Men Ought Always to Pray

Driving home: this is a unique portion of Scripture in that the key to understanding it hangs on the door itself.

An old commentator's analogy that the key to understanding this unique parable 'hangs on the door itself' highlights the explicit statement of purpose in Luke 18:1.

This parable of our Lord is unique in that it's the only parable in which the purpose of the parable is explicitly stated and the interpretation of the parable is explicitly given. In some parables there is a preceding statement indicating the intent of the parable, but you're left to the general rules of how to handle parables for an interpretation. Other parables are given, then the interpretation is given, but the specific purpose for which the parable is given is not before us. As one old commentator said,

1:53 - 2:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that persistent prayer is essential for spiritual preservation in a hostile environment.

The vexation of Lot's righteous soul in Sodom is used as an analogy for believers living in a hostile, sensual, and materialistic generation, emphasizing the need for prayer as a spiritual weapon.

The biblical writers tell us that Lot's righteous soul was vexed, was vexed, was vexed, was vexed, was vexed from day to day with the filthy conversation of the wicked. What weapon has God given to us living in a generation that is fast becoming marked by the very things that have already inundated our brethren in Britain? And I would say we're probably only about five at the most ten years behind, brother. As I try to expose myself to the mass media and these things in both countries, I'd say we're about five to ten years behind.

7:50 - 8:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Feel your conscience bound to the necessity and duty of constancy and fervency in prayer, especially for spiritual preservation.

Peter's denial and the disciples' fleeing are presented as the evident fruit of their prayerlessness in Gethsemane, illustrating how neglecting prayer leads to spiritual weakness and failure.

And if you neglect the means, the weakness will conquer. And that's precisely what happened. Peter's denial from the human perspective, the fleeing of the others, was the evident fruit of the prayerlessness in Gethsemane. Now the denial was open and manifest to all, but the roots of the denial were known only to the Lord who had withdrawn himself with them a stone's throw.

13:35 - 14:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Be stirred up to pray due to the hostile environment of the world, which is antithetical to spiritual perspectives.

A hymn writer's question is quoted to underscore the world's inherent hostility to a life of prayer, driving believers to God in desperation.

The hymn writer was right when he asked the question, is this vile world a friend of grace to help me on to God? When did you ever find anything in the world system when you are in direct contact with it that stirred you up to prayer? Except it was the realization of how absolutely antithetical everything in that system was to your own spiritual perspectives and in desperation it drove you to God. In that sense, it may help us on to God.

15:30 - 16:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Resist the opposition from the devil, who hates praying saints and seeks to make prayer the first spiritual discipline relinquished.

Martin recounts reading a book that preposterously attributes every evil manifestation in believers to dozens of named demons, using it to caution against an unhealthy preoccupation with the demonic while still acknowledging the devil's reality.

My friend, we must not descend to the tragic position that many are descending to. I read a book this week that reflects it in which they find some direct satanic, some direct demonic activity in every single manifestation of evil, even in a believer. This book had some preposterous things to say about believers being indwelt with dozens of demons and they had them all named and categorized and all the rest ridiculous stuff in which there's this total, total preoccupation with the demonic and the devil just loves it when he gets such attention. And I would resist to death any such inclination,...

18:20 - 19:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Let the word 'men ought always to pray and not to faint' hang you up every time you rationalize your way out of persistent prayer.

The path from prayer to prayerlessness is described as being 'paved with the blocks of rationalization,' illustrating how subtle excuses lead believers away from persistent prayer.

And the opposition of the enemy is such that it's only this sense of oughtness that will block up the way by which we can we continually move out of the path of prayerlessness by rationalization. The way out of prayer into prayerlessness. The way out of prayer, not out of prayerlessness. Out of prayer into prayerlessness is a path paved with the blocks of rationalization.

19:44 - 20:08 Read in full sermon

The point: Let the word 'men ought always to pray and not to faint' hang you up every time you rationalize your way out of persistent prayer.

John Owen's principle that the more an activity shrivels remaining corruption, the more violent the opposition to it, is quoted to explain why indwelling sin violently opposes persistent prayer.

Romans 7 21 when I would do good evil is present with me. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these two are contrary the one to the other and as John Owen has so masterfully stated in his exposition of that text in what is now volume 6 of his complete works the principle that you've heard frequently from this pulpit but I hope it's one of the things that will finally get through to us and that's why I repeat it. Owen points out that the more calculated any activity is to shrivel remaining corruption the more violent is the opposition of our corruption to t...

