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Chapter 22 of religious worship 
in the Sabbath day. Remember that last time, if you 
were here, if you weren't just a brief review, we looked at 
paragraphs one and two under three headings, worships, creational 
mandate. That pertaining to the language, 
the light of nature shows that there is a God. And now paraphrasing, 
who is to be worshipped and served? Then we noted worship's scriptural 
regulation that the acceptable way of worshipping the true God 
is instituted by himself and revealed in the holy scriptures 
alone. And it is to the holy scriptures 
that we go to see how we are to worship God. And we are only 
to worship him in the way that he has commanded. And then lastly, 
we looked at worship's exclusive object. Religious worship is 
to be given to the triune God, paragraph 2 says, Father, Son, 
and Holy Spirit, and to him alone, not to angels, saints, men, any 
other creatures. those sorts of things. So now 
we're moving on to, the confession moves on to the constituent parts 
of worship. So if the scriptures tell us 
how we are to worship God, what are the ways in which God has 
prescribed in his holy word that we are to worship him? And the 
confession moves on to that now. I'm going to read paragraphs 
one, two, three, and four, and then we'll look at a study of 
the constituent parts of worship. The light of nature shows that 
there is a God who hath lordship and sovereignty over all, is 
just, good, and doth good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, 
loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served with all 
the heart and all the soul and with all the might. But the acceptable 
way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself and 
so limited by his own revealed will that he may not be worshiped 
according to the imagination and devices of men, nor the suggestions 
of Satan under any visible representations or any other way not prescribed 
in the Holy Scriptures. Religious worship is to be given 
to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to Him alone, not 
to angels, saints, or any other creatures, and since the fall, 
not without a mediator, nor in the mediation of any other but 
Christ alone. Prayer, with thanksgiving being 
one part of natural worship, is by God required of all men, 
but that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name 
of the Son, by the help of the Spirit, according to his will, 
with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, 
and perseverance, and when with others, in a known tongue. Prayer 
is to be made for things lawful and for all sorts of men living, 
or that shall live hereafter, but not for the dead, nor for 
those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin 
unto death. So we want to look at the constituent 
parts of the worship of God. And we're going to do that in 
two parts this Lord's Day and next Lord's Day. And the first 
part that we have here is prayer. Were we to move on and read paragraph 
five, We would note the other constituent parts of worship, 
the reading of the scriptures, preaching, the hearing of the 
word of God, teaching, etc. But we're going to focus on prayer 
this morning, and that's the stuff of paragraphs three and 
four. And so we want to note, and we're 
going to look at seven things, and I'll list those seven things 
right now, and then we'll get into a study of these. The first 
thing that we want to look at is the constitution of worship 
seen first in prayer. Secondly, the universal obligation 
of prayer in worship. Thirdly, the general tenor in 
which prayer is to be rendered. Fourthly, the acceptable way 
in which prayer is to be rendered. Fifthly, the attendant posture 
of those rendering prayer. Sixthly, the glossological restriction 
for public prayer. And then seventh, the proper 
content of Christian prayer. So with your confessions at the 
ready, we want to first notice the constitution of worship seen 
first in prayer. And that's simply seen in the 
first statement here in paragraph three, prayer with thanksgiving 
being one part of natural worship. There is a change here in the 
Baptist Confession of Faith, and actually it first came in 
the Savoy Confession, the Savoy Declaration of Faith. In the 
Westminster Confession of Faith, They say prayer with thanksgiving 
being one special part of religious worship. The Savoy Declaration 
changes that to one special part of natural worship. The Baptists 
maintain that but remove special. And there's a reason for that 
that we won't get into. If you want to know, you can 
ask me afterwards. But they say here that the Congregationalists 
and the Baptists say being one part of natural worship. And 
there's a reason for that. Natural worship is distinct from 
religious worship. Remember that in paragraph one, 
we noted that we have this distinction. The light of nature shows that 
there is a God. And then later on, but the acceptable 
way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself and 
prescribed in the holy scriptures. So there's a distinction between 
the light of nature and then revelation. In other words, there's 
a distinction between general revelation, the light of nature, 
and special revelation, the acceptable way revealed by God in the Holy 
Scriptures. In chapter one, paragraph one, 
we have that same distinction. And we're going to a particular 
place here just to draw out the the importance of the distinction. 
The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible 
rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience. Then it 
says, although the light of nature and the works of creation and 
providence do so far manifest, and it goes on to say certain 
attributes with respect to God and those sorts of things. But 
then it goes on to say, afterward for the better, oh 
excuse me, therefore it With regards to general revelation, 
yet are they not sufficient, that is these revelations in 
nature, the light of nature, yet are they not sufficient to 
give that knowledge of God and His will which is necessary unto 
salvation. There's a distinction between 
the light of nature and God's special revelation. Well here 
in respect to worship, The Congregationalists and the Baptists wanted to stress 
that prayer is not peculiar only to religious worship, but rather 
the light of nature showing that there is a God to be worshipped. 
