Purpose in Prayer

In Short

This work serves as a manual for the life of prayer, arguing that spiritual vigor in both the individual and the church depends entirely on the intensity and frequency of one’s communion with God. It moves beyond the idea of prayer as a mere duty, framing it instead as the essential, "deathless" energy that fuels every successful spiritual endeavor. Because the author grounds his appeal in historical accounts and scriptural examples, the work has remained a foundational text for those seeking to deepen their devotional life and understand the mechanics of intercession.

The Story

The book begins by establishing that prayer is the primary force in the Christian life, asserting that the success of the Gospel itself depends on the human ability to pray. The author argues that God, though possessing all wealth and glory, invites his people to "command" him through the vehicle of prayer. This isn't viewed as a fantasy or a dream, but as a sober, practical reality. The narrative trajectory moves from this theoretical foundation into the lives of biblical and historical figures to demonstrate that prayer is not just a plea for help, but a sovereign remedy for human limitation.

The text weaves together stories of deliverance—such as Jonah’s cry from the depths, Moses’s forty-day intercession for the people of Israel, and Hezekiah’s tears that added fifteen years to his life. These accounts are contrasted with the prayerless state of the spiritually bankrupt. The argument then transitions to the necessity of "importunity," or persistent, urgent, and unwearied repetition. Using the parable of the widow and the unjust judge, the author illustrates that God honors the persistence that refuses to let go.

Moving into the historical period, the book highlights John Wesley’s immediate, expectant prayer during a ship journey, which allegedly shifted the winds, and Sir Thomas Browne’s habit of turning every encounter—whether with a church, a home, or a person—into an opportunity for intercession. These examples serve as a bridge to the author’s central concern: the spiritual condition of the church. He contends that when prayer is absent, church leaders become worldly and secular. He challenges the reader with the examples of William Wilberforce and David Brainerd, who realized that their own spiritual coldness was a direct result of neglecting the closet of prayer.

The arc concludes by asserting that the "prayer-chamber" is the true test of a person’s relationship with God. It is not merely a place for confession, but a place of high communion and intense intercession. The author maintains that one must live for God outside the closet in order to meet God within it. He provides modern examples, such as the mission work of Hudson Taylor and the evangelism of D. L. Moody, to show that prayer transcends distance; a person praying in one part of the world can directly impact the spiritual harvest in another. The final message is one of urgent invitation: the Christian must cultivate a life where the spirit of prayer controls every action, ultimately leading to a spiritual revolution that mirrors the glory and power of the divine.

How It Unfolds

The foundation of power The book opens by defining prayer as the highest life and the only force to which God yields. It asserts that our spiritual resources are directly proportional to the amount of time we spend in earnest, secret communion with the Creator.

Biblical precedents The argument moves through the testimonies of figures like Jonah, Moses, and Hezekiah to show that God responds to the specific, impassioned cries of the faithful. These examples serve to prove that prayer has historically averted destruction and secured miraculous intervention.

The call to importunity The narrative emphasizes that God desires "importunate" pleaders—those who do not faint or grow weary in their requests. By analyzing the parable of the widow and the judge, the author illustrates that urgency and repetition are the distinguishing marks of successful, prevailing prayer.

The test of the closet The focus shifts to the personal discipline of the believer, identifying the private prayer-chamber as the gauge of one’s spiritual health. It argues that a "closed" prayer life inevitably leads to an impoverished soul and an ineffective ministry.

Global impact and resolution The final chapters demonstrate that prayer is not limited by geography, citing missionary accounts and evangelistic successes. The book concludes by challenging the reader to adopt a life of constant communion, promising that this "holy art" is the only path to spiritual authority.

The People

The book focuses on several key figures to represent different facets of the life of prayer. Moses serves as the ultimate model of intercessory grit; his forty-day fast and prayer struggle for the people of Israel demonstrate the weight and responsibility of a leader who stands between God’s anger and the people’s survival. John Wesley and Hudson Taylor represent the practical, expectant faith that trusts God to influence physical circumstances, such as the shifting of winds or the provision of funds. William Wilberforce and David Brainerd provide the most vulnerable portraits; they are the introspective men who recognize their own "leanness" and "coldness," ultimately deciding that the only solution to their spiritual decay is to allot more hours to private devotion. The Unjust Judge and The Widow appear as characters in a parable to show the stark contrast between a heart that does not care and a heart that will not stop asking. Finally, the modern church leader is the central subject of the author’s critique, depicted as one who is prone to worldly, material success but who, if transformed by prayer, can lead a spiritual revolution that makes the world "bloom as the garden of the Lord."

In Its Own Voice

"The prayer of faith is the only power in the universe to which the great Jehovah yields."

This statement, attributed to Robert Hall, summarizes the author's belief that prayer is the singular, sovereign mechanism for moving the hand of God.

"The Church, intent on the acquisition of temporal power, had well nigh abandoned its spiritual duties, and its empire, which rested on spiritual foundations, was crumbling with their decay."

This quote warns that institutional growth, when divorced from the discipline of prayer, inevitably leads to a hollow, crumbling organization.

"I have resolved to pray more and pray always, to pray in all places where quietness inviteth, in the house, on the highway and on the street; and to know no street or passage in this city that may not witness that I have not forgotten God."

The author uses this resolution from Sir Thomas Browne to illustrate the ideal of a life that is so saturated with prayer that every environment becomes a sanctuary.

What It's Really About

The central theme is that prayer is the primary work of the believer and the essential engine for any spiritual movement. The author argues that spiritual success is not a product of education, culture, or wealth, but of "prayerful praying." The questions underlying the text are: Why does the church lose its power? How does one maintain a vibrant, intimate relationship with the divine amidst the pressures of a busy life? And what is the actual, measurable impact of intercession on the world? The text suggests that the "secret" to influence is a radical, unyielding commitment to the private closet of prayer, which alone keeps a person from becoming "fleshly" or "materialized."

Why Read It Today

This book is best suited for those who feel their spiritual life has become "lean and cold" or who are interested in the historical perspective on Christian devotion. It is written with a sense of urgent, pastoral care that feels remarkably direct, even if its nineteenth-century rhetoric can feel formal to the modern ear. Readers will likely find the author’s insistence on prayer as a "business" or a "labor" to be a challenging departure from more casual, contemporary approaches to faith.

Be aware that the text reflects the period attitudes of a nineteenth-century minister; he is unapologetic in his demand for total, sacrificial devotion and uses an intense, sometimes somber tone. It is not a light, inspirational read meant for skimming; it is a serious, often grueling call to self-examination. However, for those who resonate with the author's conviction that the "prayer-chamber" is the most important room in a person's life, the book offers a profound and convicting map. It sticks with you because it refuses to let the reader off the hook, consistently pointing back to the "closet" as the only place where true strength is forged. If you are looking for a gentle, modern devotional, this is not it; if you are looking for a rigorous, old-school challenge to your spiritual habits, it is a classic of the genre.