Passionate Prayer
David Brainerd's sermon emphasizes the importance of prayer, forgiveness, and seeking sanctification, highlighting the near access we have to God and the blessedness of appearing before Him.
David Brainerd preaches about the believer's journey from strength to strength, appearing before God in Zion, emphasizing the importance of meekness, forgiveness, and conformity to Christ. He shares his experiences of agonizing for souls, seeking divine calmness, and feeling divine love, longing for sanctification and restoration of the image of Christ to be fit for heavenly enjoyments.
Text
"They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God" (Ps. 84:7).
Lord's Day, April 25. This morning I spent about two hours in secret duties and was enabled more than ordinarily to agonize for immortal souls. Though it was early in the morning and the sun scarcely shined at all, yet my body was quite wet with sweat. I felt much pressed now, as frequently of late, to plead for the meekness and calmness of the Lamb of God in my soul; and through divine goodness felt much of it this morning. Oh, it is a sweet disposition heartily to forgive all injuries done us; to wish our greatest enemies as well as we do our own souls! Blessed Jesus, may I daily be more and more conformed to Thee.
At night I was exceedingly melted with divine love and had some feeling sense of the blessedness of the upper world. Those words hung upon me with much divine sweetness, Psalm 84:7: "They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God." Oh, the near access that God sometimes gives us in our addresses to Him! This may well be termed appearing before God: it is so indeed, in the true spiritual sense, and in the sweetest sense. I think I have not had such power of intercession these many months, both for God's children and for dead sinners as I have had this evening. I wished and longed for the coming of my dear Lord: I longed to join the angelic hosts in praises, wholly free from imperfection. Oh, the blessed moment hastens! All I want is to be more holy, more like my dear Lord. Oh, for sanctification! My very soul pants for the complete restoration of the blessed image of my Saviour, that I may be fit for the blessed enjoyments and employments of the heavenly world.
Sermon Outline
- The Power of Prayer
- The Nearness of God
- The Longing for Sanctification
- The desire for holiness and perfection
- The longing to join the angelic hosts in praise
Key Quotes
“They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.” — David Brainerd
“Oh, the near access that God sometimes gives us in our addresses to Him!” — David Brainerd
“My very soul pants for the complete restoration of the blessed image of my Saviour, that I may be fit for the blessed enjoyments and employments of the heavenly world.” — David Brainerd
Application Points
- We should seek to cultivate the meekness and calmness of Christ in our lives by pleading for it in our prayers.
- Forgiveness is a sweet disposition that allows us to heartily forgive all injuries done to us, even to our greatest enemies.
- We should long for sanctification and holiness by panting for the complete restoration of the image of Christ in our lives.