If I could, I would get one small book into the hands of every Christian I come in contact with. It isn't one of the latest fad-driven books written by slickly packaged celebrity authors. It isn't going to be on some list of hottest books in America, with the author doing the rounds of the talk shows. Quite simply, this little book of only 67 pages is written so clearly, is so accurate in pointing to the primary problem we face in what passes for private and public Christianity today, is so helpful personally to me in making my way through the Christian life, that I want to share it with you.
This little book, as so many others have, arrived on my doorstep the other day from a dear friend who shares riches that she finds. Just as Elijah was fed by the ravens flying through the air to him when he needed it, God never stops encouraging me through the mail, sending spiritual food that contains exactly the right nutrients for the day.
The book is lightweight and small, unlike the subject matter. It is entitled, Do You Pray?, and it is written by JC Ryle. A summary:
JC Ryle was a faithful evangelical Christian and prolific writer as well as Bishop of Liverpool; his larger works such as Holiness and Practical Religion have never been out of print since they were written in the later nineteenth century. But Ryle also wrote shorter works that are of great value. In this new series these have been lightly updated and produced for the twenty-first century church. The needs that Ryle identified and that led him to write have not changed! Do You Pray? challenges all Christians in a day when prayer meetings are in decline and personal serious prayer is increasingly rare. Ryle's approach is simple and straight- forward and easily understood by both young and old. ~ www.epbooks.org
I won't attempt to give you points in this book. Suffice it to say, it is prayerlessness, so easy to fall into in our age of media distraction and all we do in our lives, that can be the beginning of spiritual disaster for all of us. Ryle is not referring to prayers over meals, prayers said by a pastor in church while we bow our heads, or other public praying. He is talking about our own personal prayer life, which shows own relationship with God. The spectacular crashes around us, morally and spiritually, in evangelical leadership and within even our own families, our own lives, are the direct result of prayerlessness and failure to seek God for ourselves. It is easy to maintain appearances for a while. In the long term? The truth comes out.
This book isn't a brow-beating attack on believers to slam them into repentance. It very simply states the facts about the importance of prayer, according to the Scriptures. This is not some personal hobby horse of Mr. Ryle. The truth is, words that make us uncomfortable in any way are often rejected in our whining culture of feelings over facts. The charge of "legalism!" is shouted often when anything requires us to self-assess. But sometimes facts, put forth in love, can save our lives, and that includes our spiritual lives.
The fact is, if we claimed a relationship with a spouse or other family member, or even a friend, but never spoke to them, never desired to speak to them, that "relationship" would be a lie. The same is true with God. We cannot walk through this world safely, following our Savior, if we don't seek help, comfort and guidance from Him. It really is that simple.
I love this little book so much that if anyone would like one and can't spend the money , please email me at ingridschlueter@protonmail.com. I will buy one for you. Fortunately, these are very inexpensive.
If you would like to find an online treasure trove of good books, Old Path treaures printed for today, stop by www.epbooks.org. You will NOT be disappointed, friends.
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