This lesson from Thomas Brooks is lengthy.  I’ve pulled sections from it to focus on the points. This is another wonderful motive to get away with your Bible and communion with the living God. Brook’s first line is a grabber, at least for me. He had my heart’s attention with it. If I’d stop writing, you could stop reading my words and get to the steak. Let’s go:

Consider you are the only persons in all the world that God hath made choice of to reveal his secrets to. John 15:15, ‘Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.’ Everything that God the Father had communicated to Christ as mediator to be revealed to his servants, he did make known to his disciples as to his bosom-friends. Christ loves his people as friends, and he uses them as friends, and he opens his heart to them as friends. There is nothing in the heart of Christ that concerns the internal and eternal welfare of his friends, but he reveals it to them: he reveals himself, his love, his eternal good will, the mysteries of faith, and the secrets of his covenant, to his friends.1 Christ loves not to entertain his friends with things that are commonly and vulgarly known. Christ will reveal the secrets of his mind, the secrets of his love, the secrets of his thoughts, the secrets of his heart, and the secrets of his purposes, to all his bosom-friends. Samson could not hide his mind, his secrets, from Delilah, though it cost him his life, Judges 16:15–17; and do you think that Christ can hide his mind, his secrets, from them for whom he hath laid down his life? Surely no. O sirs! Christ is,

(1.) A universal friend.
(2.) An omnipotent friend, an almighty friend. He is no less than thirty times called Almighty in that book of Job; he can do above all expressions and beyond all apprehensions.
(3.) He is an omniscient friend.
(4.) He is an omnipresent friend.
(5.) He is an indeficient friend.
(6.) He is an independent friend.
(7.) He is an unchangeable friend.
(8.) He is a watchful friend.
(9.) He is a tender and compassionate friend.
(10.) He is a close and faithful friend; and therefore he cannot but open and unbosom himself to all his bosom friends. To be reserved and close is against the very law of friendship. Faithful friends are very free in imparting their thoughts, their minds, their secrets, one to another. A real friend accounts nothing worth knowing unless he makes it known to his friends. He rips up his greatest and most inward secrets to his friends. Job calls his friends ‘inward friends,’ or the men of his secrets, Job 19:19. All Christ’s friends are inward friends; they are the men of his secrets: Prov. 3:32, ‘His secrets are with the righteous,’ that is, his covenant and fatherly affection, which is hid and secret from the world. He that is righteous in secret, where no man sees him, he is the righteous man, to whom God will communicate his closest secrets, as to his dearest bosom-friend. It is only a bosom-friend to whom we will unbosom ourselves. So Ps. 25:14, ‘The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.’

