Tag Archives Thomas Brooks

Thomas Brooks deals with the passive attitudes that down plays the necessity of closet prayer with the heavenly Father (Matthew 6:6).  You gotta love his old English dialect.

If closet prayer be not an indispensable duty that Christ hath laid upon all his people, why doth Satan so much oppose it? why doth he so industriously and so unweariedly labour to discourage Christians in it, and to take off Christians from it? Certainly, Satan would never make such a fierce and constant war as he doth upon private prayer, were it not a necessary duty, a real duty, and a soul-enriching duty.

It is for certain that our selfish sin nature doesn’t want to block time off for prayer and the Scriptures. Our selfish tendencies can think of a thousand other things to do, and be very convincing about most of them. Sleep is my preferred alternative. Homemade oatmeal cookies are almost there.

But don’t think that Satan is neutral in this subject. He sees and experiences the power of prayer against him. It is advantageous for him to encourage us away from solitude with the Almighty God. As Brook points out, Satan makes a fierce and constant war to hinder the privileged ones–the saints, from their spiritual duty of prayer.

Next time your mind begins feeding on an excuse that would deter you from seeking the Lord’s face and meditating in the Scriptures, even if it is a legitimate excuse, label it for what it is–a godless excuse. Stop and consider the words of Brooks and don’t let the enemy of Christ manipulate you from what you need, what others need you to do on their behalf, and from what he (Satan) knows is his scourge.

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Brooks, T. (1866). The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks. (A. B. Grosart, Ed.) (Vol. 2, p. 166). Edinburgh; London; Dublin: James Nichol; James Nisbet and Co.; G. Herbert.

Thomas Brooks cuts straight to our hearts on secret prayer and public prayer. We see the need and duty of public prayer, but many Christians do not see the same necessity and duty with private prayer.  Brooks begins with a doctrinal truth.

Doctrine: That closet prayer or private prayer is an indispensable duty, that Christ himself hath laid upon all that are not willing to lie under the woeful brand of being hypocrites.

If any prayer be a duty, then secret prayer must needs be a duty; for secret prayer is as much prayer as any other prayer is prayer; and secret prayer prepares and fits the soul for family prayer, and for public prayer. Secret prayer sweetly inclines and strongly disposes a Christian to all other religious duties and services.

Every time I read these lines I hear the hammer hit the anvil especially hard and loud in two places. The first is that our private prayer time prepares and fits us for other prayers. The second strike is the sweetness in which secret prayer prepares us for all other areas of christian life and duties, outside the prayer closet.  I don’t know how strongly you believe these to be true. I believe that our hearts bear witness that they are true but our selfish nature doesn’t want them to be so. If I fully acknowledge these statements to be true and authentic and yet shelve them or down-play them, what does that mean? And yet, if I know these statements to be true and I embrace them and act on them, will I not find myself experiencing the promised rewards that come from meeting with the heavenly Father in the secret place (Matthew 6:6)?

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Brooks, T. (1866). The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks. (A. B. Grosart, Ed.) (Vol. 2, p. 162). Edinburgh; London; Dublin: James Nichol; James Nisbet and Co.; G. Herbert.