Reflections on J.C. Ryle's A Call to Prayer

Do you pray?

This is the simple question put forth by J.C. Ryle in his book A Call to Prayer (free pdf version). A super short book that packs a big punch exposing our wrong thinking and insecurities which cause many to neglect private prayer.

The point is not to shame us though. He does not wag his finger and hang his head at our failure. This brother in Christ loves his reader too much for that. Instead he lifts our head and gives us encouragement from scripture.

I highly encourage you to read it in full, but if not here’s a brief summary.

There is a way!
The incredible truth of the gospel is that rebellious, sinful people can approach the throne of our holy and majestic King because God has made a way.

“The holiness and justice of God need not frighten sinners and keep them back. Only let them cry to God in the name of Jesus, only let them plead the atoning blood of Jesus, and they shall find God upon a throne of Grace, willing and ready to hear. “

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. This the foundational truth that all else rests upon. Without Jesus we have no hope. God’s goodness and kindness is most perfectly displayed in that he made a way back to himself through Jesus.


There is an Advocate and Intercessor
Jesus is our High Priest! Our prayers are made through him. Our prayers alone are nothing special that God would listen to them and respond, but Jesus advocates for his people presenting these prayers as pleasing incense before God’s throne (Ps 141:2)

“The prayer of a poor child of Adam is a feeble thing in itself, but once endorsed by the hand of the Lord Jesus it availeth much.”


There is the Holy Spirit
Our prayers are inspired by the Spirit dwelling in us. He gives us words when we lean on him to do so. “Surely the Lord’s people may well hope to be heard.” Not only are our prayers presented and endorsed by Jesus our advocate, they are inspired by the words of the Spirit. It can be easy to doubt this point given how many of us lack eloquence in our prayers. But God is not as interested in your fancy words as he is the raw honesty of your plea when you cry out to him compelled by the Spirit.


There are precious promises
Ryle points us to a few for our consideration:

• Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Matt 7:7-8
  
• And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith. Matt 21:22
  
• Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:13-14
  
• The parables of the persistent widow and friend at midnight of Luke 11 and 18.
  

These are big promises. They often seem untrue based on our life experiences and unbelief. But every word of scripture is God Breathed ( 2 Tim 3:16) and our God can not lie (Num 23:19, Titus 1:2, Heb 6:18) To these incredible promises Ryle concludes, “if this is not encouragement to pray, words have no meaning.”

Perhaps our problem is not that God over promises and under delivers, but rather that we do not believe or pray according to his word.

God does not need our prayers to unleash his power and accomplish his good will, but in his wisdom and for our sake he entreats us to turn to him and ask for what we need.


Finally, there are examples in Scripture
Through the means of prayer God has worked many miracles: parting the Red Sea, bringing food and water from unnatural places, raining fire from Heaven, confusing the minds and plans of men, healing the sick, halting the sun. Nothing is too grand to ask of God through prayer. Our Lord has a track record for doing truly impossible things when his people pray. We do not need to shy away from asking God anything, no matter how big or small it may seem.

Ryle makes an extremely interesting point about Genesis 18 where Abraham is pleading with God to show mercy to Sodom. “So long as Abraham asked mercy for Sodom, the Lord went on giving. He never ceased to give till Abraham ceased to pray.” This was a pure mic drop type moment as I was reading. Merciful is part of who God is, what confidence we can have in asking for mercy. How quick we are to give up on asking.

Ryle ends each of these sections exclaiming “think of this, is this not encouragement?” indeed it is.

No doubt if we would pause and really meditate on and believe these truths we would be become prayerful people.

But good intentions often die at the feet of excuses. Ryle knows this and addresses several common reasons people claim for not praying. Lack of know how, no appropriate place, no time – these excuses are as old as time. They are so shallow and yet we are masters at deceiving ourselves. Each of these are easily exposed to be illegitimate.

Among these excuses the one many of us feel most deeply is lack of time. I know I’m not alone. Our culture thrives on the pendulum swing of being busy and tired. But as I mount my case of a preschooler yelling “mommy mommy look at me” and a baby crying to be held and a hyperactive dog with more energy than the sun and a husband who needs my affection, and a pile of endless laundry and household to do’s, Ryle’s honesty cuts through the noise. Yes, we are busy, but “when time is really wanted, time can always be found.”


The worst of all offenders though is the lie that we must clean ourselves up before we approach God in prayer. As he says “this is to add sin to sin.” The Bible is clear that we can do no good thing apart from the help of the Lord. Cleaning ourselves up, and trying to be less sinful on our own is a futile effort. At best we modify our behavior in more socially acceptable ways, but this gives us a false sense of morality. It only causes us to feel less need of a savior.

As the old hymn goes,

Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.

Finally he makes several points to those who would set themselves to pray, reminding us of the importance to do so according the examples of scripture. He pleads with us to pray with reverence and humility. To pray spiritually (that is by the Spirit as opposed to habit or form) and regularly. To have perseverance and earnestness. To pray with faith, boldness, fullness, and particularity. To pray for others. And finally to always express our deep thankfulness to God for his great grace and mercy by which we live.
Nothing here is new. Ryle has no special revelation from God. He points to scripture at every turn. The benefit of this booklet is the clear and concise exposition of what the Bible has to say regarding prayer. I say along with Ryle, to myself as well as you, let us think of these truths and be encouraged unto prayer.


Do you pray?


A piercing question. Let us confess our guilt to our Lord and in the next breath praise him for his mercy. Be comforted by this assurance of pardon if you are in Christ.

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:8-12