Martyn Lloyd-Jones on prayer: the following is taken from his book, “Spiritual Depression.” You can find Dan Phillips’ review of it HERE. See also our previous article, Praying with ACTS.
First thing
Lloyd-Jones writes that the Christian must begin prayer in the right way, and frame of mind. There are things we must do before we apply our supplications. Citing the Apostle Paul on suffering, anxiety in context with prayer, he advises,
First he tells us to pray. He differentiates between prayer and supplication and thanksgiving. What does he mean by prayer? This is the most general term and it means worship and adoration. If you have problems that seem insoluble, if you are liable to become anxious and overburdened, and somebody tells you to pray, do not rush to God with your petition. That is not the way. Before you make your requests known unto God, pray, worship, adore.
Come unto the presence of God and for the time being forget your problems. Do not start with them. Just realize that you are face to face with God. In this word ‘prayer’ the idea of being face to face is inherent in the very word itself. You come into the presence of God and you realize the presence and you recollect the presence—that is the first step always. Even before you make your requests known unto God you realize that you are face to face with God, that you are in His presence and you pour out your heart in adoration. That is the beginning.
You might think that Lloyd-Jones is being redundant in his repetition of “face to face” and “presence.” But I think he intends to drive the point home of the enormity of the Who we are addressing in prayer. It might pay us to think about Moses’ encounter with God and how his face shone afterwards. Think also about Isaiah’s vision experience and how it affected him,
And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Isaiah 6:3-5
Privileged
We are able to approach God in prayer because of the work of the Cross in us. Christ is our High Priest. I find the following two verses encouraging as a reminder of the privilege we have been offered. Think of the vastness of the universe. Pity that I don’t always remember this.
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Col 1:17
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. Heb 1:3
Maranatha!
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