JC Ryle Quote and prayer habits

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arapahoepark

Puritan Board Professor
I am unsure if this was the proper forum to put this thread in...
anyway, I was wondering about this quote from JC Ryle's call to prayer: "What is the reason that some believers are so much brighter and holier than others? I believe the difference in nineteen cases out of twenty, arises from different habits about private prayer. I believe that those who are not eminently holy pray little and those who are eminently holy pray much."

How much is a person supposed to pray? I have been lacking and I think many humble people would say the same (I am not saying I am humble, I am saying I don't pray like I should, the humble pray more than I do), so I would like to know because I really want to be a man of prayer.
 
I'm in no way qualified to tell anyone how to pray, so I won't try. But as I read other threads today, and saw Daniel's three times per day habit mentioned, it occurred to me that we should discern between DEscriptive and PREscriptive Scripture.

If you just do a word search on "pray," "prayer," and "prays," you'd probably find so much reference to praying. But a lot might be just describing prayer, not telling us specifically how or when to pray.

For instance Daniel prayed 3 times a day, publicly in a sense, and seems to be commended for it. The flow of the text describing his prayer life seems to be positive about his prayer habits.

But, we are not all told to do that, or not do it. So, it is descriptive.

The only thing I can say is, we are certainly supposed to pray. I say this because it is assumed we are, for example, when Jesus instructs us in the Lord's Prayer, he says, "when you pray," which presumes that we do pray.
 
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Trent,

This is a great conviction you have. Prayer is a means of grace and should be done with this in mind. There is no set number of how many times. You are looking at it from the wrong side. Instead, you should ask yourself, "why am I not praying" (or meditating on the Word, studying the Word, etc). There are obviously certain times when you are being called to do things that are required in your life, e.g. Jobs, families, etc. However, remember what Paul tells us: "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess 5:17).
 
I think the difference between those who are "eminently holy" and those who are not is God's grace. Prayer is a means of grace so there is a link, but i would be of the personality type that would make this a burden for myself, and would tend to see this as a means to an end... i.e pray more because then God will bless me more, instead of a means of grace. I think what he says is true but at the same time it has the possibility of turning a means of grace into a work if you are like me.
 
I think the difference between those who are "eminently holy" and those who are not is God's grace. Prayer is a means of grace so there is a link, but i would be of the personality type that would make this a burden for myself, and would tend to see this as a means to an end... i.e pray more because then God will bless me more, instead of a means of grace. I think what he says is true but at the same time it has the possibility of turning a means of grace into a work if you are like me.

I think this is why it's just as important to ask "why am I praying?" What's the purpose of prayer? What is your reason for praying? What are you praying for? And why are you praying for it?
 
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