Episodes

As we work on our website, we forge ahead with our coverage of John Charles Ryle’s tract, “A Call to Prayer.” His genius of organization and expression was remarkable in his day and is even more so in ours. He makes the point that is ever been evident when he says: “I ask whether you pray, because diligence in prayer is the secret of eminent holiness: Without controversy there is a vast difference among true Christians. There is an immense interval between the foremost and the hindermost in ...

October Surprise 2022: "A Call to Prayer." Day 31 October 31, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's Ryle's treatise on prayer. Well, we made it! Day 31 of our October Surprise (no need to look at the calendar!) J.C. Ryle once again encourages us to pray. "What more can a man want to lead him to take any step in religion than the things I have just told him about prayer? What more could be done to make the path to the mercy seat easy and to remove all occasions of stumbling from the sinner's way? S...

Our mentor for October has been encouraging us through the roles of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He moved to the promises and the power of prayer. Today, he asks, what more can be said in the way of encouragement? ""What more can a man want to lead him to take any step in religion, than the things I have just told him about prayer? What more could be done to make the path to the mercy seat easy, and to remove all occasions of stumbling from the sinner's way? Surely if the devils in hell ...

October 29, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's treatise on prayer. J.C. Ryle encourages us to seek the God of the impossible and gives us a litany of achievements of prayer. For clarity of focus: “There are wonderful examples in Scripture of the power of prayer. Nothing seems to be too great, too hard, or too difficult for prayer to do. It has obtained things that “seemed impossible and out of reach.” “Well might Mary Queen of Scots say, “I fear John Knox’s prayers more than an army of ten thous...

October 28, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's treatise on Prayer. J.C. Ryle covers the exceedingly great promises from the word of God to encourage our prayers J.C. Ryle “There are exceeding great and precious promises to those who pray. What did the Lord Jesus mean when he spoke such words as these: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it sha...

October 27, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's treatise on Prayer. We have the sweet savor from our Redeemer, and added to that is our comforter assessing our groaning too deep for words and praying for us while He comes along side us, helping form our words lifted to the Father. Romans 8:26-27 And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the h...

October 25, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's treatise on Prayer. Our prayers are mingled with our Advocate's and made a “sweet savor.” Romans 8:33-34 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. “There is an Advocate and Intercessor always waiting to present the prayers of those who come to God through him. That a...

October 25, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's treatise on Prayer. Our introduction is shortened again, and we have several announcements that may interest you. Thank you for listening. Bishop Ryle’s first encouragement: "I cannot see your heart. I do not know your private history in spiritual things. But from what I see in the Bible and in the world I am certain I cannot ask you a more necessary question than that before you—Do you pray? I ask whether you pray, because prayer is an act in relig...

October 24, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's treatise on Prayer. Our introduction is shortened again, and we have several announcements that may interest you. Thank you for listening. J.C. Ryle: "I believe there are tens of thousands whose prayers are nothing but a mere form, a set of words repeated by rote, without a thought about their meaning. Some say over a few hasty sentences picked up in the nursery when they were children. Some content themselves with repeating the Creed, forgetting th...

October 23, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's treatise on Prayer. Our introduction is shortened again, and we have several announcements that may interest you. Thank you for listening. A clarion call from J.C. Ryle: "We live in days of abounding religious profession. There are more places of public worship now than there ever were before. There are more persons attending them than there ever were before. And yet in spite of all this public religion, I believe there is a vast neglect of private p...

October 22, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's treatise on Prayer. We truncated our introduction for the last half of our October episodes. Our shorter introduction ends at the 3:18 mark if you would like to skip to that mark. This way, you have less to wade through. "Do you wish to find out whether you are a true Christian? Then rest assured that my question is of the very first importance—Do you pray?" "I ask whether you pray, because there is no duty in religion so neglected as private prayer....

October 21, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's treatise on Prayer. We truncated our introduction for the last half of our October episodes. Our shorter introduction ends at the 3:18 mark if you would like to skip to that mark. This way, you have less to wade through. "Never be surprised if you hear ministers of the gospel dwelling much on the importance of prayer. This is the point we want to bring you to; we want to know that you pray. Your views of doctrine may be correct. Your love of Protestan...

dOctober 20, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's treatise on Prayer. We truncated our introduction for the last half of our October episodes. Our shorter introduction ends at the 3:18 mark if you would like to skip to that mark. This way, you have less to wade through. A pastor's heart: "A real, hearty prayer, coming from a broken and contrite spirit, is worth all these things put together. I know that the Holy Spirit, who calls sinners from their evil ways, does in many instances lead them by ve...