Prayer is one part of natural worship. That is the obligation 
that God is to be the recipient of prayer being made known by 
the light of nature. The old boys, and there's a good 
article that I just read by Micah Renahan. He wrote it for the 
Symbolics course at IRBS. And he notes that the old boys 
distinguished between natural worship and instituted worship 
or religious worship. And he says this with regards 
to this distinction. He writes, the authors of the 
confession use this organizational principle. natural worship and 
religious worship, because they understood that all of life and 
especially worship must be dictated by the terms of the covenant 
that God has established with men. Those terms of the covenant 
may be known in two ways. One, by the light of nature, 
which shows that there is a God and that he is to be worshiped. 
And two, by the positive commands found in the terms of the covenant 
instituted by Christ and limited by his own revealed will. The 
positive commands give shape and expression to the responsibilities 
that man perceives by the light of nature, so that he may know 
the acceptable way of worshipping God." Again, that's Micah Renahan 
in an article on this particular language. So prayer is a part 
of natural worship. The light of nature reveals the 
reality. There is a God who is to be worshipped, 
who is to be feared, who is to be loved, who is to be honored 
and served. However, as the Confession says, 
there is a special revelation with regards to God that shows 
the manner in which he is to be worshipped. So prayer is, 
the constitution of worship is seen first in prayer. Now, we're 
not going to spend a whole lot of time on the definition of 
what prayer is, as we're talking about prayer as being a part 
of worship, but we do want to make some observations with respect 
to prayer, and perhaps a quote by Pink is good here with regards 
to prayer and the sovereignty of God. Prayer is not the requesting 
of God to alter his purpose or for him to form a new one. Prayer 
is the taking of an attitude of dependency upon God, the spreading 
of our need before him, the asking for those things which are in 
accordance with his will, and therefore there is nothing whatever 
inconsistent between divine sovereignty and Christian prayer. It's very 
important we don't come to God to get him to change his mind. 
That's ridiculous. We come to God in a posture, 
an attitude of dependency upon the sovereign majesty. Alexander, 
Archibald Alexander writes, prayer is no more inconsistent with 
the unchangeable purposes of God than the use of any other 
means. For God, in forming his purposes, 
had respect to all appropriate means of producing the intended 
ends. And among these, prayer has an 
important place. A good place in our confession 
to go to read concerning the means of grace is in the chapter 
on faith, and just turn there for a moment, chapter 14. Because 
prayer, as it has been understood throughout the years, is a means 
of grace. A means whereby we avail of someone 
outside of ourselves, of blessings outside of ourselves, we receiving 
them passively, if you will, by the grace of God and the mediation 
of Christ. Notice chapter 14, paragraph 
1, and prayer is in here, and that's why it's our focus this 
morning, and that's why we're reading from this section, prayer 
as a means of grace. Notice chapter 14, paragraph 
1, the grace of faith. whereby the elect are enabled 
to believe to the saving of their souls is the work of the Spirit 
of Christ in their hearts and is ordinarily wrought by the 
ministry of the Word by which also and by the administration 
of baptism and the Lord's Supper, prayer and other means appointed 
of God, it is increased and strengthened." Notice that You see, God is kind 
in revealing how he is to be worshipped. He doesn't leave 
it a mystery. General revelation reveals that 
there is a God, and God doesn't leave us at that point, but rather 
reveals to us the means whereby we avail of his grace, but also 
those parts of worship that we are to render. He helps us and 
He gives us these things in order that we may avail of His blessed 
grace. Notice, the work of the Spirit 
of Christ in their hearts and is ordinarily wrought by the 
ministry of the Word, baptism, the Lord's Supper, prayer, and 
other means appointed of God. Those other means appointed of 
God may pertain to the stuff that we'll look at in the next 
week with regards to other constituent parts of worship. Prayer is a 
way by which God increases and strengthens our faith. And so 
it is to be a part of our worship. If we were to go to a Bible verse 
to show that prayer is a constituent part of worship, one of the places 
that we could go is Hebrews chapter 4. Prayer is a sacred means ordained 
by God, whereby His gathered assembly avail of His divine 
and spiritual blessings. In Hebrews chapter 4, no doubt 
you know this verse quite well, and hopefully it is a verse that 
is comfort to your souls. Hebrews 4, and it's speaking 
about the high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, being the reason 
for which we have boldness to approach God in prayer. Notice 
in Hebrews 4.14, seeing then that we have a great high priest, 
who is passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us 
hold fast our confession, for we do not have a high priest 
who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points 
tempted as we are, yet without sin. Now notice verse 16, let 
us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may 
obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Now this 
touches upon the stuff of paragraph two, And hopefully you can understand 
why in the chapter that we're discussing right now. And since 
the fall, not without a mediator, nor in the mediation of other, 
but Christ alone. He is the high priest of Hebrews 
4, 14 to 16. Prayer follows immediately after 
that statement with regards to the mediation of Christ. And 
we find that doctrine brought forth whereby we are to approach 
God with understanding. fear, faithfulness, fervency, 
and all of those things. And the reason we can do that, 
the reason we can come to God with the boldness, is because 
of the mediatorial work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Make no mistake, 
when it says, therefore let us come boldly to the throne of 
grace. That's not talking about, the author isn't talking about 
the manner in which we approach God. Like we charge the throne 
of grace with courage and boldness, yelling our prayers to God. I 
think Richard Barcelos uses the term that somehow we're supposed 
to have this lion heartedness in our prayer. That's not what 
it's talking about. We can pray weakly and feebly 
and that can be seen as boldness in coming to the throne of grace. 
