we must regularly talk to Him through prayer. There will be many at Christ's side in the Last Day. Saints gathered from north, south, east, and west will form "a great multitude that no one can number" (Revelation 7:9). The song of victory that will burst from their lips when their redemption is finally complete will be a glorious song indeed. It will be far above the sound of mighty waters and rolling thunder. They will sing with one heart and voice since their experience will be one and the same: all will have believed in Christ's atoning work for them, all will have been born again, all will have prayed. We must go through the school of prayer on earth to be fit for this holiday of praise. To be prayerless is to be without God and Christ and heaven. It is to be on the road to hell.

2. A habit of prayer is one of the surest marks of a true Christian. All the children of God on earth are alike in this respect. From the moment there is any life and reality about their religion, they pray. Just like the first sign of life in an infant when born into the world is breathing, so the first act of men and women when they are born again is praying. Jesus describes those who have been called to salvation, God's elect, as those who "cry out day and night to Him" (Luke 18:1-7). When we are adopted into God's family by the Holy Spirit, "we cry out, 'Abba, Father!'" (Romans 8:15). It is as much a part of our new nature as genuine Christians to pray as it is of young children to cry. Like them, we feel our hunger and weakness. We cannot do otherwise; we must pray.

Look carefully over the lives of God's people from Genesis through Revelation in the Bible and you will see their devotion to God in prayer. In contrast, a major characteristic of the wicked is that they do not call upon the Lord (Psalm 14:4; 79:6; Jeremiah 10:25, Hosea 7:7; Isaiah 64:7). Read about the lives of eminent Christians from Bible times to the present day and you will find varieties in their levels of education, wealth, social status, and denominational backgrounds, but one thing they all have in common: they have all been men and women of prayer. People who have been converted to Christ from around the world are different from one another in many respects, but converted people always pray.

I do not deny that a person may pray without heart and sincerity. The mere fact of praying proves nothing about his or her soul. As in every part of religion, there is plenty of deception and hypocrisy. But this I do say: not praying is clear proof that a man is not yet a true Christian. He cannot really feel his sins, love God, sense himself a debtor to Christ, long after holiness, truly desire heaven, or be born again. He has yet to be made a new creature if he does not pray. A man may write books, preach, make fine speeches, and seem diligent in good works, yet be a Judas Iscariot.

A man does not shut his door and pour out his soul before God in secret unless he is in earnest. When the Lord Jesus sent Ananias to Saul in Damascus, He gave him no other evidence of Saul's change of heart than this: "Behold, he is praying" (Acts 9:11). Much may go on in a man's mind before he is brought to pray. He may have many convictions, desires, feelings, intentions, resolutions, hopes, and fears. But all those things are to be found in ungodly people, and often come to nothing. In many cases their "faithfulness is like a morning cloud, and like the early dew it goes away" (Hosea 6:4). A real, hearty prayer flowing from a broken and contrite spirit is worth all those things put together.

The first act of faith will be to speak to God. Faith is to the soul what life is to the body. Prayer is to faith what breath is to life. Your views of doctrine may be correct, but still may be nothing more than head knowledge and party spirit. The great point is whether you can speak to God as well as speak about God.

3. There is no duty in religion so neglected as private prayer. I say this as a minister with experience. Many utter mere form prayers, but words said without heart are useless to the soul. Saul surely said many long prayers before the Lord met him on the way to Damascus, but it was not until his heart was broken that the Lord said he was really praying. Consider the slipshod lives many professing Christians live. Praying and sinning will never live together in the same heart. Prayer will consume sin, or sin will choke prayer. Consider the deaths many die. I remember hearing of a lady who was anxious to have a minister pray with her in her last illness. He asked her what he should pray for. She did not know and could not tell. All she seemed to want was the form of a minister's prayers. Deathbeds are great revealers of secrets. I cannot forget what I have seen of sick and dying people. That also leads me to believe that few really pray.