October 18, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's treatise on Prayer. We truncated our introduction for the last half of our October episodes. Our shorter introduction ends at the 3:18 mark if you would like to skip to that mark. This way, you have less to wade through. Today we concentrate on Ryle’s remarkable insight that although many live so, their piety is seen by others… “But a man seldom goes into his closet, and pours out his soul before God in secret, unless he is in earnest.” Only a man i...

October 17, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's treatise on Prayer. We truncated our introduction for the last half of our October episodes. Our shorter introduction ends at the 3:18 mark if you would like to skip to that mark. This way, you have less to wade through. Our current mentor, J.C. Ryle, wrote: "And I say, furthermore, that of all the evidences of the real work of the Spirit, a habit of hearty private prayer is one of the most satisfactory that can be named. A man may preach from false...

October 16, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's treatise on Prayer. We truncated our introduction for the last half of our October episodes. Our shorter introduction ends at the 3:18 mark if you would like to skip to that mark. This way, you have less to wade through. JC Ryle describes true and mature Christians as broken by our sins, lovers of God, brought to our knees in gratitude for our redemption, longing to be like Him in holiness, and impatient for eternity with our Savior. Genuine affectio...

October 15, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's treatise on Prayer. We truncated our introduction for the last half of our October episodes. Our shorter introduction ends at the 3:18 mark if you would like to skip to that mark. This way, you have less to wade through. But this I do say, that not praying is a clear proof that a man is not yet a true Christian. He cannot really feel his sins. He cannot love God. He cannot feel himself a debtor to Christ. He cannot long after holiness. He cannot desir...

October 14, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's treatise on Prayer. We truncated our introduction for the last half of our October episodes. Our shorter introduction ends at the 3:18 mark if you would like to skip to that mark. This way, you have less to wade through. “I do not deny that a man may pray without heart and without sincerity. I do not for a moment pretend to say that the mere fact of a person’s praying proves is everything about his soul. As in every other part of religion, so also in ...

October 13, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's treatise on Prayer. We truncated our introduction for the last half of our October episodes. Our shorter introduction ends at the 3:18 mark if you would like to skip to that mark. This way, you have less to wade through. "True Christian." Reading authors from the past, we need to read carefully for context. I believe the Puritans use the phrase "true Christians" often for those mature in the faith. JC Ryle does consider spiritual growth. "I do not d...

October 12, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle's treatise on Prayer. We truncated our introduction for the last half of our October episodes. Our shorter introduction ends at the 3:18 mark if you would like to skip to that mark. This way, you have less to wade through. In my zeal for the moving call for our intimate relationship with the Savior, I missed that it began with a prayer. In my defense, Jesus says God's truths are revealed to babes. This is descriptive of your host. Did you know your re...

October 11, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle’s treatise on Prayer. The extended introduction for our October episodes ends at the 7:20 mark, and while there is some benefit (I believe) in listening to it again, if you would like, you can fast forward to that mark and begin the episode. John Charles Ryle (JC) writes: “I study the reports of missionary societies in our own times. I see with joy that heathen men and women are receiving the gospel in various parts of the globe. There are conversions ...

October 10, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle’s treatise on Prayer. The extended introduction for our October episodes ends at the 7:20 mark, and while there is some benefit (I believe) in listening to it again, if you would like, you can fast forward to that mark and begin the episode. From here, we get back to our look at “A Call to Prayer,” but before we return, we look at the most emotional call, in my considered opinion, of our relationship with the God of our salvation. Jesus in tears, cries...

October 9, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle’s treatise on Prayer. The extended introduction for our October episodes ends at the 7:20 mark, and while there is some benefit (I believe) in listening to it again, if you would like, you can fast forward to that mark and begin the episode. I had a professor in college who used to stop from time to time and quip, “If I could get this concept into Fred’s head, I’d have it in a nutshell.” So it is no surprise that it took me this long to realize Deuteron...

October 8, 2022 - Inspired by J.C. Ryle’s treatise on Prayer. The extended introduction for our October episodes ends at the 7:20 mark, and while there is some benefit (I believe) in listening to it again, if you would like, you can fast forward to that mark and begin the episode. Quicken your conscience with the Holiness of God. Feed your mind with the Word of God. Purge your imagination with the Beauty of God. Open your heart with the Love of God. Devote your will to the Purpose of God. ...