Now, there are three sorts of divine secrets:
(1.) First, There are secrets of providence, and these he reveals to the righteous, and to them that fear him, Ps. 107:43, Hosea 14:9. The prophet Amos speaks of these secrets of providence: Amos 3:7, ‘Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secrets unto his servants and prophets.’
(2.) Secondly, There are the secrets of his kingdom; and these he reveals to his people: Mat. 13:11, ‘Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but unto them it is not given.’ So Mat. 11:25, ‘At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.’ …There are many secrets wrapped up in the plainest truths and doctrines of the gospel, which none can effectually open and reveal but the Spirit of the Lord, that searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. There are many secrets and mysteries in the gospel, that all the learning and labour in the world can never give a man insight into. There are many that know the doctrine of the gospel, the history of the gospel, that are mere strangers to the secrets of the gospel. There is a secret power, a secret authority, a secret efficacy, a secret prevalency, a secret goodness, a secret sweetness in the gospel, that none experience but those to whom the Lord is pleased to impart gospel secrets to: Isa. 29:11, 12,
Chrysostom compares the mysteries of Christ, in regard of the wicked, to a written book, that the ignorant can neither read nor spell; he sees the cover, the leaves, and the letters, but he understands not the meaning of what he sees. He compares the mystery of grace to an indited epistle, which an unskilful idiot1 viewing, he cannot read it, he cannot understand it; he knoweth it is paper and ink, but the sense, the matter, he knows not, he understands not. So unsanctified persons, though they are never so learned, and though they may perceive the bark of the mystery of Christ, yet they perceive not, they understand not, the mystery of grace, the inward sense of the Spirit, in the blessed Scriptures. Though the devil be the greatest scholar in the world, and though he have more learning than all the men in the world have, yet there are many thousand secrets and mysteries in the gospel of grace, that he knows not really, spiritually, feelingly, efficaciously, powerfully, thoroughly, savingly, &c.
Oh, but now Christ makes known himself, his mind, his grace, his truth, to his people, in a more clear, full, familiar, and friendly way: 2 Sam. 7:27, ‘For thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant;’ so you read it in your books; but in the Hebrew it is thus: ‘Lord, thou hast revealed this to the ear of thy servant.’ Now, the emphasis lieth in that word, to the ear, which is left out in your books. When God makes known himself to his people, he revealeth things to their ears, as we use to do to a friend who is intimate with us: we speak a thing to his ear. There is many a secret which Jesus Christ speaks in the ears of his servants, which others never come to be acquainted with: 2 Cor. 4:6, ‘God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’

(3.) Thirdly, There are the secrets of his favour, the secrets of his special love, that he bears to them; the secret purposes of his heart to save them; and these are those great secrets, those ‘deep things of God.’ which none can reveal ‘but the Spirit of God.’ Now these great secrets, these deep things of God, God doth reveal to his people by his Spirit: 1 Cor. 2:10–12, ‘But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.’ Now what are the things that are freely given to us of God, but our election, vocation, justification, sanctification, and glorification? And why hath God given us his Spirit, but that we should know ‘the things that are freely given to us of God.

Tiberius Cæsar thought no man fit to know his secrets. And among the Persians none but noblemen, lords, and dukes, might be made partakers of state secrets; they esteeming secresy a godhead, a divine thing, as Ammianus Marcellinus affirms. But now such honour God hath put upon all his saints, as to make them lords and nobles, and the only privy statesmen in the court of heaven. The highest honour and glory that earthly princes can put upon their subjects is to communicate to them their greatest secrets. Now this high honour and glory the King of kings hath put upon his people; ‘For his secrets are with them that fear him, and he will shew them his covenant.’ It was a high honour to Elisha, 2 Kings, 6:12, that he could tell the secrets that were spoken in the king’s bed-chamber. Oh! what an honour must it then be for the saints to know the secrets that are spoken in the presence-chamber of the King of kings!

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Brooks, T. (1866). The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks. (A. B. Grosart, Ed.) (Vol. 2, p. 189). Edinburgh; London; Dublin: James Nichol; James Nisbet and Co.; G. Herbert.

When you ponder the subject of prayer do you reflect on how Christ Jesus might look upon you while in that secret place of communion? For me, it gives me joy and comfort when I imagine my Lord smiling from His Throne.  Of course there are many things that put a smile on my face and give me joy. I’m typing this post having just left my granddaughter who was born yesterday morning. Seeing her and holding her has filled me with joy, an inexpressible joy. As I was holding her yesterday she opened her eyes and checked me out. Those beautiful dark eyes were moving around looking me over. I looked over to my daughter and said, “Well it’s done. She opened her eyes and we met and we’ve  bonded. Papa is now her favorite.”

If our human love can be deep, enjoyable, comforting, and beyond description so that we use the word, “bonding,” how much more is the love of Christ towards one of His own? (Actually that should have been a statement rather than a question.) Whom He created, lost to sin, and then came and redeemed with His own life?! He has securely “bonded” us with Him forever. We are sealed, secure, and covenanted with Him. But those human words cannot describe the divine bond that gives Him such delight with us. Our bond with Christ is beyond human words. His love and desire to communion with you is immeasurable. If you and I could only tattoo that in our heads and on our hearts, we’d ensure that we have blocked off time and a place to meet with Him daily.

