The Way of Prayer
A Sermon on Hebrews 10:19-22
Scripture
19Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21And having an high priest over the house of God; 22Let …
Sermon Description
What role does prayer play in the Christian life? Christians can be surprised by the amount of difficulties and trials they encounter. Perhaps when they trusted in Jesus for their salvation, they were under the impression that all the negative aspects of life would disappear. But there is hope. In this sermon on Hebrews 10:19–22 titled “The Way of Prayer,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims that Jesus promised that along with the increase in trials, His followers will have His power and protection to persevere through difficult times. The power and protection is accessed through prayer. This is found in the letter of Hebrews as an example to encourage believers to pray through trials. Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides three biblical characteristics that should be consistent in how Christians pray. First, they must pray with confidence in God’s ability to handle requests. Second, they must have a clear conscience since prayer is entering into God’s presence. Third, Christians must be sincere with God. It is no use holding back even one percent of themselves since they must be willing to submit all to Him and His sovereign plan. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones helps the believer apply these characteristics of godly prayer to their lives. The only way to stand firm in persecution is to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith.
Sermon Breakdown
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The sermon opens by expressing gratitude for the opportunity to preach the gospel. Dr. Lloyd-Jones acknowledges he is just a servant expounding on the truths of scripture.
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones reads from Hebrews 10:19-22 which deals with prayer and entering into God's presence.
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The sermon is directed at Hebrew Christians who have become discouraged and doubtful in their faith. Dr. Lloyd-Jones wants to encourage them in prayer.
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones asks if we realize the difficulties in prayer. Some teachings portray prayer as simple but the New Testament shows it is difficult.
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The first difficulty is "entering the holiest" - entering into God's presence. God is holy, just and righteous. How can we enter His presence?
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The second difficulty is "an evil conscience" which condemns us and reminds us of our sins. Our conscience accuses us before God.
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The third difficulty is "having our bodies washed with pure water" which represents the pollution of sin - our sinful nature. We are unclean before God.
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These difficulties seem to make prayer impossible. How can we overcome them? We need sincerity or a "true heart" but that is not enough.
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The solution is the "new and living way" which Jesus consecrated for us through His flesh. This is the incarnation and crucifixion of Christ.
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The incarnation - Jesus becoming flesh - is the foundation. The crucifixion - His broken body and shed blood - is the way of forgiveness. This is the heart of the gospel.
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This new and living way is adequate and sufficient. It solves all the problems - it allows us to face God, answers the law, silences our conscience and overcomes the devil's accusations.
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We can dwell in God's light through Christ's eternal love. The difficulties are real but overcome in Jesus. We must walk the new and living way, looking to Jesus.
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones closes in prayer, thanking God for His love in Christ and asking for enlightenment to see the new and living way. He prays grace and fellowship may continue with them.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Prayer
What are the main difficulties in prayer according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, there are three main difficulties in prayer: First, prayer means entering into "the holiest" - the very presence of the living God, which is a tremendous and awesome thing because God is "a consuming fire." Second, we face the problem of "an evil conscience" that condemns us and reminds us of our sins when we try to pray. Third, we struggle with "the pollution of sin" - not just the guilty acts we've committed but the corrupt nature within us that makes us desire sinful things in the first place.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast the "new and living way" with the old way of approaching God?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the old way was dependent upon human priests who aged and died, requiring constant replacement. It involved repeated animal sacrifices that only temporarily covered sin. In contrast, the "new and living way" is through Jesus Christ, who "continueth ever" and "hath an unchangeable priesthood." Christ's sacrifice was made once for all time. He calls it "living" because Christ "ever liveth to make intercession" for believers, unlike the old priesthood which was constantly changing due to death.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean by needing "a true heart" in prayer?
When Dr. Lloyd-Jones speaks of needing "a true heart" in prayer, he's referring to sincerity before God. He emphasizes that while "we can delude ourselves, we can fool others, but not God." He cites David's words that God "desires truth in the inward parts" and reminds listeners that we cannot hide anything from God, who sees all things "naked and opened." We cannot give God "99% and keep back 1%" - we must be completely honest, open, and sincere in our approach to prayer.
How does the incarnation of Christ relate to prayer according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes the incarnation as the essential "foundation" of the new way to approach God in prayer. He states, "The eternal Son of God, a body hast thou prepared me. He was made in the likeness of men. He was made in the likeness of sinful flesh." Lloyd-Jones explains that "man alone had failed in Adam. God alone can't represent us. You need both the God men the two natures in the one person." This incarnation was necessary but not sufficient - Christ came "in order to die" and make the way open through His sacrifice.
How does the blood of Jesus enable us to pray with boldness according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the blood of Jesus enables bold prayer because it addresses all the obstacles to approaching God. It answers God's holy law through Christ being "the end of the law for sin to everyone who believes." It silences our condemning conscience because "the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin." It defeats Satan's accusations because believers can "overcome him by the blood of the Lamb." Christ's substitutionary suffering and sacrifice provide the only way to God - "the direct way, the new way, the living way" - giving believers confidence to "enter into the holiest" with "full assurance of faith."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the proper attitude in prayer?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that we should pray "boldly, confidently assured, and with this absolute certainty of faith." He contrasts this with praying "doubtfully, not uncertainly, not hesitantly." At the same time, he cautions against approaching God with "an easy familiarity" stating we need "reverence and godly fear." He rejects the notion that prayer is simply "like breathing" or just "sitting in a comfortable chair to relax and listen to God." Rather, true prayer is entering God's presence with both confidence and reverence, knowing we come through Christ's mediation.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones address the accusations of Satan in the life of a praying Christian?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones acknowledges that Satan acts as "the accuser of the brethren" who "follows us everywhere and haunts us, and mocks us, and raises our past sins, and horrifies us." However, believers can answer Satan's accusations through "the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony." Lloyd-Jones quotes John Newton, encouraging believers to use Christ as "my shield and hiding place" where "I may my fierce accuser face and tell him thou hast died." The central message is that Satan cannot overcome the finished work of Christ on behalf of believers.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggest is the ultimate purpose of prayer?
Throughout the sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones indicates that the ultimate purpose of prayer is communion with God. He describes it as "entering into the presence of God" where we can "speak to God with confidence as his father, knowing that he's accepted, knowing that he's loved with an everlasting love." The goal is not merely getting things from God but enjoying relationship with Him. Prayer enables believers to "dwell with the eternal light through the eternal love" despite human limitation and sinfulness, which is possible only through Christ.
Itinerant Preaching
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.