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  THE PRAYER OF GOD
  by Peter Taylor Forsyth
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Summary: We pray because we were made for prayer, and God draws us out
by breathing Himself in.

Topics: "Prayer And Atonement", "Holy Spirit"
Scripture References: Psalm 42:1, John 15:16, Romans 8:26, Ephesians 1:4, Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 2:13, James 4:8, 1 John 4:19

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DESCRIPTION
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Peter Taylor Forsyth emphasizes the profound nature of prayer,
highlighting how the Spirit intercedes for us with unutterable
groanings, indicating that our prayers are a response to God's initial
call and movement in our hearts. He delves into the concept that our
prayers are actually a result of God's first prayer for us, demonstrated
through the sacrifice of His Son for our redemption. Forsyth underscores
that prayer is intricately linked to the Atonement, with Christ's self-
offering to God being the essence of prayer. He explains that God's love
ignites our desire to pray, drawing us closer to Him as His creations
destined for communion with Him.

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CONTENT
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"...the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which
cannot be uttered"

(Rom. 8:26).

If our prayer reach or move Him it is because He first reached and moved
us to pray. The prayer that reached heaven began there, when Christ went
forth. It began when God turned to beseech us in Christ--in the
appealing Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. The Spirit went
out with the power and function in it to return with our soul. Our
prayer is the answer to God's. Herein is prayer, not that we prayed Him,
but that He first prayed us, in giving His Son to be a propitiation for
us. The heart of the Atonement is prayer--Christ's great self-offering
to God in the Eternal Spirit. The whole rhythm of Christ's soul, so to
say, was Godhead going out and returning on itself. And so God stirs and
inspires all prayer which finds and moves Him. His love provokes our
sacred forwardness. He does not compel us, but we cannot help it after
that look, that tone, that turn of His. All say, 'I am yours if you
will'; and when we will it is prayer. Any final glory of human success
or destiny rises from man being God's continual creation, and destined
by Him for Him. So we pray because we were made for prayer, and God
draws us out by breathing Himself in.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/peter-taylor-forsyth/the-prayer-of-god/
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