A Method for Prayer (Biblical Prayer Guide) Matthew Henry

A Method for Prayer was written by Matthew Henry, March 25, 1710. For ease of reading, the editors have sought to update some of the author’s language. http://www.matthewhenry.org/

About the author

Matthew Henry (1662-1714) is best remembered for his Commentary on the Whole Bible, which he began in 1704. He completed Genesis through Acts by the time of his death. He was born near Whitchurch (Salop), England. He began preaching at the age of 23 and spent most of his ministry as pastor of a church in Chester (1687-1712).

****

Table Of Contents

1. Adoration

• Introduction
• (1) Address God with Reverence and Awe
• (2) Reverently Adore God
• Reverently Adore God (continued)
• (2.1) Acknowledge God’s Eternality
• (2.2) Acknowledge God’s Omnipresence
• (2.3) Acknowledge God’s Perfect Knowledge
• (2.4) Acknowledge God’s Unsearchable Wisdom
• (2.5) Acknowledge God’s Incontestable Sovereignty
• (2.6) Acknowledge God’s Irresistible Power
• (2.7) Acknowledge God’s Purity
• (2.8) Acknowledge God’s Justice
• (2.9) Acknowledge God’s Unchanging Truth
• (2.10) Acknowledge God’s Greatness
• (3) Praise God for His Heavenly Splendor and Glory
• (4) Give Glory to God as the Creator of the World
• (5) Give Honor to the Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
• (6) Acknowledge your Dependence on God and your Obligations to Him
• (7) Own your Relation to God
• (8) Acknowlege the Privilege of Drawing Near to God in Prayer
• (9) Express your Unworthiness to Draw Near to God
• (10) Humbly Profess the Desire of your Heart for God
• (11) Profess your Believing Hope and Confidence in God
• (12) Entreat God’s Favorable Acceptance
• (13) Beg for the Spirit’s Assistance in Prayer
• (14) Aim for God’s Glory in Prayer
• (15) Rely on Jesus Alone for Acceptance with God

2. Confession

• Introduction
• (1) Acknowledgement of the Need for Lowliness Before God
• (2) Take Hold of the God-Given Encouragement you Have to Confess Sin
• (3) Confess and Bewail your Original Corruption
• (4) Lament your Disposition to Evil
• (4.1) Lament and Confess your Blind Understanding
• (4.2) Lament and Confess your Stubborn Will
• (4.3) Lament and Confess your Vain Thoughts
• (4.4) Lament and Confess your Carnal Affections
• (4.5) Lament and Confess the Corruption of your Entire Being
• (5) Lament and Confess your Sins of Omission
• (6) Bewail your Many Actual Transgressions
• (6.1) Bewail your Pride
• (6.2) Bewail your Anger
• (6.3) Bewail your Love of the World
• (6.4) Bewail your Love of the Flesh
• (6.5) Bewail your False Security
• (6.6) Bewail your Fretfulness and Impatience
• (6.7) Bewail your Lack of Love for Others
• (6.8) Bewail your Sins of the Tongue
• (6.9) Bewail your Spiritual Sloth
• (7) Acknowledge the Great Evil of Sin
• (7.1) Acknowledge the Sinfulness of Sin
• (7.2) Acknowledge the Foolishness of Sin
• (7.3) Acknowledge the Unprofitableness of Sin
• (7.4) Acknowledge the Deceitfulness of Sin
• (7.5) Acknowledge that Sin is an Affront to the Holy God
• (7.6) Acknowledge that Sin Damages the Soul
• (8) Consider the Evilness of your Sins
• (8.1) Consider your Evil Sins in Light of your Moral Knowledge
• (8.2) Consider your Evil Sins in Light of your Profession of Faith
• (8.3) Consider your Evil Sins in Light of the Mercy of God
• (8.4) Consider your Evil Sins in Light of the Warnings of God
• (8.5) Consider your Evil Sins in Light of the Corrections you have Received
• (8.6) Consider your Evil Sins in Light of the Vows you have Made
• (9) Understand the Condemning Nature of your Sin
• (10) Give Glory to God for His Patience toward you and His Willingness to be Reconciled
• (11) Humbly Profess your Sorrow and Shame for Sin

