Prayer and the Prayer Meeting
Overview
Why should we pray? How does God answer prayer? In Prayer and the Prayer Meeting, Mackintosh provides a thorough scriptural analysis of the key texts on prayer, including the ways in which Jesus prays, along with his instructions to the disciples to do the same. Mackintosh uses these texts to determine the basis and function of prayer, especially corporate prayer. He provides instruction for conducting public prayer and for cultivating an attitude and posture of prayer.
Prayer, he says, leads to unity. But to become unified, the church must resist formalism, powerless profession, dead routine, and mechanical religiousness. Prayer and the Prayer Meeting contains helpful advice and encouragement for building and maintaining an active prayer life.
Top Highlights
“in order to effectual prayer, there must be an obedient heart, an upright mind, a good conscience.” (Pages 1–2)
“The prayer-meeting ought to be the place of expressed need, and expected blessing—the place of expressed weakness and expected power—the place where God’s people assemble with one accord, to take hold of the very throne of God, to get into the very treasury of heaven, and draw thence all we want for ourselves, for our households, for the whole church of God, and for the vineyard of Christ.” (Page 35)
“Here we learn that one necessary condition of our prayers is, unanimity—cordial agreement—thorough oneness of mind” (Page 8)
“Daniel’s cry had been despatched from the throne of God at the very beginning of his exercise, as we read at verse 12: ‘Then said he unto me, Fear not Daniel; for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.” (Page 31)
“‘The time is not come.’ Let us not yield to that pernicious offshoot of a one-sided theology, which is rightly called fatalism, and say, ‘God is sovereign, and He works according to His own will. We must wait His time. Human effort is in vain. We cannot get up a revival. We must beware of mere excitement.’” (Page 12)
Man’s complete ruin in sin, and God’s perfect remedy in Christ, are fully, clearly, and often strikingly presented [in Mackintosh’s writings].
—Andrew Miller, a leader of the Plymouth Brethren movement
- Title: Prayer and the Prayer Meeting
- Author: C. H. Mackintosh
- Series: C. H. Mackintosh Collection
- Publisher: Loizeaux Brothers Publications
- Pages: 36