Ok, so I have just finished reading aloud J C Ryle's address, "A call to prayer". I probably went through it a little fast.
What a masterly and exhaustive treatment of the subject. My own heart was stirred greatly as I read.
Ryle considers those who have never prayed, and who therefore can have no saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. He explains how prayer is as simple as talking to God, and therefore how to begin to pray, and what to pray for.
He considers the backslider who should be praying, but is not, and he delineates how so much backsliding begins when we do not pray. Prayer is also the answer to backsliding.
He considers the Christian who prays a little, but ought to be seeking to be mighty in prayer, and he gives excellent reasons for us to continue in prayer.
I found myself ashamed of my own lack of prayer and lack of expectation in the answers given to prayer.
What I found most encouraging of all is the assertion, backed up by Scripture, that no matter how weak or pathetic, God hears our prayers. From that, I derive great encouragement.
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