3. Petition

• Introduction
• (1) Earnestly Pray for the Forgiveness of your Sins
• (1.1) Plead with God His Goodness and Readiness to Forgive Sin
• (1.2) Plead with God the Merit and Righteousness of Jesus Christ
• (1.3) Plead with God His Promises of Pardon
• (1.4) Plead with God your Misery Because of Sin
• (1.5) Plead with God the Blessed Condition of Pardoned Sinners
• (2) Pray for Reconciliation with God
• (2.1) That you may Know His Peace
• (2.2) That you may be in Covenant with Him
• (2.3) That you may Know His Favor
• (2.4) That you may Have His Blessing
• (2.5) That you may Have His Abiding Presence
• (3) Pray for Assurance of your Reconciliation to God
• (3.1) Pray for Evidence of the Pardon of your Sins
• (3.2) Pray for a Well-Grounded Peace of Conscience
• (4) Pray for the Grace of God
• (4.1) Pray for the Grace of God to Fortify you Against Everything Evil
• Pray for the Grace of God to Fortify you Against Satan’s Temptations
• (4.2) Pray for the Grace of God to Equip you for Everything Good
• (4.2.1) That Grace may Beget New Life
• (4.2.2) That Grace may Sustain New Life
• (4.3) Pray for Particular Grace
• (4.3.1) To Instruct you in the Things of God
• (4.3.2) To Keep you in the Way of Truth
• (4.3.3) To Bring God’s Truth to your Memory
• (4.3.4) To Direct your Conscience and Make you Wise
• (4.3.5) To Sanctify your Nature
• (4.3.6) To Sanctify your Nature, Pray for Faith
• (4.3.7) To Sanctify your Nature, Pray for the Fear of God
• (4.3.8) To Sanctify your Nature, Pray for the Love of God to be Rooted in you
• (4.3.9) To Sanctify your Nature, Pray for a Tender Conscience
• (4.3.10) To Sanctify your Nature, Pray for God-Wrought Love
• (4.3.11) To Sanctify your Nature, Pray for the Grace of Self-Denial
• (4.3.12) To Sanctify your Nature, Pray for Humility
• (4.3.13) To Sanctify your Nature, Pray for the Graces of Contentment and Patience
• (4.3.14) To Sanctify your Nature, Pray for the Grace of Hope
• (4.3.15) To Sanctify your Nature, Pray for Grace to Preserve you from Sin
• (4.4) Pray for Grace to Govern your Tongue
• (4.5) Pray for Grace to Direct, Quicken, Strengthen, and Assist you in your Duty
• (4.5.1) To Assist you that you may Walk Wisely
• (4.5.2) To Assist you that you may be Honest in your Duty
• (4.5.3) To Assist you that you may be Diligent in your Duty
• (4.5.4) To Assist you that you may be Courageous in your Duty
• (4.5.5) To Assist you that you may be Cheerful in your Duty
• (4.5.6) To Assist you that you may do your Duty Always and Everywhere
• (4.5.7) To Assist you that you may be Universally Conscientious
• (4.6) Pray for Grace to Make you Wiser and Better Every Day
• (4.7) Pray for the Support and Comfort you Need in your Afflictions
• (4.8) Pray for Preserving Grace
• (4.9) Pray for the Grace Needed to Die Well
• (4.10) Pray for Grace to Fit you for Heaven
• (4.11) Pray for the Good Things of Life
• (4.11.1) Pray for Preservation in Calamities
• (4.11.2) Pray for Daily Supplies of Comfort and Support
• (4.12) Plead the Promise of God for the Enforcing of your Petitions