20:57 - 21:40 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin details the two main characters of the parable: the unrighteous judge, characterized by total impiety and gracelessness, who acts only out of selfish annoyance; and the…

The widow's persistent coming is described as her becoming 'a thorn in the side of his own carnal delights,' vividly illustrating how her unwearying presence finally moved the judge.

None of that moved him. He was utterly without any compassion any response but he says just to get her off my back a totally selfish response. Verse 5 Yet because this widow troubles me I will have to venture lest she wear me out and you'll notice in the marginal reading of the 1901 lest she bruise me by her continual coming. And if you can't read that and have your imagination conjure up the image of what our Lord is saying you just are totally lacking in sanctified imagination.

27:18 - 27:53 Read in full sermon

Driving home: may I say it reverently God's problem is not that he stops his ears to the cries of his children is that they are so often open and he hears no cries

Anthropomorphizing God, Martin states that God's problem is not stopping His ears, but that 'they are so often open and he hears no cries,' highlighting the prayerlessness of His people.

the scripture says his ears are ever open to the cry of the righteous you see the contrast the judge probably the first few days stopped his ears stuck cotton in his ears took some earplugs that he used when he swam in his backyard pool and stuck them in his ears he only listened when it was the last resort what is the picture the bible gives of God when it anthropomorphizes God it gives him physical human characteristics it says the ears of the Lord are open to the cry of the righteous may I say it reverently God's problem is not that he stops his ears to the cries of his children is that the...

30:51 - 31:35 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The core lesson is a contrast between the unrighteous judge and God. God is holy, loving, and bound to His elect by everlasting love, with ears always open to their desperate…

The widow's relentless pursuit of the judge, even changing her schedule to catch him, illustrates the 'day and night' crying of the elect, showing their constant sense of dependence and need.

you sense this man these men are laying out something of the struggles of the soul and deep answers unto deep and you sense you're living in the same world of spiritual reality and comfort they cry and they cry day and night in other words they have not conveniently regulated their lives so that their sense of need is something limited to their formal prayer times that's the emphasis this woman needed to be avenged of her adversary any time she could get the judge's ear she was going to hound him she looked out her window and sees coming home from a late appointment she'd go out there and both...

41:13 - 41:58 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin addresses the sobering question of Luke 18:8: 'Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?' He interprets 'the faith' as adherence to God's…

The story of the man in the iron cage from Pilgrim's Progress, who fell into despair after he 'left off to watch and to pray,' illustrates the tragic consequences of prayerlessness and spiritual declension.

day and night nevertheless when the son of man cometh shall he find thee faith in the earth you remember that man in the iron cage I don't refer to him often when referring to Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress because there's some of you dear sensitive souls that are constantly using that as a mirror of yourself and there's no grounds to John Bunyan was a wise pastor and he did have a man in an iron cage who's in a state of despair and when he was asked who are you his answer was I am not now what I once was well Christian says what were you at one time he says I once was a fair and flourishing

45:22 - 46:07 Read in full sermon

The point: Resist the temptation from the devil to hurry, shorten, become careless about, or omit prayers altogether, as this undermines the soul.

Bishop Ryle's words are quoted to identify the secret inclination to hurry, shorten, or omit prayers as a direct temptation from the devil, urging resistance and perseverance in prayer.

is to despise what under God prayer brings to us namely supplies of grace to persevere against the world the flesh and the devil I want to quote from old Bishop Ryle who had such great spiritual wisdom on so many things do we ever feel a secret inclination to hurry our prayers or shorten our prayers or become careless about our prayers or omit our prayers altogether and to that question you must answer what do you ever feel a secret inclination to hurry your prayers your conscience won't let you totally omit them

50:52 - 51:37 Read in full sermon

The point: As members of the assembly, be faithful to the stated meetings for prayer and worship, resisting the temptation to slacken corporate prayers.

The Wednesday night prayer meeting is described as becoming 'the Cinderella of this assembly' if neglected, signifying its undervalued status and warning that its decline marks the beginning of 'Ichabod' for the church.

time to pray on Wednesday nights will begin to be the Cinderella of this assembly the moment it does the first letter of Ichabod is being written on the front door of that place not the full name the glory has departed but the first letter is being written the first letter of Ichabod is written when there is a subtle absorption of the attitude well I can slacken my prayers with the people of God you who are members of this assembly have solemnly committed yourselves to be faithful to the stated meetings for prayer and worship which are very few

53:18 - 54:02 Read in full sermon