bwaugh
This morning I sat down with my coffee and opened the daily email prayer by Matthew Henry (1662-1714) provided through the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals free daily service, “Pray the Bible: Matthew Henry’s ‘Method For Prayer’.” Even though Henry may be known only for his commentary on the whole Bible, his works include other subjects. In his Miscellaneous Works, London, 1830, subjects addressed include among others, “The Pleasantness of a Religious life,” “Reformation of Manners,” “On the Catechizing of Youth,” “Christs Favour to Children,” and “A Treatise on Baptism.” Today’s supplication struck me as especially timely, so I thought you might like to read it and contemplate the relevance of Henry’s composition for America today. All the prayers in the daily series are made up entirely of portions or summaries of Scripture passages. As emailed, the prayer includes the reference for each of its sentences to the King James Version of the Bible, which is the version Henry would have used.
To see the prayer as posted by the Alliance with references go HERE. If you prefer books over digital, A Method of Prayer, edited by J. Ligon Duncan, III, is available for purchase (there is an e-book too). A biography of Matthew Henry as a Presbyterian of the past is available on this site, “Matthew Henry, Presbyterian Minister and Bible Commentator.” More historical information about his A Method of Prayer is available on this site in the article, “Matthew Henry, A Method for Prayer.”
The header image shows the beam of a Tudor era building in Chester, England which pre-dates Matthew Henry’s time in the city. It is said that “God’s Providence is Mine Inheritance” was painted on the beam because the household survived a visitation of the plague. Plague, unfortunately, visited Europe often. For Daniel Defoe’s relevance to the Covid pandemic, see on Place for Truth, “Lord, Have Mercy on Us.” Henry was pastor of the church in Chester for twenty-five years before taking a call to the chapel in Hackney, London, for just two years before passing away in 1714.
Barry Waugh
Pray for the Continuance of your Nation’s Outward Peace & Tranquility Intercession 5.10 | KJV
For the continuance of my nation’s outward peace and tranquility, its liberty and plenty, for the prosperity of its trade, and a blessing upon the fruits of the earth.
Let God himself be a wall of fire round about us and the glory in the midst of us; yea, let his gospel be our glory, and upon all that glory let there be a defence; and create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night.
Peace be within our borders and prosperity within our palaces, the prosperity both of merchandise and husbandry, that Zebulun may rejoice in his going out and Issachar in his tents.
Appoint salvation to us for walls and bulwarks; and, in order to that, let the gates be opened, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.
Make our officers peace and our exactors righteousness; let violence never be heard in our gates, wasting or destruction in our borders, but let our walls be called Salvation and our gates Praise. Never let our land be termed Forsaken and Desolate, but let the Lord delight in us, and let our land be married to him.
Let our peace be as a river and, in order to that, our righteousness as the waves of the sea. Let that righteousness abound among us which exalteth a nation, and deliver us from sin, which is a reproach to any people.
Never make our heavens as brass and our earth as iron, nor take away thy corn in the season thereof and thy wine in the season thereof; but give us rain moderately, the former and the latter rain in due season, and reserve unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest, giving us fair weather also in its season. Let our land yield her increase and the trees their fruit, that we may eat bread and be full and dwell in our land safely.
Abundantly bless our provision and satisfy our poor with bread, that they which have gathered it may eat and praise the Lord. Blow not thou upon it, for then when we look for much, it will come to little; but bless our blessings, that all nations may call us blessed and a delightsome land.
[AMEN]