Here is Thomas Brooks:

Christ is very much affected and delighted in the secret prayers of his people…Nothing is more sweet, delightful, and welcome to Christ than the secret services of his people. Their secret breathings are like lovely songs to him, Mal. 3:4; their secret prayers in the clefts of the rock, or under the stairs, are as sweet incense to Jesus.

The great delight that parents take in the secret lispings and whisperings of their children, is no delight to that which Christ takes in the secret prayers of his people. And therefore, as you would be friends and furtherers of Christ’s delight, be much in secret prayer.

Brooks references Mal. 3:4 and Song of Solomon 2:14 showing the longing and loving delight of Christ to communion with His chosen and His bride.
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Brooks, T. (1866). The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks. (A. B. Grosart, Ed.) (Vol. 2, p. 185). Edinburgh; London; Dublin: James Nichol; James Nisbet and Co.; G. Herbert.

Here is a good contrast of the difference in our personal christian development, growth, and active relationship with God between when participating in public prayer and when we participate in private prayer. Let’s first read Brooks’ words, then we’ll elaborate.

O sirs! remember that in private prayer we have a far greater advantage as to the exercise of our own gifts and graces and parts, than we have in public [prayers]; for in public [prayers] we only hear others exercise their parts and gifts, &c.; in public duties [prayers] we are more passive, but in private duties [prayers] we are more active. Now, the more our gifts and parts and graces are exercised, the more they are strengthened and increased. All acts strengthen habits. The more sin is acted, the more it is strengthened. And so it is with our gifts and graces; the more they are acted, the more they are strengthened.

I love being apart of prayer with my brothers and sisters in Christ. There is something special in the unity of faith and spirit when believers are in prayer together. There is no substitute for public prayer, as there is no substitute for an individual’s private prayer time. They are both essential and both are blessed by our God of Prayer.

What I believe happens with a good number of Christians is that they accept participation in public prayer, such as in a worship service, as:

1. It is Sufficient Prayer Time for my soul and for others. This is often a view that thinks, “I was a part of prayer time at the church service, that serves as my prayers for the week.”

or

2. It is a More Effective Prayer Time:  A view kind of like, “I’ve prayed with other believers. My personal prayers cannot be stronger/more effective than a group of believers praying together.

The truth is, praying with others and private prayer serve an essential service, and minister in different ways. We are depriving others as well as ourselves of God’s grace and mercies if we do not practice both types of prayer. Thomas Brooks points out that when we only participate in a public prayer we are not fully exercising our faith and heart the same way than when we have separated ourselves in peaceful solitude with our heavenly Father. When alone with God, we more fluently and fully pour out our soul. We engage our affections in a deeper way. We communion in conversation with God differently. We allow HIM to minister to us in a one-on-one relationship.  And the list goes on and on.

The benefits and blessings of praying with other believers should never be neglected any more than our private prayers. We need to exercise our faith and love in both settings. One strengthens the other; one prepares us for the other.

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Brooks, T. (1866). The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks. (A. B. Grosart, Ed.) (Vol. 2, p. 184). Edinburgh; London; Dublin: James Nichol; James Nisbet and Co.; G. Herbert.

Are you ready for a “mic drop?”

An “obvious” is “the prevalency of prayer behind the door” (as Thomas Brooks would say). Brooks’ use of word pictures helps us “get it.” Then he adds stories that act like windows to see the truth in action.  Be encouraged by his exhortation on the prevalency of prayer from behind the door.

Private prayer, like Saul’s sword and Jonathan’s bow, when duly qualified as to the person and act, never returns empty; it hits the mark, it carries the day with God; it pierceth the walls of heaven, though, like those of Gaza, made of brass and iron, Isa. 45:2. Oh, who can express the powerful oratory of private prayer!