The let us therefore come boldly pertains to the reason for which 
we have boldness to approach the throne of grace. And it doesn't 
rest upon ourselves or in ourselves as being boisterous and earnest 
prayers, but rather upon the finished and completed and perfect 
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We come boldly to the throne 
of grace, and that's not the manner in which we pray, but 
rather, that is, the reason for which we have boldness is the 
High Priest who has gone before us, even Jesus, the Son of God. 
And so all of that to say, this is, this is talking about, let 
us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, That pertains 
to that sacred and ordained means whereby we in a gathered assembly 
come before God and we bring our prayers and our supplications 
mingled with thanksgiving to the high king of heaven. So the constitution of worship 
is seen first in prayer. Prayer is the first constituent 
element of worship listed here before we get to paragraph five 
and the reading of the scriptures, etc. Now notice, secondly, the 
universal obligation of prayer in worship. Prayer with thanksgiving, 
being one part of natural worship, is by God required of all men. The light of nature reveals that 
there is a God, a God who is to be feared, a God who is to 
be worshiped and honored and served, and it discloses that 
He is the one who is to be approached in prayer. If there is a God 
and there is, the light of nature reveals that there is one, then 
man, the creature, is to see his dependence upon him, is to 
get the reality that he is the creature and he is the creator. And I must, if I am to know goodness 
while I draw breath, it is to be at the hand of this one who 
has created all things and who upholds all things by the word 
of his power. And so prayer is required of 
all men. If we were to go, hopefully you 
can see that in the Psalms, this reality is brought out. Not all 
of the Psalms, but quite a large number of the Psalms call upon 
the peoples to praise God, call upon the peoples to give thanks 
to God, let all the peoples praise Him. Give thanks to the Lord, 
for He is good, for His mercy endures forever. Psalm 65, too, 
says, Oh, you who hear prayer to you, all flesh will come. So you see, even, you know, even 
in the time of despair and even in a time of, you know, times 
of of affliction, those who are normally normally would give 
no airtime to God and would give no time to him at all will approach 
him in some form or another. That does not make them somehow 
righteous and that does not somehow constitute them a believer. But 
nevertheless, there is this reality to the light of nature, revealing 
that there is a God and that prayer is required of all men. Moving quickly through now, now 
let's go to point three, which is the general tenor in which 
prayer is to be rendered. The general tenor. Notice what 
we have here with regards to the with thanksgiving. We're 
sort of going a little bit back and forth in this first sentence, 
but prayer With thanksgiving, being one part of natural worship 
is by God required of all men. There is this general tenor in 
which prayer is to be rendered to God, and the confession says 
here, prayer with thanksgiving. Hopefully, we understand that 
that is to be the general tenor in which Christians are to approach 
God. Why? Because we are to be a thankful 
lot. God has given us life, breath, 
and all things. He's poured out physical blessings 
upon us. that it would take a lifetime 
to count and to rehearse. But you see, he's brought us 
from darkness to life through the perfect work of the Lord 
Jesus Christ and the effectual calling of the Holy Spirit. He's 
brought us to a place where we're no longer at enmity with him 
and he's no longer at enmity with us, but rather we're at 
a place where we have all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places 
in Christ. Our general tenor in prayer ought 
to be thanksgiving. We don't charge out of the prayer 
gates with demands and our desires and all those sorts of things, 
but recognizing the glory and the majesty of God and the benefits 
that He's poured out upon us, we are to have hearts of thankfulness 
as we approach Him in prayer. Of course, Philippians chapter 
4 speaks with regards to this. In Philippians 4, we have this 
reality set forth by the Apostle Paul with regards to prayer. And we don't want to say that 
prayer is formulaic because it's not, but there is this aspect 
to it where when we approach God with this general tenor of 
thanksgiving in genuine prayer, God returns to us, if you will, 
the peace of God which surpasses all understanding. Notice Philippians 
4 and verse 6, be anxious for nothing. but in everything by 
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Let your requests 
be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses 
all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through 
Christ Jesus. You see the admonition here by 
the apostle. When we come to God with our 
prayers and with our supplications, it is to be in this general tenor 
of thanksgiving. That is to be, our prayers are 
to be mingled with thanksgiving. When we make our requests known 
to him, they are to be in that general tenor. And you see, that 
is in a direct contrast and opposition to the tenor of the pagan, to 
the unbeliever. Remember what we read in Romans 
chapter 1 with regards to the heart of the pagan before God. God is known by general revelation. His invisible attributes are 
clearly seen being made known by what's made and what do those? Unbelievers who have that general 
revelation smacking them in the face every day. What's their 
disposition? Well, they were not thankful 
is what the text says and so Christians Certainly this side 
of having been brought out of darkness into marvelous light 
We are to approach our great God with that posture with that 
tenor to our prayers thankfulness We are to be those who thank 
the Lord our God. We hear the psalmist's call, 
oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy 
endures forever, and we say amen. And we humbly fall before our 
God with prayers and supplications, ensuring that they are most certainly 
mingled with thanksgiving. So the general tenor in which 
our prayers are to be rendered is with thanksgiving. And now 
notice, fourthly, the acceptable way in which prayer is to be 
rendered. Again, the language here distinguishing 
between natural worship and religious worship now introduces this but. Prayer with thanksgiving being 
one part of natural worship is by God required of all men, but 
that it may be accepted is to be made in the name of the son 
by the help of the spirit according to his will. So the acceptable 
way in which prayer is to be rendered is seen here, connecting 
with paragraph two. It is to be Trinitarian prayer. Remember, paragraph two saying 
religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Son, and 
Holy Spirit, and to him alone. And so when we come to prayer, 
it is that it may be accepted. It is to be made in the name 
of the Son by the help of the Spirit according to his will. 