4. Prayer is that act in religion in which there is the greatest encouragement. God has done everything on His part to make prayer easy if men and women will only attempt it. "All things are now ready" on His side (Luke 14:17). Every objection is anticipated. Every difficulty is provided for. The crooked places are made straight, and the rough places made smooth (Isaiah 40). There is no excuse left for prayerless people.

A. There is a way by which any man and woman, however sinful and unworthy, may draw near to God the Father. Jesus Christ has opened that way by His atoning sacrifice on the cross. The holiness and justice of God need not frighten sinners and keep them back. Only let them cry to God in the name of Jesus, and they shall find Him on a throne of grace, ready to hear. In that name they may draw near to God with boldness and pray with confidence (Hebrews 4:13-16). Is not this great encouragement?

B. There is an advocate and intercessor always waiting to present the prayers of those who will employ Him, Jesus Christ the righteous (1 John 2:1). He is now at the right hand of God, "able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25). Poor as our prayers are in themselves, they are powerful in the hands of our High Priest and Elder Brother. There was an officer in the city of Rome who was appointed to have his doors always open to receive any Roman citizen who came to him for help. Just so the ear of the Lord Jesus is always open to the cry of those who seek His mercy and grace. It is His job to help them. Their prayer is His delight. Think how encouraging this is!

C. There is the Holy Spirit always ready to help our infirmities in prayer. We do not always know what to pray for, but "the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us" (Romans 8:26). We do not need to be distressed by fear from not knowing what to say to God. The Spirit will give us words if we seek His aid. Surely the Lord's people may well hope to be heard; it is not merely they who pray. Think about this. Are you not encouraged?

D. There are many great and precious promises to those who pray. Jesus says, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened" (Matthew 7:7-8). He also promises, "Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive" (Matthew 21:22) and "whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it" (John 14:13-14). Think about Jesus's parables of the friend begging for bread next door at midnight (Luke 11:5-13) and the widow relentlessly pursuing justice from an unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8). Can you think of any better encouragements to pray?

E. There are wonderful examples in Scripture of the power of prayer. Nothing seems to be too great, hard, or difficult for prayer to do. It has obtained things that seemed impossible and out of reach. It has won victories over fire, air, earth, and water. Prayer opened the Red Sea, brought water from a rock, and bread from heaven. Prayer made the sun stand still, brought fire from the sky on Elijah's sacrifice, turned the shrewd but ruthless counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness, and overthrew the army of Sennacherib. It is understandable that Mary, Queen of Scots said, "I fear John Knox's prayers more than an army of 10,000 men." Prayer has healed the sick, raised the dead, and brought about the conversion of souls. Think of all this. Are you not encouraged?

5. Diligence in prayer is the secret of holiness. There is a vast difference among true Christians. They are all fighting the same good fight, but how much more valiantly some fight than others! They are all running the same race, but how much faster some get on than others! They all love the same Lord and Savior, but how much more some love Him than others!

There are some of the Lord's people who seem never able to get on from the time of their conversion. They are born again, but remain babies. They are learners in Christ's school, but never seem to get beyond the milk of God's Word, feeling reluctant to taste strong doctrine, "which is for the mature, those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil" (Hebrews 5:11-14). Year after year you see them in the same old besetting sins, the same feebleness, narrowness of heart, and lack of interest in anything beyond their own little circle. I say this with sorrow, but I ask any real Christian, is it not true?

There are others of the Lord's people who seem to be always getting on. They grow like grass after rain, always adding grace to grace, faith to faith, and strength to strength. Every time you see them their hearts seem larger and their spiritual stature bigger, taller, and stronger. Every year they appear to see more, know more, believe more, and feel more in their religion. They not only have good works to prove the reality of their faith, but are zealous about them. They not only do well, but continue faithfully (Titus 2:14; Galatians 6:9). They attempt great things and do great things. When they fail, they soon try again. These are those who make religion beautiful in the eyes of all with discernment. It does one good to see, be with, and hear them.

