The Secret Key To Heaven Private Prayer

The power of religion and godliness lives, thrives, or dies, as closet prayer lives, thrives, or dies.' This was the deeply held conviction of Thomas Brooks, the author of this book. A pastor who knew his people well, he feared that many Christians do not understand the 'necessity, excellency, and usefulness' of private prayer, and live in 'too great a neglect of this indispensable duty.' Focusing on our Lord's words about 'closet-prayer' in Matthew 6:6, Brooks supplies us with a masterful treatment of a vitally important aspect of the Christian's life. His aim is intensely practical: 'to preserve and keep up the power of religion and godliness both in men's houses, hearts, and lives.

“Secret duties are the most soul-enriching duties," writes Brooks in this treatise on private prayer. "Look! as secret meals make fat bodies—so secret duties make fat souls. And as secret trades brings in great earthly riches, so secret prayers makes many rich in spiritual blessings and in heavenly riches. Private prayer is that secret key of heaven which unlocks all the treasures of glory to the soul. The best riches and the sweetest mercies, God usually gives to His people—when they are in their closets upon their knees. All the graces of the saints are enlivened, and nourished, and strengthened by the sweet secret influences which their souls fall under, when they are in their closet-communion with God. Certainly there are none so rich in gracious experiences, as those who are most exercised in closet duties. As the tender dew which falls in the silent night makes the grass and herbs and flowers to flourish and grow more abundantly than great showers of rain which fall in the day; so secret prayer will more abundantly cause the sweet herbs of grace and holiness to grow and flourish in the soul, than all those more open, public, and visible duties of religion, which too, too often, are mingled and mixed with the sun and wind of pride and hypocrisy.”

"The Secret Key to Heaven," a classic by noted Puritan author Thomas Brooks, is all about the benefits of private or "privy" prayer. Christians who are longing to know what the Bible says about prayer or how the Scriptures can lead into a deeper prayer life will undoubtedly be blessed by this book. Brooks leaves no stone unturned as he goes from passage after passage in the Bible to show the power that the believer has in prayer because of our God who answers prayer (Matthew 6:7-8; 7:7-11). Brooks covers a wide variety of prayer-related topics, beginning with a short study of who God is to under understanding how sin or a lack of faith can hinder prayer (Mark 11:22-24). Chock full of biblical teaching on prayer, this book will strength to the soul-not to mention encouraging readers to prayer longer and more. Overall, Thomas Brook's book is a solid one that is both practical (because it flows from Scripture not subjective experience) and stirs up your faith and a desire to pray (Romans 8:26-27). Every disciple of Jesus would benefit from reading this book on prayer. Thomas Brooks is an excellent author. His books speak deeply into the soul and spirit. The depth of his love of God and Jesus take the reader into a level of understanding prayer beyond the grasp of most authors. This is not a book to be read only once. A treasure of knowledge, it should be read and re-read-a "must read" for prayer warriors everywhere.

Private prayer - how can a Christian live without it? This may be a question very easy to answer to. How about this one: What can a Christian obtain by his prayers? Or, maybe, what can a Christian obtain by his private prayers when that Christian believes in a sovereign God, in a sovereign application of the providence of God? Puritan Thomas Brooks defines what private or closet prayer is, identifies its boundaries, and provides biblical answers to a mountain of questions and objections to private prayer and how a Christian can use it as a key to open the heaven, to obtain the answer from God. Private Prayer is not just another book on prayer, it has all the ingredients to rekindle your devotional life: sound doctrinal foundations, devotional warmth, Christ-centered content, and even Evangelistic thrust. This book has been originally published in 1665. Current edition has been proofread, typeset for eBook readers, and slightly updated for modern readers. About the author: Thomas Brooks (1608-1680) was an English non-conformist Puritan preacher and author. He wrote extensively and with a keen eye on devotional Christian life. Brooks died after over 40 years of Gospel ministry, in 1680.

Many Christians find private prayer a difficult duty, and thus they either totally neglect it, or are negligent in their performance of it. In Private Prayer: A Christian Duty, Puritan pastor Oliver Heywood illustrates the necessity of spending time in private prayer each day. Using Matthew 6:6 as his text (“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”), Heywood teaches how to cultivate a habit of daily prayer which is both refreshing and delightful. He reviews the time, place, and content appropriate for our private prayers, and answers several objections that are commonly used to excuse ourselves from praying regularly—including lack of time, cold-heartedness, wandering thoughts, and not knowing what to say. Several Scriptural instances of private prayer are explored, including the Lord’s Prayer and the mighty wrestling of Jacob in prayer (Genesis 32). Through this teaching, the believer will find resources and encouragement to help fulfill this beneficial obligation. Out-of-print for nearly two hundred years, this classic treatise has been carefully prepared for the benefit of a new generation of Christian readers. Even those not accustomed to Puritan works will find Heywood’s warm and engaging style both eminently useful and Christ-exalting.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.