What do you do when you struggle to pray?
Every Christian knows this struggle. We recognize our staggering privilege to address our holy God and to approach His throne of grace. Yet we struggle to remain consistent. Other priorities crowd in, our minds wander, and we do not know what to pray for (Rom. 8:26).
Even the disciples, who walked with the Lord Jesus Christ throughout His public ministry, needed to ask, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1).
When I need to regain focus in my prayer life, I find renewed direction by remembering the purpose and significance of prayer.
Ligonier’s founder, Dr. R.C. Sproul, emphasized the importance of prayer because he emphasized the character of God. He reminded us that prayer is more than a spiritual habit. It is worship. It is communion. And, in God’s providence, prayer is one of the primary means that the Lord uses to accomplish His purposes in the world.
R.C. said: “If we want to reach the world with the gospel, we must recover a vital understanding of the place and importance of prayer. If we are to live transformed lives and seek reformation in the church, we must begin with prayer.” This conviction drove Dr. Sproul’s teaching ministry, and it shapes the discipleship outreach of Ligonier today.
Your prayers and generosity are vital to the spread of the gospel and the support of the church. Thank you for extending a theological lifeline to help Christians know God deeply and live in grateful dependence upon Him. This month, when you give a donation to Ligonier, we’ll send you The Valley of Vision.
Dr. Sproul identified this book as a great aid to his own prayer life. I received a copy in my college years and return to it often. It is a treasured collection of written prayers from various Puritans, wise pastors and theologians who excelled at praying with both doctrinal precision and soul-penetrating depth.
These devotional prayers help us keep our eyes fixed on who God is. He is faithful. He is sovereign. He is holy. He is glorious. They model a way to approach the Lord with reverence and humility, resting our confidence in His steadfast grace. It is crucial for us to regain our focus in prayer, because the church’s vitality—as well as yours and mine—has always been tied to dependence on God.
By God’s grace, Ligonier strengthens the church’s reliance on the Lord by providing faithful Bible teaching that calls Christians to earnest prayer. Every day, we strive to advance the kingdom of God by proclaiming who He is—and He is worthy of our endless adoration. Everything we are and all we have depends on the Lord’s gracious provision. Thanks be to God, we can always draw near to His throne of grace with confidence because of Christ (Heb. 4:16).
Day by day, the Lord is using your support of Ligonier to equip His people and further His kingdom. As you serve alongside us through your generous giving, you make it possible to:
- Proclaim the holy character of God clearly on Renewing Your Mind, YouTube, the free Ligonier app, and many other digital platforms.
- Strengthen Christian discipleship by publishing new books, releasing video teaching series, and holding in-person teaching and training events.
- Equip Christian leaders worldwide by providing pastors, prison chaplains, and military chaplains with the teaching resources they need.
- Expand global church support and release additional teaching every week in the world’s 20 most-spoken languages.
- Mobilize Christians to pray for awakening and the spread of the gospel until Christ is glorified among every tribe, people, and nation.
None of this happens apart from prayer. Unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain (Ps. 127:1). Every outreach we undertake depends upon His blessing. Every door He opens is an answer to prayer (Col. 4:3). Every mind renewed and life transformed is the work of His grace alone.
That is why your partnership in the gospel matters so much. Our sovereign God uses means to accomplish His purposes. And in His providence, your prayers sustain the work of Ligonier, and your financial support extends it—placing trusted Bible teaching into the hands of Christians hungry to know God.
Give today to accelerate outreach, and you’ll receive a special gift edition of The Valley of Vision in the mail. I hope these biblically rich, God-centered prayers from our forefathers in the faith will encourage you to pray with worshipful reverence.
Additionally, we would be honored to pray for you. If you would like us to bring your request before the Lord, please contact the Ligonier team. You can email your prayer request to service@ligonier.org or call us at 800-435-4343.
Thank you for committing to pray for Ligonier and its kingdom work so that the church may be strengthened and the nations may rejoice in the Lord.