the acceptable way of praying is brought forth there. First off, prayer is Trinitarian. You can turn for a general text 
to 2 Corinthians 13 for a moment, seeing that our communion is 
one not with some generic deity, not with some intelligent designer 
generally or ambiguously considered, but rather our spiritual communion 
is with the only God, the living and true God, who is Father, 
Son, and Holy Spirit. Notice the language of the end 
of 2 Corinthians in 13-14. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ 
and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit. Be with you 
all. Amen. The Bible is clearly Trinitarian. We don't come to the Bible scratching 
our heads and wondering how we get to the doctrine of the Trinity. 
It's not something imposed upon an unwitting populace of religious 
folks in the fourth century. But rather, it is clearly from 
the pages of Holy Scripture, the reality that we have Father, 
Son, and Holy Spirit. These three, one God, the same 
in substance, equal in power and in glory. The grace of the 
Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the 
Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. Prayer is Trinitarian. 
Where do we see then in the Bible where they get this language 
here that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name 
of the Son? Well, you can turn in your Bibles 
to 1 Peter 2. 1 Peter 2. When we talk about prayer being 
in the name of the Son, we shouldn't understand that there is some 
sort of formulaic reality to the recitation of the name Jesus 
in prayer. That somehow the words themselves 
bear some sort of formulaic efficacy when we say, in the name of Jesus 
Christ, Amen. The idea, no doubt, is to be 
understood that while we are to pray that way, it is in the 
reality that we come as Christians believing on the Lord Jesus Christ 
in the name and in the authority of the Jesus Christ, our mediator 
to the throne of grace, bringing our supplications and petitions. 
But notice first Peter two and verse five. You also, as living 
stones are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to 
offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus 
Christ. You see, when the framers of 
the Confession are, when they're writing the Confession, they're 
not using language that is novel, but rather they're pulling language 
from the Holy Scriptures, aren't they? Notice, acceptable to God 
through Jesus Christ, but that it may be accepted. It is to 
be made in the name of the Son. You see, the Confession is biblical. through and through. The language 
is pulled from God's inerrant, infallible, inspired revelation 
in order to set forth the reality in this case of prayer as an 
element of worship and acceptable in this particular manner. Offer up spiritual sacrifices 
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Notice as well, Jesus 
himself in John chapter 14 speaks this way as well. If you make 
any requests in my name or if you ask anything in my name, 
he says, it will be given unto you. With regards to the Spirit, 
remember here, Trinitarian prayer that it may be accepted is to 
be made in the name of the Son by the help of the Spirit. More 
than one place in the scriptures, but to see this we could turn 
to Romans chapter 8. Romans 8, we have this reality 
that we have We are to pray by the aid of the Spirit. And this is always how prayer 
is to be rendered. It's to be rendered in the Spirit. 
We have the Spirit. Christians have the Holy Spirit 
of God, and so prayer is to be offered in such a manner. Notice 
in Romans 8 at verse 26. Likewise, the Spirit also helps 
in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should 
pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself makes intercession 
for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now he who searches 
the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because he makes 
intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know 
that all things work together for good to those who love God, 
to those who are the called according to his purpose. Notice again, 
the language of the confession is the language of the Bible. 
According to the will of God, verse 27 ends. That's the next 
consideration in the confession. That prayer is to be offered 
in the name of the Son, by the help of the Spirit, according 
to the will of God. But notice again here, the Spirit 
himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot 
be uttered. The Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. We go to God, the Father, through 
the Spirit, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Another passage 
that speaks to this reality is in Jude. In Jude, we have this reality 
brought out right near the end. In verse 20, we read, But you, 
beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying 
in the Holy Spirit, You see, our prayer is always offered 
through the spirit. This isn't talking about some 
sort of, you know, hyper spiritual or, you know, some spiritual 
gift whereby we're praying to God in tongues or some sort of 
idea like that. But simply that we come to God 
by the aid of the spirit, knowing that he helps us in our weaknesses. 
