Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out
of the heart or soul to God through Christ,
in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit,
for such things as God hath promised,
or according to the Word, for the good of the Church,
in Faith, to the will of God.
– John Bunyan
Here are a few helpful quotes on prayer from the book Taking Hold of God edited by Joel R. Beeke and Brian G. Najapfour:
You can do more than pray, after you have prayed,
but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.
– John Bunyan
How can we live to God outside the prayer closet
when we so seldom meet him in the closet?
– Joel R. Beeke
Pray often, for prayer is
a shield to the soul,
a sacrifice to God,
and a scourge for Satan.
– John Bunyan
Cold prayers are a sacrifice without fire.
– J.C. Ryle
When you pray, rather let your heart be without words
than your words without heart.
– John Bunyan
If your knowledge of doctrine does not make you a great man of prayer,
you had better examine yourself again.
– Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Prayer will make a man cease from sin,
or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer.
– John Bunyan
Prayer humbles us as needy and exalts God as wealthy.
– John Piper
Whatever be the ground of one’s distress,
it should drive him to, not from, God.
– John Flavel
When you stop trying to control your life and instead allow your anxieties and problems to bring you to God in prayer, you shift from worrying to watching. You watch God weave his patterns in the story of your life. Instead of trying to be out front, designing your life, you realize you are inside God’s drama. As you wait, you begin to see him work, and your life begins to sparkle with wonder. You are learning to trust again.
– Paul Miller
Because God is the living God, He can hear;
because He is a loving God, He will hear; because
He is our covenant God, He has bound Himself to hear.
– Charles Spurgeon
I put my prayers into Christ’s hands;
and what may I not expect from them,
when I have such an Advocate?
Oh, be sure not to ask a little from God!
– Thomas Adam
The habit of spreading before God our soul’s needs
is an evidence that we have the spirit of adoption.
– J. C. Ryle
If we do not delight on God’s presence and nearness here on earth, why would we want to go to heaven where he is the centerpiece of everything?
– Jim Cymbala
True prayer is an approach of the soul by the Spirit of God to the throne of God.
– Charles Spurgeon
Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God hath promised, or according to the Word, for the good of the church, with submission, in Faith, to the will of God
– John Bunyan
The Spirit, as an enlightening Spirit, teaches us what to pray for, as a sanctifying Spirit works and excites praying graces, as a comforting Spirit silences our fears, and helps us over all our discouragements. The Holy Spirit is the spring of all our desires and breathings toward God.
– Matthew Henry
My lack of fervor is no reason to rein in my prayers. As I pray so weakly, the Holy Spirit strongly pleads for me with groans deeper than I can express to touch the heart of the Father. And the Father, who sent his Son and his Spirit to be our advocates, loves to listen – and respond.
– Bryan Chapell
The fervor of the Holy Spirit makes my prayers dear to the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit conforms my prayers to his design. These truths are amazing and comforting. Because the Spirit works through my prayers to do his will, I do not have to know all the answers or emote just the right feeling for God to use me. I do not have to say everything right or do everything right to have all things turn out right. The Spirit takes these burdens from me. The Holy Spirit uses fallible prayers offered in faith to accomplish God’s perfect will.
– Bryan Chapell
Prayerlessness is my declaration of independence from God.
– Daniel Henderson
A prayerless man is proud and independent, and any church that neglects corporate prayer is sadly no better. Only God’s humble and needy children take the time to pray. Everyone else is just going through the motions and naively trusting in their own strength!
– David Smithers
If we are not praying fervently in our churches, then we are relying on our own strength.
– Les Lofquist
The life, power, and glory of the church is prayer…. Without it, the church is lifeless and powerless.
– E. M. Bounds
Much prayer, much power. Little prayer, little power. No prayer, no power.
– Peter Deyneka, Sr.
We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little; many services but few conversions; much machinery, but few results.