What accounts for the difference? I believe those who are spiritually weak pray little, and those who are strong pray much. People have different levels of giftedness, but spiritual as well as natural greatness depends far more on the use of means within everyone's reach rather than on anything else. When a person is converted to God, whether he will be strikingly bold or not depends chiefly on his own diligence in the use of God's appointed means. The principal means by which most believers have become great in the church of Christ is the habit of diligent private prayer. Prayer obtains fresh and continued outpourings of the Spirit. Prayer is the surest remedy against the devil and all besetting sins. We must plead our case before the Great Physician for Him to give us daily relief. Do we wish to grow in grace and be holy? Then let us never forget the value of prayer.

6. Neglect of prayer is one great cause of backsliding. Men may run well for a season but turn aside after false teachers, like the Galatians. Men may lose their first love, as the Ephesians did. Men may profess Christ loudly while their feelings are warm,  but in the hour of trial deny their Lord. Like Peter, they first disregard the Lord's warning to "watch and pray," and then their strength is gone. Reader, do you want to move forward, not backwards? Watch and pray.

7. Prayer is one of the best means for happiness and contentment. We live in a world where sorrow abounds. This has always been its state since sin entered in. Sicknesses, deaths, losses, disappointments, partings, separations, ingratitude, slander—all these are common things. How shall we get through them with the least pain? I know no better way than the habit of taking everything to God in prayer. That is the plain advice the Bible gives in both the Old and New Testaments.

What do the psalmists write? That God Himself says, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you will glorify Me" (Psalm 50:15). "Cast your burden upon the Lord and He shall sustain you. He shall never permit the righteous to be moved" (Psalm 55:22).  What does Paul say? "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). How about James? "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray" (James 5:13).

That was the practice of all the saints whose history we have recorded in the Scriptures. It is what Jacob did when he feared his brother, Esau. It is what Moses did when the people were ready to stone him in the wilderness. It is what Joshua did when Israel suffered the humiliating defeat at Ai. It is what David did when he was in danger at Keilah. It is what King Hezekiah did when receiving an intimidating letter from the Assyrian Empire. It is what the church did when Peter was put in prison, and what Paul and Silas did when abused in the Philippian jail.

The only way to be really happy in a world such as this is casting our cares on God. It is trying to carry all their own burdens that so often makes believers sad. If they will only tell their troubles to God, He will enable them to bear them as Samson did the gates of Gaza. There is a friend waiting to help us who pitied the poor, sick, and sorrowful when He was upon the earth: a friend who knows the heart of man for He lived 33 years as a man among us. He is able to help us, for there never was an earthly pain He could not cure. That friend is Jesus Christ. The way to be happy is to be always opening our hearts to Him.

I now bring application to 3 groups of readers:

(1) A parting word to those who do not pray. It is useless to say you do not know how to pray. Prayer is the simplest act in all religion. It is simply speaking to God. It is useless to say you have no convenient place to pray in. Any person can find a place private enough if he or she is inclined. It is useless to say you have no time. When time is really wanted, it can be found. It is useless to say you cannot pray until you have faith and a new heart. That is to add sin to sin. It is bad enough to be unconverted and headed toward hell. It is even worse to say, "I know it, but I will not cry for mercy." What do the Scriptures say? "Call upon the Lord while He may be found ... while He is near" (Isaiah 55:6). "Take words with you and return to the Lord" (Hosea 14:2). Do not lose heaven for lack of asking.

(2) A parting word to those who have a real desire for salvation, but do not know where to begin. In every journey there must be a first step. In every building the first stone must be laid and the first blow struck. When does the building of the Spirit begin to appear in the human heart? It begins, so far as we can judge, when a person first pours out his or her heart to God in prayer. Go now to the Lord Jesus Christ in the first private place you can find and ask Him earnestly to save your soul. Tell Him you have heard that He receives sinners and has said, "The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37). "I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32).  Tell Him in your own way and in your own words. When you are sick and go to a doctor, you tell him or her where you feel pain. If your soul really feels its disease, you can surely find something to tell Christ. Pray to Him honestly and heartily, and you will be saved.

