The Forty-fifth Lord’s Day

45 The Forty-fifth Lord’s Day
Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching to this end with all perseverance, and supplication for all Saints.
The Apostle, after explicating our spiritual armour which every Christian ought to furnish himself with, adds exhortations to prayers, by which this spiritual armour is taken up, put on, strengthened, made sure and proved, and is increased. In the Exhortation itself, several things are expounded, such as the Duty of praying. This duty is declared,
1. By a distribution, with all prayer and supplication. 
2. From the adjunct of time, always, or at all times. 
3. From the object, whose good these prayers are to serve; namely, not only for ourselves, but for all Saints. 
4. From the efficient cause, by the Holy Spirit. 
5. From its singular manner that must accompany it, which consists in watching and in perseverance. 
Doctrine 1. Prayer is among those principal duties which we ought to be careful of.
It is hence gathered from the Text; because the Apostle so carefully urges it.
Reason 1. Because it gives very great glory to God; for God in all our prayers is acknowledged as the principle and fountain of all our good.
Reason 2 . It contains man’s greatest subjection and homage to God. 1. Because it seeks all things by free gift and grace. 2. Because the soul and the conscience themselves are prostrated before God, and are cast at his feet when we pray.
Reason 3 . Because by prayer we receive all the spiritual gifts of God. 
Reason 4. Because by prayer we sanctify to ourselves all the corporal gifts of God. 
Reason 5. Because by prayer we fly to God, so that in him we may be secured from all evil.
Reason 6. Because in the exercise of prayer we have most sweet communion with God, and the communication of his grace.
Reason 7 . Because in prayer, either expressly or impliedly, we give ourselves up to God, so that after and from prayer, we rise more obliged and bound to God than we were before; because all prayer always has adjoined to it some promise of thankfulness for hearing our prayer, and granting our desires.
Use . Of Exhortation: that we may more and more give ourselves to this holy exercise of Prayer, in public as well as in private. To this care, many considerations ought to stir us up: First, that holy prayer is so acceptable to God, that in Scriptures it is called Incense, or Perfume, and Sacrifice. 2. In that it is so proper to the godly, that in Scriptures the terms godly men, and those who call upon the name of God, are used without difference. 3. In that it is so inseparable a fruit of the Holy Spirit dwelling in the heart of a believing man, that from this it is called the spirit of Prayer; and Prayer is almost the same to spiritual life as breathing is to natural or animal life. Moreover, that by prayers we best resist all sorts of temptations; this is also why we are bid to resist the Devil by Praying;1 and to pray and watch so that we do not fall into temptation.2 4. Lastly, in that all grace is stirred up and increased by the exercise of Prayer.3
Doctrine 2. In prayer we ought to exercise ourselves in all kinds and sorts of prayer. This is hence gathered, in that the Apostle exhorts us here to all prayer, and supplication, and thanksgiving.
Reason 1 . Because our manifold necessities require manifold sorts of Prayer, in respect to evils with which we are pressed, as well as in respect to good things that we want, or for receiving them, for which we owe thanks; and also the necessities and circumstances of others, for whom we owe this duty of Prayer.
Reason 2. Because by this means, not only one grace or another, but all the graces of God are put forth and exercised in us, according to their proper objects and natures. 
Reason 3. Because by this means, God is glorified by us in many ways.
Use . Of Direction: that we do not rest on forms of Prayers, as if repeating them were enough to fulfill our duty in general; because according to diverse occasions, we ought to take ourselves to diverse manners or ways of Praying.
Doctrine 3. In Godly prayers, the Holy Spirit exercises a special power of his own. From the words, by the Holy Spirit.
Reason 1 . Because of ourselves we do not know how or what to pray for. And although we are taught about such things in the word of God, yet for the practice itself, a special direction of the Holy Spirit is requisite.
Reason 2 . Because our weaknesses are so many that, in the exercise of Prayer, they must be helped by the Holy Spirit.
Reason 3. Because no prayers can be holy and acceptable to God, unless they come from the Holy Spirit. 
Use. Of Direction: that in making our prayers, we do not trust to our own wit, and volubility4 of gifts, and to our own strength; but that we always rely on the grace and help of the Holy Spirit. Doctrine 4. In some way or other we should always, or at all times be praying. From the words, Praying always. 
1 James 4:7-8 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. 
2 Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." 
3 Exodus 33:13 "Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. 
4 The quality of being facile in speech and writing. 
Reason 1. Because we should always have a praying disposition of mind, or a mind ready to pray. For in this consists the right disposition and ordering of our mind.
Reason 2 . Because we should take every just occasion for this exercise of Prayer. Reason 3. Because we should not pass over our set and established times of prayer.
Use. Of Reproof: against those who are so far from this exercise that not only can they pass over whole days, but also whole weeks without any serious thoughts of Prayer. 
Doctrine 5. The manner of Praying is as much to be taken care of, as prayer itself.
This is here gathered, in that watching unto prayer is commanded in the same manner as prayer. Now watching unto Prayer belongs to the manner of Praying, and in some way it contains all things that belong to prayer. For
First, We ought to watch before prayer; that we may so prepare ourselves for it that all hindrances to it may be removed, and that we ourselves get a fit disposition of mind and spirit. 
Secondly, In prayer we must watch against lukewarmness, lack of reverence, wandering thoughts, and the like.
Thirdly, After prayers we must be watchful against forgetfulness and slothfulness, whereby we come short of the fruit of our prayers; nor indeed should we expect anything for our carelessness.
Reason 1. Because in every moral action, the manner of doing is of greatest weight, by which we not only do that which is good, but do it well. 
Reason 2. Because in prayer, in a special way we are in God’s presence; how we behave ourselves in his sight is a matter of no small concern. 
Reason 3. Because a corrupt manner of praying sometimes not only destroys the power of our prayers, but also turns them into sin for us. 
Use. Of Direction: that we may have a care for all those things which make for the right manner of praying, such as Faith, Humility, Zeal or Fervour, and Constancy.