11. Part 2, Chapter 2. Opportunity of Prayer

CHAPTER II.

OPPORTUNITY OF PRAYER.

We come now to the second thing included in the modification of this duty of prayer; that it be without ceasing. Namely, that we pray opportunely. When Paul says that without ceasing, he had remembrance of Timothy in his prayers night and day, he means, that upon all occasions, and as he had an opportunity, he did remember him in his prayers. He takes all opportunities offered by the Lord to pray, and omits them not; he prays without ceasing. It is then the duty of all the Lord’s people to pray opportunely, or to take all holy opportunities to pray unto the Lord. For the better handling of this duty, consider these particulars :—

First, that it is seldom that any time is unseasonable for prayer.

Secondly, that yet there is a time when the Lord will not listen to prayer, no, not of his own people.

Thirdly, that in mercy the Lord gives unto his people opportunities and seasons for prayer.

Fourthly, that the Lord’s people are bound to improve all such opportunities of prayer.

First, very briefly. It is very rare that any time is unseasonable for prayer; it appears that the saints are enjoined to pray always. And this that the title of God is to be a God hearing prayer: “0 thou that art bearing prayers.” He is always hearing the prayers of some of his people, and ready to hear the rest.

Second, more largely; there is a time when the Lord will not listen to prayer, no, not of his people. Praying at such times, they pray out of due season. It is not then so fit a time for them to pray. As,

1. When they are under offences unrepented of: “First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” It is not seasonable for Job’s friends to offer to God, until reconciled to injured Job. If we are out with the favorites of the king of saints, it is not seasonable to come to the king with petitions. It is not a season to seek peace with Christ the head, when peace with his members is not sought. If our heavenly Father should not hold off his respects to children’s requests, who offend their brethren, they would never seek to be reconciled.

2. When any of them too willingly and contentedly remain under the guilt of some known sin against the Lord: “When you make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood.” “Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings,” etc. “Come now, and let us reason together.” And then only it is seasonable to pray, when we lift up our hands and hearts: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” “Wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned.” “If thou preparest thy heart, and stretchest out thy hand toward heaven, if iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away,” else all that is to no purpose. God heareth not sinners, that is, impenitent ones. It is no fit season for us to go a wooing to Christ, if not clear of privy leagues with any of our lusts; nor is it seasonable to trade with the Lord in prayer, if we have any kind of traffic with his proclaimed enemies.

3. When we are under any special power of passion, and (as the not seeing the sin of it) to lift up wrathful hands is unacceptable, and so unseasonable: “Lifting up holy hands without wrath.” It is not seasonable to offer up our sacrifice with such common, yea, wild-fire. Such leaven of wrath and malice is apt to sour our very Mincha, or offering, and makes it come as out of due season. Such was the petition of James and John to Christ: “Wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven to consume them?” Such were Job’s petitions, Job 3:1-26. Such was that of Jonah: “Take away my life from me.” As in a strong blustering time, knocks at the door are scarce heard, if at all; so the noise of our distempers outsounds the voice of our knockings in prayer. It were better to pause awhile till the noise be abated. And as Revelation 9:1-21, silence was made awhile before that the holy incense was offered so should it be here.

4. When our heads and hearts are full, and even sore charged with carnal occasions and inordinate thoughts about them; it is not so seasonable to go abruptly from such a crowd, and throng into the holy presence of the Lord without some pause. Such rashness is irregular, and therefore unseasonable; such a prayer will be no better than a dream arising from multitude of business, filled with multiplicity of unseasonable, impertinent, and independent expressions.

5. When we come to pray in remediless cases, of for persons past recovery: “Pray not for this people, for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.” How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him?”

6. When we will be praying at such times wherein other ordinances do call for our attendance. As when we will be praying at home, when we should rather be in the public assembly, or praying in our closets, when religious family exercise requires our presence.

Now let us consider of prayer seasons offered by the Lord, which he requires us to take. These op. portunities are either general or special. The general opportunity of prayer is that general season of grace held forth in the offers of the dispensations of the gospel: “ Seek him whilst he may be found.” While God may be found, it is a season to seek him:

“If you will inquire, return, come.” While the prophets encourage to come, it is a season to inquire. Our cry is but the echo of the Lord’s call: “When thou saidst, Seek my face; my heart answered, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.” The echo waits upon the voice; a demand of grace upon a former offer of it; it is very seasonable. This blessed day-work is most suitable to the daytime of the gospel and grace of God. But besides this general opportunity, there are some more special praying seasons: “For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a finding time,” (as it is in the Hebrew). As bountiful princes have their seasons for petitioners, so the Lord has his for petitioners to come in with their suits, and have each their days of audience. Our blessed Father has his set days of paying to each child his portion of mercy and blessing upon demand and suit for it. Now these special seasons of prayer are of three sorts.

