Required reading
Thoughts on public prayer by Samuel Miller (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude Chapter 5.
My summary
Today Miller continues to teach us what characteristics should be included in corporate prayer.
A good prayer will include:
(i) a degree of variety;
(ii) a doxology;
(iii) a reference to the spread of the gospel;
(iv) an appropriate address of the Most High;
(v) a spirit and language of hope and confidence;
(vi) appropriate application if following a sermon;
(vii) the Lord's Prayer occasionally;
(viii) a manner of humility;
(ix) an amen.
What grabbed me
I appreciated the encouragement to pray about the content of the sermon after preaching: 'The preacher who can consent, after delivering a sermon of solemn, discriminating character, to close, as is often done, with a few sentences of perfectly common-place prayer, as much adapted to one subject as another, is guilty of abandoning an advantage which ought to be dear to a wise man. Every sentence of the prayer after sermon ought to be thoughtfully and carefully constructed upon the plan of deepening and riveting every impression attempted to be made in the preceding discourse. And, for this purpose, it ought to be, on common occasions, rather longer than it usually is, and constructed upon a principle of rich appropriateness in following the sermon. '
Your closing prayer is yet another opportunity to hammer home the doctrines of the sermon.
Next week's reading
Commence Chapter 6 by reading up to the paragraph beginning 'II. Another means, not so essential, and yet highly important, if any desire to attain excellence in public prayer, is, not only to read, but to study some of the best books which have treated of this subject.'
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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