4. Thanksgiving

• Introduction
• (1) Stir yourself up to Praise God
• (2) Be Particular in your Thanksgivings to God
• (2.1) Marvel at the Goodness of His Nature
• (2.2) Thank God for the Many Instances of His Goodness
• (2.2.1) For His Kind Providence Demonstrated throughout the World
• Thank God for the Many Instances of His Goodness and Kind Providence
• Thank God for the Many Instances of His Goodness and Kind Providence (continued)
• (2.2.2) For His Kind Providence Demonstrated in you in Being Made in His Image
• (2.2.3) For His Kind Providence in Preserving you
• (2.2.4) For His Kind Providence in Granting Recoveries from Danger
• (2.2.5) For His Kind Providence in Granting the Supports and Comforts of this Life
• (2.2.6) For His Kind Providence in Granting you Successes
• (2.2.7) For His Kind Providence in Granting you the Peace you Experience
• (2.2.8) For His Grace to your Soul for Designing Man’s Redemption and Salvation
• (2.2.9) For His Grace in His Eternal Purposes Concerning Redemption
• (2.2.10) For His Grace for Appointing the Redeemer
• (2.2.11) For His Grace for the Early Indications of His Gracious Design
• (2.2.12) For His Grace for the Many Glorious Instances of His Favor to the Old Testament Church
• (2.2.13) For His Grace in the Wonderful Incarnation of the Son of God
• (2.2.14) For His Gracious Owning of Christ in His Undertaking
• (2.2.15) For Christ’s Holy Life, Excellent Doctrine, and Glorious Miracles
• (2.2.16) For Christ’s Encouragement to Sinners to Come to Him
• (2.2.17) For the Cross of Christ and All its Benefits
• Thank God for the Cross of Christ and All its Benefits (continued)
• (2.2.18) For Christ’s Resurrection
• (2.2.19) For Christ’s Ascension into Heaven
• (2.2.20) For Christ’s Intercession
• (2.2.21) For the Dominion and Sovereignty to which the Redeemer has been Exalted
• (2.2.22) For the Assurance you have of Christ’s Second Coming
• (2.2.23) For the Sending of the Holy Spirit
• (2.2.24) For the Covenant of Grace
• (2.2.25) For the Scriptures
• (2.2.26) For the Institution of Ordinances, Particularly that of the Ministry
• (2.2.27) For Planting His Church in the World
• (2.2.28) For the Preservation of Christianity in the World to this Day
• (2.2.29) For the Martyrs and Confessors who have Gone Before you
• (2.2.30) For the Communion of Saints
• (2.2.31) For the Hope of Eternal Life
• (2.2.32) For the Work of the Spirit within you
• (2.2.33) For Every Spirit-Wrought Inward Change
• (2.2.34) For the Remission of your Sins and Peace of Conscience
• (2.2.35) For the Powerful Influences of Divine Grace
• (2.2.36) For Sweet Communion with Him in Holy Ordinances
• (2.2.37) For Gracious Answers to your Prayers
• (2.2.38) For Support under your Afflictions
• (2.2.39) For the Performance of His Promises

5. Intercession

• Introduction
• (1) Exhortation to Pray for the Whole Lost World of Mankind
• (2) Pray for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Lands
• (3) Pray for Jewish Conversions
• (4) Pray for Churches Threatened by Islam
• (5) Pray for Churches on the Mission Field
• (6) Pray for the Universal Church
• (7) Pray for the Conversion of Non-Christians who are Hostile to Christianity
• (8) Pray for the Health, Purity, and Holiness of the Church
• (9) Pray for the Defeat of the Enemies of the Church
• (10) Pray for the Relief of Suffering Churches and Persecuted Christians
• (11) Pray for the Nations of the World
• (12) Pray for your Own Land and Nation
• (12.1) Be Thankful to God for His Mercies to your Land
• (12.2) Be Humbled Before God for your Nation’s Sins and Provocations
• (12.3) Pray Earnestly for National Mercies
• (12.3.1) For the Favors of God to your Nation
• (12.3.2) For the Blessing of the Gospel Ministry in your Nation
• (12.3.3) For the Continuance of your Nation’s Outward Peace and Tranquility
• (12.3.4) For the Moral Decency and Civility of your Nation
• (12.3.5) For the Healing of your Nation’s Unhappy Divisions
• (12.3.6) For Victory and Successes Against your Nation’s Enemies
• (12.3.7) For your Head of State
• (12.3.8) For the Safe and Righteous Continuation of your Civil Government
• (12.3.9) For all who are Employed in the Conduct of Public Affairs
• (12.3.10) For your Judges and Judicial Rulers
• (12.3.11) For the Ministers of God’s Holy Word and Sacraments
• (12.3.12) For your Nation’s Educational Institutions
• (12.3.13) For your Nation’s Common Citizens
• (12.3.14) For the Young
• (12.3.15) For the Old
• (12.3.16) For the Rich
• (12.3.17) For the Poor
• (12.3.18) For your Enemies
• (12.3.19) For your Friends