We can come to God with feeble prayer. We know that it is acceptable 
prayer. We offer it in the name of the 
son by the help of the Spirit. The acceptable way in which prayer 
is to be rendered first, it is to be Trinitarian in this way. This doesn't mean that we cannot 
pray to God the Father, or that we cannot pray to Jesus Christ 
or to the Spirit. Remember, the doctrine of God 
in the Confession, as it is presenting the biblical data and the glorious 
biblical truth of God, presents the certain truth that Father, 
Son, and Holy Spirit are all God. Remember what the Confession 
says after highlighting the essential glory and perfections of God 
and his transcendent relations. In paragraph 2, we read, in this 
divine and infinite being, there are three subsistences, the Father, 
the Word, or Son, and Holy Spirit, of one substance, power, and 
eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence 
undivided. can come to prayer, we can pray 
to God the Son, we can pray to the Spirit. There is this biblical 
idea, though, that normatively speaking, we come to God through 
the Spirit in the name of the Son. But if anyone were to say, 
oh, we can't pray to Christ because of, you know, the model prayer 
that we have and the fact that we're to only come to Him, God, 
in Christ's name through the Spirit, we can't pray to the 
Spirit and we can't pray to God the Son. Well, that's to That's 
to unravel the doctrine of the Trinity or to treat it in some 
sort of strange manner. We can pray. And in fact, there's 
biblical instances. Stephen, at his stoning, he prays 
to Christ. We have instances in the gospel 
accounts while Christ himself is, you know, prior to his crucifixion 
and resurrection, where a leper is worshiping him, these sorts 
of things. So there is no problem praying 
to God the Son or to the Spirit, but there is this normative sense 
in which prayer is offered to the Father through the Spirit 
in the name of Christ Jesus the Lord. Also, the acceptable way 
in which prayer is to be rendered is seen in the fact that it is 
according to the will of God. Notice what the confession says, 
by the help of the Spirit, according to His will. And so prayer is 
in accordance with the will of God. What does that mean? Well, it 
means that, in one sense, that, for example, if God says that 
a certain thing is going to happen, we should not pray for the opposite. 
A biblical example would be God's announcement to Samuel that Saul 
would have the kingdom taken from him. Well, Samuel shouldn't 
pray, God, please don't take the kingdom away from Saul. If 
God has revealed, if you will, his decree, we are not to pray 
against that decree. Another example would be, with 
regards to that idea, is that we are to pray for sinners, absolutely. We are to pray for sinners. God 
saves sinners. But we shouldn't pray God save 
the reprobate. that is to pray against the will 
of God, because God, in the good pleasure of his will, has deemed 
that some will not enter into everlasting life. We should not 
pray for those whom God has purpose to damn unto everlasting life. 
In other words, we're to pray according to the will of God, 
in this case, not against His secret or decreed of will. Now, 
probably more to the point is that we are to pray according 
to what He has revealed in the Holy Scriptures. We come to His 
special revelation and we see the things that we are to pray 
for. We're to pray that His kingdom 
would come. We're to pray that His will would 
be done on earth as it is in heaven. His gospel promises come. He says, Christ promises that 
He will build his church and the gates of Hades will not prevail 
against it. We should pray, Christ, build 
your church as you have promised power. Give strength and power 
to the ministers of the gospel that they might proclaim richly 
the glories of Christ. Send your spirit that he might 
make dead sinners alive in Christ. All of those things that the 
scriptures reveal with regards to the promises of God, we are 
to have hope in them and we are to pray for them. We are to pray 
in accordance with this attitude of dependency upon him, spreading 
our need before him, asking for those things which are in accordance 
with his will, and therefore there is nothing, whatever Pink 
says, inconsistent between God's sovereignty and Christian prayer. 
We are to come to God and we are to pray according to his 
will. This sees in it the acknowledgment 
of his sovereign majesty. So when we come and we are to 
pray in accordance with his will, the one praying is to recognize 
his sovereign majesty. Our God is in the heavens. He 
does whatever he pleases. He works all things according 
to the good pleasure of his own will. God is the one who has 
unrivaled majesty and sovereign glory. And so we are to acknowledge 
that in our prayer and pray in accordance with his will. It 
is to have, or it is to see, that we are to be in humble resignation 
to His will in all things. We're to pray in accordance with 
His will. We're to approach God in humility. That's what the 
confession goes on to say. Resign to His will. We have that 
model prayer by Christ, or that model example in Christ, in the 
Garden of Gethsemane, don't we? Father, if it is possible, let 
this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but 
thine be done." Christ is the chief exemplar of a humble prayerfulness 
before God, recognizing that we are to be resigned wholly 
unto His will in all things. Nevertheless, not my will, but 
thine be done. As well, the acceptable way in 
which prayer is to be rendered is seen in the knowledge of the 
truth. We are to know the scriptures and to so pray after the proper 
knowledge of the scriptures. I think it was Spurgeon who said, 
an Arminian on his knees prays like a Calvinist. Something like 
that. There is something in prayer 
that sees a a proper relationship to the Holy Scriptures. Because 
of the God who is revealed in the Holy Scriptures, one coming 
to God humbly in prayer must pray to one who can hear and 
answer prayer. A sovereign God. who saves to 
the uttermost all those who draw nigh by the blood of Christ. If we were to have some sort 
of a doctrine wherein man has the effectual autonomy and power 
to avail of the blessings of God according to his own free 
will, then we need not pray to God. But rather we have a God 
of sovereignty who saves to the uttermost, from first to last, 
midst and throughout, saves his elect, saves sinners, and so 
we come to a God with that knowledge of our God, praying according 
to his will. Notice as well then we have Fifthly, 
the attendant posture of those rendering prayer. The attendant 
posture. What is? We have this general 
tenor of thanksgiving in which prayer is to be rendered. Our 
prayers and supplications are to be mingled with thanksgiving. 