Mr Dod reports, that when many good people had often sought the Lord in the behalf of a woman that was possessed with the devil, and yet could not prevail, at last they appointed a day for fasting and prayer; at which time there came a poor woman to the chamber door where the exercise was begun and craved entrance, but she being poor they would not admit her in; upon that the poor woman kneeled down behind the door and sought God by prayer. But she had not prayed long before the evil spirit raged, roared, and cried out in the possessed woman, ‘Take away the old woman behind the door, for I must be gone; take away the old woman behind the door, for I must be gone.’ And so by the old woman’s prayers behind the door he was cast out. Oh the prevalency of prayer behind the door! And thus you see by all these great instances the great prevalency of private prayer.

In Brooks’ writing he gives a thorough scriptural support of his point.  Example after example can be found in his writings. I’m pulling the reigns back from making this too lengthy, but I think his picture is clear. Oh how great is the prevalency of private prayer!

Does this encouragement from Thomas Brooks motive you to stop and seek private time with God to pray? I remember the quote from D.L. Moody talking about when he gets to heaven:

“Next to the wonder of seeing my Savior will be, I think, that I made so little use of the power of prayer.”

Mic drop!
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Brooks, T. (1866). The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks. (A. B. Grosart, Ed.) (Vol. 2, pp. 182–183). Edinburgh; London; Dublin: James Nichol; James Nisbet and Co.; G. Herbert.

Fletcher Hardison is a guest blogger again today. Thanks, Fletcher.

“Before I know what to say to God, it is imperative to know what God is saying to me.”
– Father Patrick Reardon

Father Pat goes on to say that prayer is a conversation and Scripture is God’s speaking to us. Scripture provides both the objective truths of Christian faith and practice, but it is also a means by which God applies these truths to our lives and speaks to us in a personal way.

Ways of lifting up our hearts

The Church history shows us many different ways to lift up our hearts to God through praying Scripture and meditating on it. Here are three methods that come from different traditions within the Church. They appeal to different personality types – My favorite is probably the second one.

There are two principles that under-gird these methods and need to be kept in mind for the methods to be fruitful:

1. God is speaking to us; our job is to learn to hear Him.
2. God will not say anything to us that contradicts Scripture.

Lectio Divina

Lectio Divina simply means ‘Divine Reading’. It is a method of reading, meditating on Scripture, and responding to God in prayer. It is usually broken into four stages:

• Reading: Read the text and pay attention to what words or phrases draw your attention. You might re-read these a few times.
• Meditation: Reflect on the word/phrases that you were drawn to. What do they mean? What do they mean for you today?
• Prayer: Respond to what God has shown you and pray it back to Him.
• Contemplation: This stage can be described as wordless prayer, where we rest in God’s presence.

Putting ourselves into the story

Another way to meditate on Scripture is to imagine what it was like to be there as the story was unfolding. Imagine that you are a bystander or one of the characters in the story.

• How did they feel?
• Who were they?
• What did they see, say, touch, smell, hear?
• Why were they there?
• What would the Lord say to you?

Then you can imagine it again as a different character.

Bringing the story to us

Another method is to read a biblical narrative and imagine it happening today in your home/church/school/work/etc.

• What would it be like if this story happened today?
• How would I feel?
• What would I see/hear/smell/etc?
• What would God say to me/us?

Spend some time imagining this and then respond to God based on the thoughts and ideas that come to you as you imagine the story.

For example, what would it be like if Jesus were preaching in your church and someone ripped a hole in the ceiling and lowered a guy onto the the stage on a stretcher? How would I feel? How would the people around me respond? What would this mean for me today?

Final thoughts

I hope that these methods can be a blessing to you in your prayer life. Scripture not only forms the basis for Christian faith and doctrine, it also gives us the words and images to pray back to God as part of our ongoing prayer dialogue with Him.