6. Conclusion

• Introduction
• (1) Comprehensive Petitions
• (2) Beg for the Acceptance of your Prayers for Christ’s Sake
• (3) Beg for the Forgiveness of What has been Amiss in your Prayers
• (4) Commend yourself to the Grace of God
• (5) Conclude with Solemn Praises of God
• (6) Sum up your Prayer with the Lord’s Prayer

7. Lord’s Prayer

• Introduction
• (1) Our Father
• Our Father (continued)
• (2) Hallowed be Your Name
• Hallowed be Your Name (continued)
• (3) Your Kingdom Come
• Your Kingdom Come (continued)
• (4) Your Will be Done
• Your Will be Done (continued)
• (5) Give us this Day our Daily Bread
• Give us this Day our Daily Bread (continued)
• (6) Forgive us our Debts
• Forgive us our Debts (continued)
• (7) Lead us not into Temptation
• Lead us not into Temptation (continued)
• (8) For Yours is the Kingdom

8. Occasional Addresses

• Introduction
• (1) Morning Prayers
• (2) Evening Prayers
• (3) Before Eating
• (4) After Eating
• (5) Before a Journey
• (6) After a Journey
• (7) Evening Before the Lord’s Day
• (8) Morning of the Lord’s Day
• (9) Public Worship on the Lord’s Day
• (10) Preparing for the Lord’s Supper
• (11) Celebrating the Lord’s Supper
• (12) After Celebrating the Lord’s Supper
• (13) For the Baptism of a Child
• (14) For a Funeral
• (15) For a Wedding
• (16) For a Minister’s Ordination
• (17) When there is a Lack of Rain
• (18) When there is too Much Rain
• (19) Upon Occasion of Infectious Diseases
• (20) Upon Occasion of Fire
• (21) Upon Occasion of Great Storms
• (22) For those Weighed Down and Burdened
• (22.1) For those Troubled in Mind and Struggling with Doubts and Fears
• (22.2) For those Under Conviction of Sin
• (22.3) For those who are Sick and Weak
• For those who are at the Point of Death
• (22.4) For those who have Lost their Reason
• (22.5) For Sick Children
• (22.6) For those Being Touched by Death
• (22.7) For Women Near the Time of Child Birth
• (22.8) For those who have Recovered from Sickness or have been Spared in Child-Bearing
• (22.9) For Parents Concerned about their Difficult Children
• (22.10) For those who are in Prison
• (22.11) For those Condemned to Die
• (22.12) For those who are at Sea

9. Short Forms of Prayer

• (1) A Prayer to be Used by Children
• (2) Paraphrase on the Lord’s Prayer
• (3) Another Prayer for Children
• (4) Morning Prayer for a Family
• (5) Evening Prayer for a Family
• (6) Family Prayer for the Lord’s Day Morning
• (7) Family Prayer for the Lord’s Day Evening
• (8) Parents Praying for their Children
• (9) Before Partaking of the Lord’s Supper
• (10) After Receiving the Lord’s Supper
• (11) Before Eating
• (12) Before Eating (Another)
• (13) After Eating
• (14) After Eating (Another)