Thomas Watson, a Puritan preacher in seventeenth-century England, had a powerful pulpit ministry, a very readable writing style, and a gift of prayer. His writings are among the most enjoyable of those of the Puritans and, during my most depressing moments, his messages encouraged me. He died in his prayer closet while interceding before God’s throne. Consider some of his thoughts on prayer, compiled from his various books and sermons.
Prayer delights God’s ear, it melts His heart, it opens His hand: God cannot deny a praying soul.
It is one thing to pray, another thing to be given to prayer: he who prays frequently is said to be given to prayer; as he who often distributes alms, is said to be given to charity.
To pray in the name of Christ is not only to mention Christ’s name in prayer, but to pray in the hope and confidence of his merits. “Samuel took a lamb and offered it . . .” (1 Samuel 7:9). We must carry the lamb Christ in the arms of our faith, and so shall we prevail in prayer.
When Uzziah would offer incense without a priest, God was angry and struck him with leprosy (2 Chronicles 26:16). When we do not pray in Christ’s name, in the hope of His mediation, we offer up incense without a priest.
Faith is to prayer what the feather is to the arrow; it feathers the arrow of prayer, and makes it fly swifter, and pierce the throne of grace.5.