The following is an excerpt from the book--
THE NECESSITY OF PRAYER By E.M. BOUNDS
"Faith is the foundation of Christian character and the security of the soul. When Jesus
was looking forward to Peter's denial, and cautioning him against it, He said unto His
disciple:
"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, to sift you as wheat; but I
have prayed for thee, that thy faith fall not."
Our Lord was declaring a central truth; it was Peter's FAITH He was seeking to guard; for
well He knew that when faith is broken down, the foundations of spiritual life give
way, and the entire structure of religious experience falls. It was Peter's faith which
needed guarding. Hence Christ's solicitude for the welfare of His disciple's soul and His
determination to fortify Peter's faith by His own all-prevailing prayer
In his Second Epistle, Peter has this idea in mind when speaking of growth in grace as a
measure of safety in the Christian life, and as implying fruitfulness.
"And besides this," he declares, "giving diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to
virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and
to patience godliness." (2 Pet 1:5,6)
Of this additioning process, faith was the starting-point -- the basis of the other graces of
the Spirit. Faith was the foundation on which other things were to be built. Peter does
not enjoin his readers to add to works or gifts or virtues but to faith. Much depends on
starting right in this business of growing in grace. There is a Divine order, of which
Peter was aware; and so he goes on to declare that we are to give diligence to making
our calling and election sure, which election is rendered certain adding to faith which,
in turn, is done by constant, earnest praying. Thus faith is kept alive by prayer, and
every step taken, in this adding of grace to grace, is accompanied by prayer.
*******
My thoughts-
Faith is truly kept living by praying. Praying really is FAITH. No one prays without faith, because to pray for no reason is really just talking to hear yourself speak, isn't it? To pray to our Savior, to pray to our Heavenly Father we are revealing faith in them. The faith that they and they alone have the power to hear us, to love us. Praying is something Jesus taught us to do, praying is something our Savior did and very often, every single day. If we pray any less are we revealing faith? Our lives need God for all things, for every breath, for everything truly, everything. We have to recognize our need of God in ALL our life as we surrender ourselves to Him knowing we are dependent upon Him. Praying reveals our understanding that we recognize our need. Our God is our ALL in ALL.
Please, LORD, please help our FAITH be kept living through our praying. Help us as we undertake this study on prayer. Guide us into ONLY YOUR truth!
All through YOUR love!
Thank you, LORD!
THE NECESSITY OF PRAYER By E.M. BOUNDS
"Faith is the foundation of Christian character and the security of the soul. When Jesus
was looking forward to Peter's denial, and cautioning him against it, He said unto His
disciple:
"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, to sift you as wheat; but I
have prayed for thee, that thy faith fall not."
Our Lord was declaring a central truth; it was Peter's FAITH He was seeking to guard; for
well He knew that when faith is broken down, the foundations of spiritual life give
way, and the entire structure of religious experience falls. It was Peter's faith which
needed guarding. Hence Christ's solicitude for the welfare of His disciple's soul and His
determination to fortify Peter's faith by His own all-prevailing prayer
In his Second Epistle, Peter has this idea in mind when speaking of growth in grace as a
measure of safety in the Christian life, and as implying fruitfulness.
"And besides this," he declares, "giving diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to
virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and
to patience godliness." (2 Pet 1:5,6)
Of this additioning process, faith was the starting-point -- the basis of the other graces of
the Spirit. Faith was the foundation on which other things were to be built. Peter does
not enjoin his readers to add to works or gifts or virtues but to faith. Much depends on
starting right in this business of growing in grace. There is a Divine order, of which
Peter was aware; and so he goes on to declare that we are to give diligence to making
our calling and election sure, which election is rendered certain adding to faith which,
in turn, is done by constant, earnest praying. Thus faith is kept alive by prayer, and
every step taken, in this adding of grace to grace, is accompanied by prayer.
*******
My thoughts-
Faith is truly kept living by praying. Praying really is FAITH. No one prays without faith, because to pray for no reason is really just talking to hear yourself speak, isn't it? To pray to our Savior, to pray to our Heavenly Father we are revealing faith in them. The faith that they and they alone have the power to hear us, to love us. Praying is something Jesus taught us to do, praying is something our Savior did and very often, every single day. If we pray any less are we revealing faith? Our lives need God for all things, for every breath, for everything truly, everything. We have to recognize our need of God in ALL our life as we surrender ourselves to Him knowing we are dependent upon Him. Praying reveals our understanding that we recognize our need. Our God is our ALL in ALL.
Please, LORD, please help our FAITH be kept living through our praying. Help us as we undertake this study on prayer. Guide us into ONLY YOUR truth!
All through YOUR love!
Thank you, LORD!
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