(3) A parting word to those who do pray. To all such I offer words of brotherly counsel and exhortation. The incense offered in the tabernacle was ordered to be made in a particular way. Not any kind of incense would do. Let us remember that and be careful about the matter and manner of our prayers. I am sure you want to do that as a sincere lover of Christ.

A. The importance of reverence and humility in prayer. Let us never forget who we are and what a solemn thing it is to speak with God. If I do not mean what I say, I am trifling with Him. "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened" (Psalm 66:18-20). Let us keep in mind the words of Solomon: "Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God" (Ecclesiastes 5:2). When Abraham spoke to God, he said, "I am nothing but dust and ashes" (Genesis 18:27). Humility guards against careless prayers.

B. The importance of praying spiritually. By this I mean we should labor always to have the direct help of the Spirit in our prayers and be wary of formality. I desire to touch this point with caution and delicacy. There are things we need daily, and there is nothing wrong with asking for them in more or less the same words. Of necessity we must go over old ground. If the skeleton and outline of our prayers are by habit almost a form, let us strive that the clothing and filling up of them come from a sincere mind and heart guided by the Spirit. Praying out of a book is much, I think, like a crutch: helpful when one is first recovering from a broken limb, but I would like to see him or her strong enough not to need a crutch anymore. If we can tell a doctor the state of our body without a book, we ought to be able to tell the state of our soul to God.

C. The importance of making prayer a regular business of life. There is value in regular times for prayer. God is a God of order. The hours for morning and evening sacrifice in the Jewish temple were not fixed as they were without meaning. Disorder is one of the fruits of sin, but I would not bring any under bondage. Just as you allot time for eating, sleeping, and working, do the same with prayer. Choose your own hours and seasons. At the very least, speak with God in the morning before you speak with the world, and speak with God at night, after you have done with the world. But settle it in your mind that prayer is one of the most important things you have to do each day.

D. The importance of perseverance in prayer. Once having begun the habit, never give it up. Your body will sometimes say, "You are unwell, or sleepy, or weary. You don't need to pray today." Your mind will sometimes say, "You have important business to attend to today; cut short your prayers." View all such suggestions as coming directly from the devil. They are all as good as saying, "Neglect your soul." Prayers should not always be the same length, but let no excuse tempt you to neglect praying. It is not for nothing that Paul said, "Continue in prayer" and "pray without ceasing" (Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). He did not mean we should always be on our knees, but our prayers should be like spring, summer, fall, and winter in dependable regularity.  Even in company, in business, or on the road you can be sending up swift messages to God, as Nehemiah did before answering King Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 2:4-5). Never is time wasted that is given to God. A Christian never finds he is a loser by persevering in prayer.

E. The importance of earnestness in prayer. It is not necessary for a man to shout, scream, or be very loud to prove he means what he says. But in prayer it is desirable that we should be hearty, fervent, and sincerely interested in what we are doing and asking for. It is "the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man" or woman that "avails much" (James 5:16), not the cold, sleepy, lazy, listless one. Think of the action words used to describe godly prayer in Scripture: crying, knocking, wrestling, laboring, and striving. Hear how Daniel pleaded with God, "O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God! (Daniel 9:19). Of our Lord Jesus Christ we are told, "In the days of His flesh He offered up prayers and supplication with strong cries and tears" (Hebrews 5:7). Show God you are sincere in what you are asking Him for by the godly way you ask and the godly way you live.

F. The importance of praying with faith. Believe your prayers are always heard and that if you ask according to God's will, you will always be answered. This is the plain command of our Lord Jesus: "Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours" (Mark 11:24), governed by the prayer Jesus taught us: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdome come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:9-10). The apostle John worded it like this: "This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him" (1 John 5:14-15). God likes it when we take Him at His Word. Psalm 119 is full of things asked "according to Your Word." Let's get in the habit of pleading His promises in our prayers and patiently expecting His answers.