And then what is the attendant posture in that prayer that's 
mingled with thanksgiving? Well, the confession says, with 
understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance. So if you ask yourselves, how 
are we to pray to God? Well, first, it is to be in thanksgiving, 
that general tenor. Through that acceptable way, 
we come to God by the name of the Son, with the help of the 
Spirit. And it is to be with these things in view, understanding, 
reverence, humility, fervency, faith, and love understanding 
probably pertaining to our knowledge of God our knowledge of his will 
as revealed in the holy scriptures a discernment no doubt of the 
things that we are to be prayed that are to be prayed for that 
common chapter paragraph for prayers to me to be made for 
things lawful for all sorts of men living etc were to understand 
what we are to pray for and what we should not be praying for 
what we cannot pray for, so understanding is important in prayer. We are 
to pray according to His will and pray only for those things 
that are lawful to pray for with reverence. Hopefully that is 
the posture that we have when we come to our great God in prayer, 
reverence. There is to be in the followers 
of God a proper reverential awe before the triune majesty of 
heaven and earth. We don't, again, don't charge 
out of the gates of prayer in some sort of casual cavalier 
manner. I'm sure God would be okay if 
we had our hands in our pockets when we pray. But just speaking 
figuratively, if you will, we don't approach God with our hands 
in our pockets in a cavalier manner of bringing petitions 
before him. But we, with a measure of reverence, 
come before the God who has created all things, who upholds all things 
by the word of his power, who's conquered our hearts by victorious 
grace and poured out upon us the victorious benefits won for 
Christ in our behalf by his spirit. We are to approach God with a 
reverence. Hopefully, that's how we do that 
congregationally. When the man up at the pulpit 
is leading prayer, we are praying in one accord at that point. 
Hopefully, you understand that. We're not all praying in unison 
because that would be a mess. We wouldn't know how to do that 
in unison, that is, all vocally praying. But we are praying with 
one accord. Just like the saints in Acts 
1 and in Acts 4, we come together with one mind and one spirit, 
striving for the faith of the gospel and bringing our petitions 
with a reverence before God. And hopefully, when the man at 
the pulpit is praying, representing the one accordness of congregational 
prayer, we have a heart that is reverential, being focused 
on our great God and seeking to render unto him that proper 
service and do worship. Humility, of course. We come 
to God humbly before him. We noted this when we were talking 
about the doctrine of God so many Sundays ago, and man, over 
a year ago. But remember, a study of God 
sees us not as those investigators with beakers and microscopes 
examining some subject of consideration, but when we study our God, we 
come as those who are the blessed recipients of the majestic one 
revealing himself to us. And so when we come to him in 
prayer, we are to come with that self-same humility, knowing that 
he has fashioned us, given us minds to know him and to understand 
him, not comprehend him, but to know him and to understand 
him. And he's given us This reality 
that we can come to him and communicate with him in prayer with an attitude 
of dependency. And so we come to him on our 
knees with humility. We don't come charging with this 
lion heartedness. Remember Hebrews 4.16, that boldness 
is the reality that Christ and his high priestly work has made 
for us this reality to approach God. Fervency, the effect of 
fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. We come to God 
with a fervency that is an intensity and an earnestness. We come to 
God knowing that he hears and knowing that he answers. Faith, 
love, and perseverance. You see, we are to come to God 
in faith. Hopefully, that's some of the 
stuff in view with Paul's admonition in Philippians 4. Prayer, or 
be anxious in nothing. We're not to have this anxiety, 
but rather we are to have strength of belief in our God, strength 
of faith. We are to grip our God's promises 
with a strength, knowing that he who promises cannot lie. He cannot deny himself. He cannot 
make promises that will not be carried out, because he is most 
absolute, most glorious. And so we have this faith when 
we come to God in prayer, knowing that what he has revealed is 
sure and true, and knowing that he hears and that he answers. 
and that he always does according to his immutable and perfect 
will. And, of course, love and perseverance. We are to pray 
and it is to be in love. Love to God and love to brethren. 
