The Life-Blood of the Christian

In 1891, David McIntyre, the son-in-law of the well-known Dr. Andrew Bonar, and Scottish pastor and professor, wrote a little gem of a book called The Hidden Life of Prayer: the Lifeblood of the Christian. The book is short, succinct, and simple, and opens up to the reader the delightful gift of prayer given to the believer by the God of heaven. The book is broken down into eight chapters as follows:

1.       The Life of Prayer

·         McIntyre lays out the Scriptural implication that God’s people will pray as their new natures cry out for the living God.

·         It is the mark of a true believer to pray to his Father through the Son by the Holy Spirit.

2.       The Equipment

·         The equipment for prayer consists of

·   a quiet place,

·   a quiet hour,

·   and a quiet heart.

·         The quiet heart is confident in the acceptance

·   before the Father

·   through the sacrifice of Christ,

·   the enabling grace of the Holy Spirit,

·   and the steadying text of Scripture.

3.       The Direction of the Mind

·         Our attitude as we approach God is to

·   realize the presence of God,

·   deal honestly with Him in His presence,

·   draw near to Him in faith

·         believing no miracle is impossible

·         and believing we are praying to our Father in Christ’s authority.

4.       The Engagement: Worship

·         Our prayers are to praise the Lord in

·   acknowledgment of daily mercies,

·    thanksgiving for the great redemption,

·   or contemplation of  our Father’s perfections.

5.       The Engagement: Confession

·         Confession of sin is the first act of an awakened sinner and the first mark of a gracious spirit.

·         Confession is explicit and balanced with the love of Christ that swallows up sin in a measureless ocean of peace and grace.

6.       The Engagement: Request

·         The prayer of faith that has been brought into conformity with the mind of Christ is

·   subject to the Father’s will,

·   restrained within the interest of Christ,

·   instructed in the truth,

·   energized by the Spirit,

·   interwoven with love and mercy,

·   accompanied with obedience,

·   so earnest it will not accept denial,

·   and seeks an answer.

·         The prayer of faith is restricted to the Word of God and rests on the character of God.

7.       The Hidden Riches of the Secret Place

·         Fellowship with God discovers the excellence of His character, and by beholding Him the soul is transformed as the habit of prayerfulness produces

·   a peace in our trusting spirit.

·   an obedience of our life according to the will of God,

·   and a richer influence and wider usefulness as we ouch other lives.

8.       The Open Recompense

·         When we reach the end of our lives, we should be able to say, “There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised.”

·         Every gracious work that has been accomplished within the kingdom of God has been begun, fostered, and consummated by prayer.