Over the last few years I’ve benefited massively from reading the prayers of the Puritans. Godly men who penned prayers that are full of awe of God. Prayers that are full of rich theology and that give words to your own heart as you cry out to God in praise, in repentance, in dependance and in request that He would work in you. One of my favourite books, that I still use regularly is, Valley of Vision by Banner of Truth. So when I saw that Tim Chester has produced a similar book I was itching to get it!
But why did Tim Chester, a pastor in England in 2022 compile a book of the prayers of men from years ago? Here’s what he says…
“I hope that this book will give you a flavour of Puritan spirituality that might prompt you to explore their writing further. But that has not been my primary aim. My primary aim has been to provide prayers to be prayed. These prayers are not historical curiosities; they are powerful expressions of faith that can enrich our spiritual lives.”
Having read Into His Presence for a while now, I can definitely say that I have benefitted from these prayers and I’m sure you would too. Chester has split 80 different prayers into 16 categories, here’s a flavour of a few of those categories…
- Prayers of Praise to the Father
- Prayers of Wonder for the Son
- Prayers of Dependance on the Spirit
- Prayers for Times of Need
- Prayers for Times of Anxiety
- Prayers for God’s Word
- Prayers for the Lost
I hope that this book will encourage you to delve more into the Puritans, they were men who loved the Lord dearly and wrote so much material that many Christians have benefited form and continue to benefit from today.
In these pages you’ll find prayers from Puritans like John Owen, Thomas Watson, Samuel Ruthersford, Thomas Brooks and more. I highly recommend you pick up this book. You’ll be encouraged by the devotion of these men, but more importantly, you’ll be left praising God and in awe of Him.
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