Spurgeon on Public Prayer

Very occasionally we go away for the weekend and get the chance to visit a new church, a couple of years ago we visited a very strange church. It was evangelical but at no point in the service did the minister pray, in fact no-one prayed until the communion section which was tacked on at the end of the service.  The sermon lacked any power and the service was completly meaningless. At the time I was reading Spurgeon on public prayer and how Spurgeon said he would rather pray than preach, I emailed the pastor after we got back and asked him about the prayerlessness. He just said he was having a bad day, I am sure that was the case which suggests to me that there was more need to pray. A church without prayer is as pointless as a well without water and that is probaby a good analogy a waterless well.

I was reminded of this again as I read the chapter again yesterday and it is well worth a read, it comes from chapter 4 of Spurgeon's Lectures to My Students, Spurgeon goes on to talk about somethings we come accross on a regular basis, prayers that are formal or even written that don't seem to be seeking to do business with God. Also eleoquent prayers that are aimed at the congregation rather than to the LORD.
'Let your confessions of sin and thanksgivings be truthful and to the point; and let your petitions be presented as if you believed in God and had no doubt as to the efficacy of prayer: I say this, because so many pray in such a formal manner as to lead observers to conclude that they throught it a very decent thing to pray, but, after all, a very poor and doubtful business as to any practical result. Pray as someone who has tried and proved his God, and therefore come with undoubting confidence to renew his pleadings: and do remember to pray to God right through the prayer.' p.59 Lectures to my Students,  my copy is published by Baker.

God Bless
Stephen <><