Many Christians find private prayer a difficult duty, and thus they either totally neglect it, or are negligent in their performance of it. In ÒPrivate Prayer: A Christian DutyÓ, Puritan pastor Oliver Heywood illustrates the necessity of spending time in private prayer each day. Using Matthew 6:6 as his text (ÒBut when you pray, go into your room and shut the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.Ó), Heywood teaches how to cultivate a habit of daily prayer which is both refreshing and delightful. He reviews the time, place, and content appropriate for our private prayers, and answers several objections that are commonly used to excuse ourselves from praying regularlyÑincluding lack of time, cold-heartedness, wandering thoughts, and not knowing what to say. Several Scriptural instances of private prayer are explored, including the LordÕs Prayer and the mighty wrestling of Jacob in prayer (Genesis 32). Through this teaching, the believer will find resources and encouragement to help fulfill this beneficial obligation. ÒThy business is not with men, but with God; seek, therefore, to please and enjoy him. Nor yet art thou to fetch a compass and pray to saints and angels, but go straight to God in the name of Christ, and be sure thou look upon him as under the delightful relation of a tender Father, yea, Ò thy Father.Ó Oh, a sweet word, a blessed word, and such a word as we durst not have taken into our mouths had it not been for ChristÕs glorious undertaking to procure adoption for us, and his gracious encouragement in the prescribed form of prayer, and also for God the FatherÕs voluntary condescension. Come then, and fear not, poor disciple of Christ, come with filial affections, and the spirit of adoption, and thou art sure to speed, for this paternal relation imports affection, provision, condescension and compassion. If thou wilt be a child to him, he will be a Father to thee.Ó
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