1. When God in special sort is near to us. Or secondly, we in special sort near to him. Or thirdly, in case of emergencies, or special necessities calling for speedy help.

First, when God in special is near to us, then call upon him while he is near. The Lord as our gracious king goeth his holy progress, and now he is nearer this people and such and such subjects; and now again he is nearer to others: let each accordingly take and observe their particular seasons of holy approaches to him with their suits. If the loadstone be near, the very iron moves; the approaches of the Lord to us have, or should have this holy, attractive virtue to draw us near to him in prayer.

1. Now the Lord is thus in special sort near to us, by some special mercy vouchsafed to us, as when answering to former prayer: “The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart.” Wherein does he show that lie is nigh Lo them? It follows, “He sayeth such as be of a contrite spirit.” God’s ordering some special favor to his people by his providence is called his visiting of his people. The saint’s repairing to the Lord with fervent, earnest prayer, is called their visiting of the Lord: “Lord, in trouble have they visited thee;” how? “they have poured out a prayer to thee,” etc. When God first begins to give us a gracious visit, it is seasonable and suitable for us to give him prayer visits: “And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also which thou hast spoken.” “And Moses said, I beseech thee show me thy glory.” Moses made God’s time of giving, to be his opportunity of begging mercy. If ever the saints’ hearts are filled with love, it is when they partake of manifest tokens of the Lord’s love to them; and if ever it be a season of praying, it is then, when in such a friendly frame: “I love the Lord because he bath heard my voice.” Therefore will I call upon him, or speak lovingly to him. Words spoken to God in love, to him come the most seasonably, for they are taken in love by the Lord. When the Lord in his providence bestows upon his people something whereon the image of his special favor is stamped, it is a time in special to acknowledge the Lord by prayer, as praying is called: “In all thy ways acknowledge him,” even by prayer of faith.

Secondly, the Lord is thus near to us by any special motions of the spirit, especially such as put us upon prayer; when the Lord does inwardly speak to our hearts such like words as, “Ask of me touching my sons and daughters; and concerning the work of my hands command ye me;” or when Christ by his Spirit says to our hearts, as sometimes he did to them by word of mouth: “Hitherto ye have asked nothing; ask, that your joy may be full.” Or as he said to his people, “Let me hear thy voice, for it is sweet.” It is now a time to speak to the Lord, that we seem not to slight him. When thou saidst, namely, by the spirit inwardly, as well as by the word outwardly, “Seek my face; my heart answered, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.” If that holy motion to Solomon, “Ask what I shall give to thee,” etc., made even a sleeping time a supplicating time, much more may holy motions of God this way, make our waking times wrestling seasons. Such drops of a spirit of prayer are pledges of large outpouring of that spirit upon us, if thankfully received and improved. Such soliciting directions given us from the Lord, argue that assuredly it is both a praying and speeding time. If the Lord prepare the heart, and put it upon prayer, teach it how to ray:

“He surely boweth the ear to hear.” It is Esther’s time to ask, when king Ahasuerus himself puts her upon it: “What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee; and thy request? it shall be performed.” So is it here. And let none abuse this to strengthen any fond conceit, that we must never pray till we find the spirit first moving us to it. It is our opportunity indeed of prayer when the spirit moves thereto, but not the only season of prayer, as we have in part showed, and must further mention other seasons thereof as well as that. We must sometimes pray, that we may pray, and when as we are apt to judge ourselves, that we are most unfit to pray, then to pray that we may become fit to pray; as by speaking, men are fitted to speak, by running to run, by wrestling to wrestle, by laboring to labor.

Thirdly, he is thus near us by some special word of his mouth, especially by some gracious promise spoken and manifested to us; and that also is a special season for prayer: “For thou, O Lord God, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house, therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.” It is a season of holy talking with God, when he first enters speech with us by some such words of his grace. it is seasonable to open our mouths wide, and receive grace and peace, when the Lord sets open any such golden pipe as is the promise; the gospel is in every part of it, the ministration of the spirit, and of life, and of faith, and of peace. The words of God’s grace pacify and still the tumults in the soul, and enlarge and quicken the heart. Now if ever it be a season to speak to the Lord in prayer, it is when unmannerly distempers which too often silence us are put to silence, and when our hearts are set at an holy liberty to pour out themselves before the Lord.

