On Wednesday evenings before our church’s prayer time, I’m leading a study of David McIntyre’s book The Hidden Life of Prayer: The life-blood of the Christian. Tucked away at the beginning of chapter 6 is a list of characteristics of someone who’s life is conformed to Christ. We are taking two weeks to go through this list and it has generated much discussion so I thought others might profit from this list as well.
If you’d like to purchase the book you may use the link above or at the end. (It is available in both print and Kindle editions.)
The prayer of faith, like some plant rooted in a fruitful soil, draws its virtue from a disposition which has been brought into conformity with the mind of Christ.
1. It is subject to the Divine will—“This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us” (1 John 5:14).
2. It is restrained within the interest of Christ—“Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13).
3. It is instructed in the truth—“If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).
4. It is energized by the Spirit—“Able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Eph. 3:20).
5. It is interwoven with love and mercy—“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any; that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses” (Mark 11:25).
6. It is accompanied with obedience—“Whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22).
7. It is so earnest that it will not accept denial—“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Luke 11:9).
8. It goes out to look for, and to hasten its answer—“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).
You can buy the book here: The Hidden Life of Prayer: The life-blood of the Christian by David McIntyre.
What Does the Text Say? 