G. The importance of boldness in prayer. I am not speaking of presumption or overfamiliarity, but a holy boldness like Moses showed when he pleaded with God not to destroy Israel: "Why should the Egyptians say You brought out Israel from Egypt only to do them harm? Please turn from Your fierce anger!" (Exodus 32:12). Joshua prayed with similar boldness, genuinely concerned for God's reputation (Joshua 7:9). Martin Luther was was known for that kind of boldness. One who heard him praying said, "What a spirit, what confidence was in his very expressions! With such reverence he pleaded, as one begging of God, yet with the hope and assurance of speaking with a loving father or friend!" Let's take advantage of the believer's privileges, daring to pray often, "Lord, are we not Your own people? Is it not for Your glory that we should increase in holiness? Is it not for Your honor that the Gospel should increase throughout the world?"

H. The importance of fullness in prayer. While we must never forget our Lord spoke against vain repetition in prayer and the long, insincere prayers of the Pharisees, we do well to keep in mind our Lord's own example of how often and how long He prayed—sometimes all night. None of us are likely to err on the side of praying too much. Think: do we really want little from God? We are not limited in Christ, but in ourselves! The Lord says, "Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it" (Psalm 81:10). 

I. The importance of being specific in prayer. We ought not to be content with great general petitions, but specify our wants before the throne of grace. It should not be enough to confess we are sinners. We should name the sins our conscience tells us we are most guilty of. It should not be enough to ask for holiness. We should name the virtues we think we most lack. It should not be enough to tell our Lord we are in trouble or in need. We should describe our troubles and needs in detail, like Jacob did when he feared his brother, Esau (Genesis 32:11),  like Abraham's servant did when seeking a wife for Isaac (Genesis 24:12-27), like Paul did when suffering a thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Nothing is too small to be named before God. What should we think of the patient who told his doctor he was ill but never went into particulars? What about the wife who tells her husband she is unhappy, but does not specify the cause? Christ is the true bridegroom of the soul, the true physician of the heart, and the real father of His people. Let us show we feel this by being unreserved in our communications with Him.

J. The importance of intercession in our prayers. We are all selfish by nature, and unless we are careful, our selfishness is apt to stick to us even when we are converted. Let's take care to name other names beside our own before the throne of grace. We should try to bear in our hearts the whole world: skeptics, religious people who are influenced by teachings contrary to the Bible, the church to which we belong, our family, friends, and country. This will enlarge our sympathies and expand our hearts. Praying for others is one of the most loving things we can do for them. The wheels of all machinery for extending the Gospel are oiled by prayer. They do as much for the Lord's cause who pray like Moses on the mount as do those who fight like Joshua in the thick of battle.

K. The importance of thankfulness in our prayers. Asking God is one thing and praising God is another, but there is a close connection between prayer and thanksgiving. Notice that Paul says, "By prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6). "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving" (Colossians 4:2). He hardly ever wrote a letter without beginning with thankfulness. If we would be bright and shining lights in our day, we must cherish a spirit of praise to God. Above all, let our prayers be thankful prayers. 

L. The importance of watchfulness over our prayers. We must be regularly on our guard. Prayer is where true religion begins and also decays. Tell me what a man's prayers are and I will soon tell you the state of his soul. Prayer is the spiritual pulse: by it spiritual health may always be tested. Prayer is the backbone of our practical Christianity. Nothing will make up for the neglect of private prayer. Observe carefully what friends and activities leave your soul in the most spiritual frame and ready to speak with God. To these cleave and hold fast, and shun what tempts you away. If you will take care of your prayers, nothing shall go very wrong with your soul.

I offer these points for private consideration in all humility. I know no one who needs to be reminded of them more than I do myself. But I believe them to be God's own truth and would like all of us as God's people to feel them more. I want those who never prayed yet to arise and call upon God, and I want those who do pray to improve their prayers every year, being mindful and zealous daily.