Fourthly, the Lord is near his people, when he visits or afflicts them. “What shall I answer him when he visits?” or afflicts. “What is man that thou shouldest visit him?” The Lord is then near to us to try us; to take an account of our misdoings, to observe how we carry it under affliction, to comfort and support us, to sanctify affliction to us, and to save and deliver us out of the same, and therefore in special sort it is seasonable to cry unto him, and to ask a correcting father’s forgiveness: “If any be afflicted, let him pray.” “Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee; and thou shalt glorify me.” God does then speak to us by his rod. It is therefore seasonable then to answer him in our prayers. If ever a gracious heart be humble, sensible, serious, and lively, it is then when in affliction, when in the fire. A time of pangs is a time of crying out to the Lord; when God visits saints by affliction, it is seasonable for them to visit him with prayers: “Lord, in trouble have they visited thee; they poured out a prayer to thee when thy chastening was upon them.”

5. The Lord is near to us by some special deliverance out of affliction: this is likewise the Lord’s visiting time when he comes to see us: “For the Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.” If God will thus visit his vine, the people of God look at themselves as engaged to call upon him: “Behold, visit this thy vine, quicken us; so will we call upon thee.” When the winter of the church’s afflictions and captivity is over, Christ expects to hear his church’s voice in prayer: “I will bring the third part through fire, and they shall call upon me.” A person newly delivered out of this pit:

“He shall pray unto God, and he will be favorable unto him.” Little do Christians, sharing in a time of the Lord’s clemency and pity, in their deliverance from sick-bed and other notable hazards of life, know what a fair opportunity they have to speak for further mercy; and how much they lose, if they grow negligent in improving such an opportunity of prayer, when if ever, praying dispositions stir afresh in them.

6. God is thus near us when his time of special promises draws near. Then God’s faithfulness, immutability, almightiness, come into view. And it is a season then in our prayers to go out and meet the Lord. “Then shall ye call on me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.” When? “When the seventy years shall be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you, and perform my good word towards you, then shall you call upon me.” “I, Daniel, understood by books the number of the years whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem; and I set my face unto the Lord to seek by prayer and supplications.” Such a time is a speeding time; for at the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth;” and therefore the fittest season for prayer. A fair day may well be expected to ensue, when the saints are so early at this work of prayer, even as soon as any morning beam of divine righteousness begins to break forth. And surely such is this very present time, when if ever, it is a season of frequent and fervent praying. When the Lord is coming out in view, to accomplish his great designs of grace to his churches, and vengeance to antichrist and his abettors. When his wondrous works in our native land and the neighbor nations do declare that his name is near. A second special season of prayer is, when we are near to the Lord. True it is that all the saints are always near unto the Lord, in respect of their reconciliation wrought by Christ, and their union with Christ, God-man, and the like. Yet are there differences of their actual nearness to the Lord in many other respects, as might be shown in sundry particulars. Let us instance only in two or three branches of this holy nearness of ours to God. Which are several opportunities of prayer.

We are near to God by some solemn engagement, whether more publicly or more secretly plighted before the Lord. Thus Israel was a people near to the Lord. “And what nation is there so great,” said Moses, “who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for.” “I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach to me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me, saith the Lord.”

Secondly, we are near to God when upon any work of reformation of special enormities in ourselves or others, which alienates them or us from the Lord. Zealous reforming rulers, whose hearts stand bent, as much as in them lies, to reduce the church to its primitive purity and perfection, they are said in that respect also, as well as others, to engage themselves to approach to the Lord. So zealous reforming Asa, and others joining with him in that work, are said to be with God. So those zealous friends of Christ, that set themselves against the Babylonish whore and her abominations, are said to be with Christ. And surely as they are with him, so he is that while with them, as he said: “The Lord is with you, whilst you are with him.” And there being such nearness betwixt them and God, then surely is it a choice season of speaking with God in prayer. For indeed it is a choice speeding time, as the prophet there adds: “And if you seek him, he will be found of you.” “Wash you, make you clean,” etc. “Come now, and let us reason together.” It is the fittest time to offer up this holy incense of prayer in these fiery, zealous times; and to plead with the Lord when alienating sins are removed. Thus godly Nehemiah takes such an opportunity for prayer:

“Remember me, O my God, for good.” When the graces of the spirit have been stirring in one good work, they are the fittest to be employed in another. And when we have been doing for God, if we take the advantage of time and of our hearts to speak to him, he will be doing for us; if we give any thing to him, he will assuredly give us something that is better if we ask it.