– R.A. Torrey
Beginning with the power of the Holy Spirit that came upon the followers of Jesus as they prayed with one accord (Acts 2:1) on the day of Pentecost, the most dynamic movements of reformation and revival God has sent to His church have exploded from united prayer.
– Donald Whitney
In our culture of rugged individualism we have come to the conclusion that it is better to pray alone than with others. Unfortunately, most of us never learn to do either one very well. Like most disciplines of the Christian faith, we learn best to pray alone when we have been taught in community.
– Daniel Henderson
Praying together provides an education in prayer for the entire church.
– Joel R. Beeke
We shall never see much change for the better in our churches in general till the prayer meeting occupies a higher place in the esteem of Christians.
– Charles Spurgeon
If congregational or small group prayer isn’t part of your Christian life, there’s a problem. Private-only prayer is not New Testament Christianity. Prayer with others from the body of believers was one of the four marks of the church in Acts 2:42. Some say they don’t pray with groups because they are too self-conscious when praying aloud with others. This verse doesn’t say they all prayed aloud, but it does mean that they prayed together. If you are unwilling to pray with others, you are too independent spiritually.
– Donald Whitney
A congregation without a prayer meeting is essentially defective in its organization, and so must be limited in its efficiency.
– J. B. Johnston
Praying regularly with others can be one of the most enriching adventures of your Christian life. Most of the great movements of God can be traced to a small group of people He called together to begin praying.
– Donald Whitney
In themselves as weak as worms,
How can poor believers stand,
When temptations, foes, and storms,
Press them close on every hand?
Weak, indeed, they feel they are,
But they know the Throne of Grace;
And the God who answers prayer,
Helps them when they seek His face.
Though the Lord awhile delay,
Succor they at length obtain;
He who taught their hearts to pray,
Will not let them cry in vain.
Wrestling prayer can wonders do;
Bring relief in deepest straits!
Prayer can force a passage through
Iron bars and brazen gates.
For the wonders He has wrought,
Let us now our praises give;
And, by sweet experience taught,
Call upon Him while we live.
– John Newton
The prayer of the feeblest saint on earth who lives in the Spirit and keeps right with God is a terror to Satan. The very powers of darkness are paralyzed by prayer…no wonder Satan tries to keep our minds fussy in active work till we cannot think in prayer.
– Oswald Chambers
If we do not abide in prayer, we will abide in temptation.
– John Owen
Our prayer life is an indicator of our spiritual appetite.
– James W. Beeke and Joel R. Beeke
Do you understand that the success of your minister and missionaries is intimately bound up with your prayers?
– Joel R. Beeke
True prayer is the believer’s greatest weapon in the armory of God.
– James W. Beeke and Joel R. Beeke
If we think we can do life on our own,
we will not take prayer seriously.
– Paul Miller
Prayer is bringing your helplessness to Jesus.
– Paul Miller
Learned desperation is at the heart of a praying life.
– Paul Miller
It is atheism to pray and not to wait in hope.
– Richard Sibbes
True prayer measures no need too great or too small.
It neither assumes human probability nor flinches
in the face of human impossibility.
– James W. Beeke and Joel R. Beeke
Jesus’ example teaches us that prayer is about relationship. When he prays, he is not performing a duty; he is getting close to his Father. Any relationship, if it is going to grow, needs private space, time together without an agenda, where you can get to know each other…. Efficiency, multitasking, and busyness all kill intimacy.
– Paul Miller
A sign of true love and friendship is when two people treasure time to be alone to talk together. So it is with the Lord and true believers. They love to hear each other’s voice. This involves a double grace – not only that a sinner loves to hear Christ’s voice, but also that Christ loves to hear a sinner’s voice.
– James W. Beeke and Joel R. Beeke
When a man draws near to God in prayer, he forgets prayer…prayer goes for nothing, but Christ is all.
-I.Ambrose
True prayer is fellowshipping with God.
It is a foretaste of heaven’s eternal conversation.
– James W. Beeke and Joel R. Beeke
Brian J. Mikul 