Matthew Henry's Method for Prayer

We know that we are called to pray. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 instructs us to “pray without ceasing”. Then why do we find it so difficult? Perhaps we feel that our prayers are not sufficiently eloquent or compelling. There can be many reasons for our struggles with prayer. Doesn’t it make sense to turn to God’s Word for help? 

MatthewHenry.org is a free, donor-supported resource from the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals that delivers Matthew Henry's A Method for Prayer, currently available in ten languages, to modern Christians worldwide who might not otherwise have access this exceptional material. It equips Believers to pray in a way that reflects Scripture back to God and brings Him glory. Resorting to a more scriptural pattern of prayer may be a simple (but profound) answer to many problems in our practice of prayer. 

There are a number of reasons that could be given as to why Christians should "Pray the Bible," but the ones below combine to make a rather convincing argument:

1. Praying scripturally will teach us what prayer is, even while we do it.
2. It will correct “shopping list” views of prayer which abound in the Christian community.
3. It will begin to solve in our own minds the question of “unanswered prayer.”
4. It will remind us of just how much there is to pray about day by day.
5. It will teach us of the extreme urgency of prayer.
6. It will return proportion to prayers long on petition, but short on adoration, confession, and thanksgiving.
7. It will instruct us how best to pray for ministers, missionaries, and one another.
8. It will show us the proper way to approach God in prayer.
9. It will remind us of the good things that God does for us (which we, more often than not, take for granted).
10. It will remind us to always give thanks to God (which, paradoxically, is so important for our own assurance of His faithfulness in answering prayer).
11. It will begin to engrave in our minds biblical patterns of thought which can help immunize us from the enticing folly of the world’s view of life.
12. It will force us to rehearse the solemn warnings and precious promises of God (which will do eternal good to our souls).
13. It will move us from our inherent man-centeredness in prayer to a biblical, God-centered way of praying.

The aim of the online publication of this “old-made-new” monograph is to assist and encourage modern Christians in both public and private prayer.

Sign up for daily Method for Prayer emails. Work your way through Matthew Henry's "6 parts of prayer" and his elaboration of the Lord's Prayer by signing up to receive daily devotional emails. Each day you'll receive a self-contained unit of a particular chapter of Henry's book, about 1 to 1.5 book pages long. Instead of moving you through the book consecutively, the emails will cycle you through the different parts of prayer nearly every week: Adoration, Confession, Petition, Thanksgiving, Intercession, and Conclusion (coupled with the chapter on the Lord's Prayer). These emails will take you through the heart of the book (Chapters 1-7) twice in a single year. 

Praying the thoughts, concerns, and language of the Scriptures back to the true and living God who breathed them out: What a great way to root your heart and mind in truth as you begin each day!

Text Links:

http://www.matthewhenry.org/

http://www.matthewhenry.org/daily-devotional-emails/