3. A third special season of prayer is, when any special extremities and urgencies are upon us. Prayer being one of our last means to be used for attaining succor from God; and our very extremities having their cry in the ears of the Lord, it will be most seasonable that we join our lips with theirs, that they make together the louder and more prevailing outcry. It is meetest for us then to go a begging to the door of grace, when in such extreme necessities. God accounts the time of our extremities in asking, to be his opportunities of hearing and helping. Let us instance in these four cases.

First, in case of intricacies of providence, which merely concern ourselves or others. Now in such cases of providence prayer is most seasonable, for it is a recourse to the Lord for inquiry, or for his sentence in a case of controversy. Rebecca found by experience that he going thus to God to inquire in that difficulty was very opportune. The Lord interprets to her the meaning of that unwonted struggling of twins in her womb. David, when about to remove his habitation, and yet not knowing whither, finds this inquiry seasonable, by his answer, “Go unto Hebron.” When that sad affliction was on David and his people, and the particular cause unknown, this inquiry came in season, and made discovery wherefore the famine had been so long upon them. Asaph doth but go into the sanctuary, and then all his hard questions about the reasons of the wicked’s prosperity are answered, and all that cloud on his mind is scattered: “Until I went into the sanctuary, and then I understood their end.”

Secondly, in case of some masterly distempers gaining upon us, and we know not how to redress the same, though we sadly mourn under it. Such a time of need is a time of speeding in seeking for answerable help at the throne of grace. When any lust begins to grow more seditious against the Lord Jesus, when it becomes more headstrong against his sacred majesty, and will not be curbed by all our expressions of shame and sorrow, and detestation and defiance of it, it is high time to draw a solemn petition to our gracious king, to take some effectual order to suppress it.

3. In case of some weighty service of God, which we look at as above our strength. Now must young Solomon, that thinks himself but a child for such employment, ask of God.

4. In case of greatest danger impending, as when, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be destroyed.” Now, if ever, poor Ninevites must call mightily to the Lord; and “God saw their works, and repented him of the evil.” God’s hand is up against Israel with his slaughtering weapon. Now pray, Moses, or never; and he did so, and God repented of that evil also.

Lastly, that we are bound to take these opportunities of prayer is undeniable; we are bound to pray without ceasing, and therefore to be taking all opportunities. And wherefore else does the Lord put such a talent of opportunity of prayer into our hands, but that he expects the faithful improvement thereof to be made by us? or else he will assuredly take his time to express his displeasure against us for so gross a neglect of his grace, and of our own soul’s advantage. But that we may be quickened to pray opportunely, or to take all opportunities of prayer, consider

1. That opportunity is the best, yea, the very all of time. Hence this, Pray continually, that is opportunely; he that prays as oft as he has opportunity, prays always.

2. That opportunity of asking offered by the Lord, does engage the Lord to answer. Why should the Lord set out such alms-days, and audience-days, and some way signify it to his people, if he meant not to hear and help them? Friends in such a case stand upon their credit, if they appoint times to meet, and to entertain a friendly discourse with their friends, they are not wont to fail them; so here opportunity of asking given us by the Lord, it emboldens us to ask, and to expect a seasonable answer.

3. That opportunity of prayer does grace and beautify our prayers. As every thing else is beautiful in its season, so is prayer in its season. Opportunity is a wheel to the chariot of prayer, which safely, strongly, and swiftly carries it in before the Lord. A word spoken in season to men, is, in the Hebrew phrase, a word spoken upon the wheels. So is it in these words spoken to the Lord in their season; yea, opportunity helps to carry our prayer also in an holy state before the Lord, as upon a royal chariot wheel. Opportunity of prayer greatly furthers their acceptance in Christ. These fruits of our lips also are then best, and most welcome to the Lord, when brought forth in their season.

4. That seasonable prayer is ever speeding prayer: “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning,” namely, praying in the season of prayer.

5. That opportunity of seeking and getting grace by prayer and other means, is begged for us by Christ: “In an acceptable time have I heard thee,” as saith the blessed Father to the mediator. And thence it is that the members of this head of the church have any such time of acceptance. For he says, “In an acceptable time have I heard thee. Now is the acceptable time.”

6. That great will be our disadvantage by letting such holy opportunities of prayer slip; for besides the loss of such jewels, and of what we might have gained by trading with the same, our spirits will come to be very much straitened, and hardened, as sad experience in the saints themselves witnesses.