Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	form_n	pray_v	set_a	5,316	5	11.1216	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57248	The saints desire, or, A cordiall for a fainting soule declaring that in Christs righteousnesse onely ... there is life, happiness, peace ... also the happy estate of a man in Christ ... / by Samuel Richardson.	Richardson, Samuel, fl. 1643-1658.	1647 (1647)	Wing R1413; ESTC R35326	159,266	436

him that our spirits may be composed and our whole man rightly disposed craving his strength to inable us to a right performing of this holy dutie In particular 1. For the person he must be accepted must be a Sonne Rom. 8. 15. Also all that pray ought to put away all wrath strife envie c. God esteems so highly of peace that he will have his service stay till it be accomplished Mark 11. 25. Mat. 5. 24. Therefore we should take heed that there be no such distempers found in us by him who knows our hearts for it will choake conscience and weaken our boldnesse with God If we regard iniquitie God will not heare our prayers Psal 66. 18. Such as love their sins God loatheth their prayers The prayer of the wicked is abomination to God God looks at the heart Christ saith When thou prayest forgive Such a forgive not others pray without life 2. Prize prayer have it in that esteeme which God puts upon it God hath honoured prayer so that every one that useth it is the better for it for every one that asketh receiveth Mat. 7. 8. 3. Set times apart for to pray and separate thy selfe to some place where thou maist be alone and out of the hearing of others if thou canst that so thou maist freely powre out thy soule to God without hypocrisie for a mans desire he will separate himselfe Pro. 18. 1. Christ chose a time before day early in the morning and one of the places he chose was a Wildernesse Mark 1. 35. Sometimes a mountaine and a garden and when that cannot be had he faith When thou prayest enter into thy Closet c. Wee should so pray and worship God as men set free from all other things So we need avoyd all occasions of hypocrisie Hypocrites stand in corners of the streets because they love to be seene of men 4. Before thou prayest spend a little time some thoughts concerning what God is and what may raise thy heart and incourage thee to draw neere to God Consider what be thy chiefe wants lets temptations corruptions also to consider the sutable promises of a supply fits the soule to pray also to consider what mercies we have received above others and what cause wee have to be thankfull to God 5. Prayer requires our ends to be holy and right placed as to injoy God and for grace to obey him and last and least of all for such things as chiefly concerne our selves as peace c. If the end be nought or good and not right placed we aske amisse Jam. 4. 6. Deny thy selfe and come empty headed hearted handed of all that is thy own that God and his grace may be all in all emptinesse raiseth our hearts in prayer 7. Mind thy own inabilitie to doe any thing that is spirituall and looke up to Christ by faith for strength eying his promise we are no more able to pray or doe any spirituall worke of our selves then to remove a mountaine at once 8. Consider God in his attributes that he is great gracious mercifull slow to anger c. and that he is so to thee and that he is neere thee yea present with thee all in God is ready to helpe his his ocean of grace cannot be exhausted spent his fountaine doth nothing decay though multitudes draw from it 9. When thou comest to God thinke thou canst not have too high thoughts of God nor too low ones of thy selfe Dust and ashes Gen. 18. 27. a worme corruption so Job Thou canst not set God high enough nor thy selfe low enough if we could see our own filth we should stinke worse then the filthiest carrion in our own nostrils 10. Come to God with a heart that is large chearfull by faith in assurance of person and prayer accepted hate suspitions and jealousies of God see Ps 65. 2. 7. 7. 4. 7. aske chearfully such as goe not chearfully to God know not what a God they go to say to thy soule Come O soule rejoyce be chearfull for thou art a going to thy God 11. Be abased under thy pride formalitie coldnesse dulnesse deadnesse and breake through all impediments to goe to God in prayer 12. Empty thy selfe of all distractions cares and clogs of spirit that thou maist be free when thou comest to God hold thy heart close to God in love zeale meeknesse c. 13. Observe fit times and seasons to goe to God in yet prefer that season wherein God and thy own heart sends thee to prayer before a set time imbrace it gladly and quickly so sweet a motion of the Spirit put it not by till another time I prevented the dawning of the morning and cryed Psal 119. 147. with Mark 1. 35. 14. Be sensible of others wants especially for such as are the Lords that you may pray with a feeling of their necessities 15. Pray for grace to stirre thee up to pray and fit thee with sutable matter sutable to the occasion either for the Church thy selfe or others and to enliven us in all abhorre forme and fashion pray not in print they are deadly enemies to spiritualnesse pray from an inward feeling and sensiblenesse of thy wants book-book-prayers is such a crutch as it makes them that use it quite lame we are not so much to looke to a set order of words as to a well ordered heart weak expressions in uprightnesse of heart the Lord likes well but if there be nothing but well framed sentences God abhorres them 16. Above all come to God in faith Rom. 10. 14. How shall they call on him on whom they have not beleeved see Heb. 11. 6. Jam. 1. 6. Mark 11. 24. This is the most spirituall grace to come to God with above all other no other save this can fasten upon a promise thou canst not see God without faith whatsoever thou needst beleeve that promise Every one that asketh receiveth Mat. 7. 8. Christs incense and odors of his sacrifice Rev. 8. 4. is for him that beleeves Faith gives force and life to prayer it troubles not Satan to make a thousand prayers full of teares if they be without faith according to our faith so is our prayer Rom. 8. 38. Faint faith faith prayers prayer without faith is but beating the ayre according to thy faith be it unto thee Consider Mat. 21. 22. All things are possible to him that beleeves Mark 9. 22. Let him aske in faith saith James nothing wavering that is in a certain assurance to be heard and that his request shall be granted Jam. 1. 6. 17. Read and meditate before prayer if time will permit for the better preparing our hearts thereunto The graces of the Spirit uprightnesse purenesse thankfulnesse integritie soundnesse of heart and the like these will inable inliven and fit thee to pray These well observed and God blessing them will fill thee with heavenly affection and rid thee of thy own inventions manner and ends c. Oh all yee sonnes and daughters of the