Hopefully our prayer is never, you know, for God to strike people 
down. Now, imprecation is okay, but 
we don't pray with vindictive hearts. You know, somebody cuts 
you off on the highway, Lord, please you know, make their soup 
taste bad when they go home for lunch. We're to pray with love. Love to God and love to men. We're to pray with perseverance. We are to have perseverance in 
prayer, knowing that God preserves us, but nevertheless, perseverance 
in prayer. We are to be repetitious. If 
we don't get an answer, we are to be like those who will not 
cease. A wholesome a wholesome incessancy 
in prayer, perseverance. And now notice what we have next, 
the glossological restriction for public prayer. Glossological just simply means 
linguistics or language, of or pertaining to language. The glossological 
restriction is, and when with others in a known tongue. Now, 
What this isn't saying is this isn't acknowledging the continuation 
of the spiritual gifts. That's not what this is acknowledging 
here. When it says, and with others, 
when with others in a known tongue, the confession that the Baptists, 
our particular Baptists, we're not continuationist saying, you 
know, when you're on your own, you can pray in another tongue 
after the gift of the spirit that's been bestowed upon you. 
This is pertaining to the Roman Catholic practice of rendering 
masses in the Latin tongue. But just to dispel any notions 
that the particular Baptists or continuationists that tongues, 
prophecy, and knowledge are still for us today, you can turn to 
chapter one for a brief moment just to see the reality that 
The particular Baptists were cessationists. Our confession 
of faith is a cessationist document. That is, the gifts of the Spirit, 
the charismatic gifts, if you will, ceased with the closing 
of the canon. And this should be clearly seen 
in paragraph 1 of chapter 1. The Holy Scripture is the only 
sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge 
faith and obedience. That statement there should be 
enough, but notice as well as we move down near the end, God 
committed the same holy unto writing which maketh the holy 
scriptures to be most necessary, those former ways of God's revealing 
his will unto his people being now ceased. The language of the 
confession could not be clearer that the former ways of God revealing 
his will unto his church have now ceased cessation. Paragraph 
six, the whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary 
for his own glory, man's salvation, faith and life is either expressly 
set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture unto which 
nothing at any time is to be added whether by new revelation 
of the spirit or traditions of men. And so clearly The Confession 
of Faith is saying that were someone to say that continuing 
revelation by way of prophecy, tongue, and knowledge are necessary 
for faith, God's glory, faith, and life, these sorts of things, 
the Confession stands against that and says, no, it is the 
Holy Scriptures alone that are the rule of faith and life for 
those things. Getting back to chapter 22, when 
it says, and when with others in a known tongue, it's talking 
about the popish practice of rendering mass in Latin. This 
is, where are we here? This is A. A. Hodge. This point, when with others 
in a known tongue, is aimed at the Romish custom of uttering 
many of her public prayers in Latin, which to the vast majority 
of her worshipers is an unknown tongue. This is expressly forbidden. You don't have to turn there, 
but a biblical text that speaks to that particular reality is 
1 Corinthians 14. 1 to 40 largely, but I believe 
verse 14 specifically. This is the Canon of Trent, Session 
22, Chapter 9, Canon 9. Again, this is bad stuff, but 
this is what the Catholic Church says with regards to this point, 
and this would have come about a hundred years prior. Well, 
about 70 years prior to the Westminster 
Confession of Faith, where that language was first introduced 
about a hundred years before our own. If anyone saith that 
the right of the Roman Church, according to which a part of 
the canon and the words of consecration are pronounced in a low tone, 
is to be condemned, or that the Mass ought to be celebrated in 
the vulgar tongue only, that is, known tongue, or that water 
ought not to be mixed with the wine that is to be offered in 
the chalice, for that is contrary to the institution of Christ. 
