A Guide to Prayer

To Isaac Watts, prayer was more than a duty required in the worship of God. It was 'the conversation which God allows us to maintain with himself above, while we are here below...in which the soul of a saint often gets near to God, experiences great delight and, as it were, dwells with his heavenly Father for a short time before he comes to heaven.' But Watts knew that most Christians need help in the use of this great privilege, so that our prayers should be both acceptable to God and 'a delightful and profitable exercise to our own souls and to those that join with us'. In this helpful and practical guide, Watts deals in turn with the nature of prayer, prayer viewed as a gift which can be developed, prayer as dependent on the fruits of divine grace, and the assistance of the Spirit of God in prayer. In his final chapter he brings forward several arguments to persuade all Christians to develop and use 'this holy skill of conversation with God'.

ISAAC WATTS (1674–1748) was born in Southampton, England. His father, a schoolmaster, was jailed twice for his non-conformist faith. Isaac loved to read and attended the free school in Southampton. He started learning Latin at the age of four. He attended Rev. Mr. Thomas Rowe’s Nonconformist Academy at Stoke Newington in London. He started writing poetry at fifteen. He became a preacher at 24, and remained in partnership with Samuel Price, an assistant and later joint pastor. He lived at Abney House with Sir Thomas and Lady Mary. He gave himself to preaching and writing his entire life. He was an industrious hymn writer who wrote over 600 hymns, among many other works.