Prayerfulness

Pastor Martin opens up another dimension of Christ's prophetic office: not only does Christ bring His Word to the outer ear through inspired Scripture and faithful preachers, He also exercises an inward, sovereign ministry by which He opens the eyes of the heart so that men and women savingly perceive the beauty and power of the truth. From Luke 24, the Emmaus account, Lydia in Acts 16, and 1 John 5:20, he demonstrates that Christ alone gives this understanding, and then draws out three practical implications: a spirit of dependence (expressed in prayerfulness), a spirit of fear lest we sever the inward work from the written Word, and a spirit of gratitude when Christ does open our eyes.