Let him be anathema." So the Confession Church was pronouncing 
an anathema upon the Reformers who said that prayer, worship, 
is to be offered in the vulgar tongue of the people who are 
there gathered. The Catholic Church wanted to perpetuate the 
nonsense of its mystery in Latin to keep its people in bondage. And so the reformers and the 
confessionalists following them say rightly that prayer is to 
be offered when others in a known tongue. Moving on then lastly 
to the proper content of Christian prayer. The proper content of 
Christian prayer and that is seen entirely in paragraph four. Prayer is to be made for things 
lawful and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter, 
but not for the dead, nor for those of whom it may be known 
that they have sinned the sin unto death." So first off, prayer 
is to be made for all things lawful. We're to pray for lawful 
things. We are to pray, again, we've 
already talked about God has revealed himself, his promises 
in the Holy Scriptures. We are to pray for that and for 
those things. We are to pray in the manner 
in which God has revealed, and we are to pray for those things 
which God has promised. Salvation for sinners, the spread 
of His kingdom, that His glory would be had, that His name would 
be vindicated throughout all the earth. Physical blessings 
we can pray for. Our daily bread. It's a lawful 
thing. We are to pray for physical blessings. It's okay to bring our wholesome 
desires before God, to pray that we would have cornflakes and 
milk for our families to eat, for financial prosperity, not 
health, wealth, and prosperity gospel, but that we would be 
given the means and the strength whereby we can work honestly 
unto God and for the good of our family and for the good of 
others, so that we can have some money to throw the church's way 
in a wholesome manner. All things lawful, we are to 
pray for. that God would again give us 
food and drink as we ought to have and then render a return 
of thanksgiving to him. Prayers to be made for all things 
lawful and for all sorts of men living. We are to pray for all 
sorts of men living. 1 Timothy chapter 2, remember 
what Paul says there, that we're to pray for all sorts of men, 
kings and those who are in authority, that we may live peaceable lives, 
etc. We're to pray for all sorts of 
men living. Kings, those in authority, were to pray for people from 
every tribe and tongue and people and nation, that God would be 
pleased to send them preachers, that they would hear the word 
of God, and that they would believe. We are to pray for all men living, 
or that shall live hereafter. And we're to pray for those who 
will be living, who are not yet living. We have an example of 
that in 2 Samuel chapter 7, where God gives the promise to David 
That you know from his seed one a king would come whose kingdom 
would be forever and ever well David returns prayer to God that 
that would come true and that that would be blessed unto the 
advance of God's kingdom And so that's a you know we can pray 
for men who will live here who will live hereafter You know 
we pray for we pray for you know, if we were to pray for the blessings 
of children, if a couple is, you know, looking for, you know, 
wanting to have children, maybe they're struggling, they've been 
unable to have children, we ought to pray that God would bless 
them with the gift of children. and those sorts of things. But 
we are to pray, you know, two generations from now, you know, 
we ought to pray for one generation from now, those who are not yet 
living, that they would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and 
that God by them would spread his kingdom glory throughout 
the reaches of the earth. Now there is a but here though. 
There is some negative language. But not for the dead. We are 
not to pray for the dead. This again has in view the Roman 
Catholic Church. in a known tongue. Again, in 
view there is that popish Latin public worship. And now, prayers 
for the dead are in the crosshairs as well. The Roman Catholic Church, 
probably in the background, is the doctrine of purgatory. It's 
common. It was common for Catholics then, 
and it's common for Catholics now to light candles, offer prayers, 
buy brooches in little plastic bags from the Catholic shop, 
in order that their family members and friends might have time removed 
from the fires of purgatory. And so we are not to pray for 
the dead because A, there is no such mediatorial or intermediatory 
place where the faithful are purging their sins in this place 
called purgatory. No. And we'll get to that when 
we get to the later chapters. Those who die in Christ are with 
Christ. Those who die outside of Christ 
have no hope, but only the pains of eternal torment. And so we 
are not to pray for the dead, because those who are dead in 
Christ need no prayer. Those who are dead in Christ, 
the faithful who died in Christ, are ushered into the presence 
of Christ, and they are with him in paradise. They don't need 
our prayers. They're with their master. They're 
with their king. And those who died outside of 
Christ cannot avail of anything, whether our prayers or anything 
else offered in their behalf. And as well, and lastly, nor 
for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin 
unto death. In view there is the stuff of 
Matthew 12, 1 John 5, 16, the unpardonable sin. Gill on 
that says, with regards to the first John 5 passage, it is a 
sinning willfully, not in a practical, but doctrinal way. After a man 
has received the knowledge of the truth, it is a willful denial 
of the truth of the gospel, particularly that peace, pardon, righteousness, 
eternal life, and salvation are by Jesus Christ. contrary to 
the light of his mind, and this joined with malice and obstinacy. And so we are not to pray for 
the dead and for such as who, in malice and obstinacy, deny 
and reject the overtures of the gospel, having it revealed unto 
them time and again, they with venom and vitriol oppose the 
Holy Spirit's revelation of the gospel of Christ unto their own 
damnation. And so that is prayer as a constituent 
part of worship. We'll pray here in a moment, 
and if you have any questions, ask away. Again, it's less of 
an investigation of what prayer is, but rather a survey of the 
reality that prayer is a constituent part of worship. So know this, 
that when we go into worship now, hopefully with this in the 
fore of our minds, that we go into worship and we'll pray with 
thanksgiving. We'll pray to the triune God 
of heaven and earth. The attendant posture will be 
this, understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, 
and perseverance, and that we might always pray in accordance 
with his most holy will. Well, let us pray. Heavenly Father, 
we rejoice in you that we can gather together as the saints 
of Christ prior to worship to learn in this case of prayer. 
We thank you that you have ordained this means of grace whereby we 
can avail of a communion with you, our triune God. We do pray 
that you would always help us to do so with thanksgiving. We 
pray that we would do so after that acceptable way coming to 
God the Father through the Spirit in the name of the Son. We do 
pray that we would always come with that posture of understanding 
reverence, humility, faith, love, perseverance. And we do pray 
that we would always come, Lord God, to you with great joy and 
with great earnest, knowing that we have a God who has created 
all things, who upholds all things, and who even hears and answers 
the prayers of his saints. And we do pray that these things 
would always come to you through the mediation of our blessed 
Christ, the only mediator between God and man, and that we would 
have returned unto us according to your will, Blessings and grace 
from on high and mercy from on high that we might honor you 
in this lower world And we do pray in Christ precious name. 
Amen