Watson on Prayer

“As soon as grace is poured in, prayer is poured out; ‘ but I give myself to prayer’ (psalm 109:4). In the hebrew it is, ‘but I prayer’. Prayer and I are all one. Prayer is the soul’s traffic with heaven. God comes down to us by His Spirit, and we go up to Him by prayer.” (Thomas Watson).

“A godly man cannot live without prayer. A man cannot live unless he takes his breath, nor can the soul, unless it breathes forth its desire to God…A godly man is on the mount of prayer every day; he begins the day with prayer; before he opens his shop, he opens his heart to God.” Thomas Watson

“A spiritual prayer is a believing prayer: ‘whatever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive’ (Matthew 21:22). The why so many prayer suffer shipwreck is because they split against the rock of unbelief. Prayer without faith is shooting without bullets. When faith takes prayer by the hand, then we draw near to God. We should come to God in prayer like the leper: ‘ Lord if thou wilt, make me clean’ (Matt 8:2). It is a disparagement to deity to have such a whisper in the heart, that ‘God’s ear is heavy and cannot hear’ (Isa. 59:1). what is said of the people of Israel may applied to prayer – ‘They could not enter in because of unbelief’ (Hebrews 3:19). (Thomas Watson)

“A Spiritual prayer is when we pray in the name of Christ. To pray in the name of Christ is not only to name Christ in prayer, but to pray in the hope and confidence of Christ’s meditation. As a child claims his estate in the right of his father who purchased it, so we come for mercy in the name of Christ, who has purchased it for in his blood.” (Thomas Watson)

“A Godly man is carried on wings of delight. He is never so well as when he is prayer. He is not forced with fear but fired with love. ‘I will make them joyful in my house of prayer’ (Isa. 56:7).” (Thomas Watson)

“Jesus Christ prays over our prayer again. He takes the dross out and presents but pure gold to his Father. Christ mingles his sweet odours with the prayers of the saints (Rev. 5:8). Think of the dignity of his person- he is God; and the sweetness of his relationship – he is a Son. Oh then, what encouragement there is here for us to pray! Our prayers are put up in the hands of a Mediator. Though, as they come from us, they are weak and imperfect, yet as they come from Christ, they are mighty and powerful.” (Thomas Watson)