Deliverance through Prayer

No farness to which Israel had gone, no depth to which Israel had fallen, no chains however iron with which Israel was bound but that their cry to God easily spanned the distance, fathomed the depths, and broke the chains. It was the lesson they were ever learning and always forgetting, that prayer always brought God to their deliverance, and that there was nothing too hard for God to do for his people. ~E. M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer

Continuing in Prayer

The goal of prayer is the ear of God, a goal that can only be reached by patient and continued and continuous waiting upon Him, pouring out our heart to Him and permitting Him to speak to us. Only by so doing can we expect to know Him, and as we come to know Him better we shall spend more time in His presence and find that presence a constant and ever-increasing delight. ~E. M. Bounds

The Effort of Prayer

Spiritual work is taxing work, and men are loath to do it. Praying, true praying, costs an outlay of serious attention and of time, which flesh and blood do not relish. Few persons are made of such strong fiber that they will make a costly outlay when surface work will pass as well in the market. We can habituate ourselves to our beggarly praying until it looks as well to us, at least it keeps up a decent form and quiets conscience—the deadliest of opiates! ~E. M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer

Possibilities of Prayer

Never did the cause of God need perfect illustration of the possibilities of prayer more than in this age. No age, no person, will be examples of the gospel power except the ages or persons of deep and earnest prayer. A prayerless age will have but scant models of divine power. Prayerless hearts will never rise to these alpine heights. ~E. M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer

The Hidden Life of Prayer

To consecrate no place to prayer, is to make a beggarly showing, not only in praying, but in holy living, for secret prayer and holy living are so closely joined that they can never be severed. ~E. M. Bounds, The Weapon of Prayer


But all I care is simply to enforce this thought, that the hidden life, a life whose day are spent in communion with God, in trying to reach the source of power, is the life that moves the world. ~E. M. Bounds, The Weapon of Prayer

Prayer for Others

Intercession for others is the hallmark of all true prayer.  When prayer is confined to self and to the sphere of one’s personal needs, it dies by reason of its littleness, narrowness, and selfishness.  Prayer must be broad and unselfish or it will perish.  Prayer is the soul of a man stirred to plead with God for men.  ~E. M. Bounds, The Weapon of Prayer

E. M. Bounds on Prayer

To go through the motion of praying is a dull business, though not a hard one. To say prayers in a decent, delicate way is not heavy work. But to pray really, to pray till hell feels the ponderous stroke, to pray till the iron gates of difficulty are opened, till the mountains of obstacles are removed, till the mists are exhaled and the clouds are lifted, and the sunshine of a cloudless day brightens—this is hard work, but it is God’s work and man’s best labour. Never was the toil of hand, head and heart less spent in vain than when praying. It is hard to wait and press and pray, and hear no voice, but stay till God answers. The joy of answered prayer is the joy of a travailing mother when a man child is born in to the world, the joy of a slave whose chains have been burst asunder and to whom new life and liberty have just come.  ~E. M. Bounds, Purpose in Prayer

E. M. Bounds on Prayer

No man will pray long and continue in sin. Praying breaks up bad living, while bad living breaks down prayer. ~ E. M. Bounds, The Weapon of Prayer

Prayerlessness

A prayerless man handicaps the vigor and life of the whole system like a demoralized soldier is a
menace to the force of which he forms part, in the day of battle.  The absence of prayer lessens all of the life-forces of the soul, cripples faith, sets aside holy living, shuts out heaven.  ~E. M. Bounds, The Weapon of Prayer

E. M. Bounds on Prayer

Prayer is not a meaningless function or duty to be crowded into the busy or the weary ends of the day, and we are not obeying our Lord’s command when we content ourselves with a few minutes upon our knees in the morning rush or late at night when the faculties, tired with the tasks of the day, call out for rest. God is always within call, it is true; His ear is ever attentive to the cry of His child, but we can never get to know Him if we use the vehicle of prayer as we use the telephone—for a few words of hurried conversation. Intimacy requires development. We can never know God as it is our privilege to know Him, by brief and fragmentary and unconsidered repetitions of intercessions that are requests for personal favours and nothing more. That is not the way in which we can come into communication with heaven’s King. “The goal of prayer is the ear of God,” a goal that can only be reached by patient and continued and continuous waiting upon Him, pouring out our heart to Him and permitting Him to speak to us. Only by so doing can we expect to know Him, and as we come to know Him better we shall spend more time in His presence and find that presence a constant and ever-increasing delight. ~E. M. Bounds, Purpose in Prayer

Many great men have led and molded the church who have not been great in prayer, but they were great only in their plans, great for their opinions, great for their organization, great by natural gifts, by the force of genius of character.  However, they were not great for God. ~E. M. Bounds, The Weapon of Prayer

The Pray-er and the Prayer

Prayer is sensitive, and always affected by the character and conduct of him who prays.  Water cannot rise above its own level, and a spotless prayer cannot flow from a spotted heart.  Straight praying is never born of crooked conduct.  The men, what men are, behind their praying, gives character to their supplication.  The timid heart cannot do brave praying.  Soiled men cannot make clean, pure supplication.  ~E. M. Bounds, The Weapon of Prayer

For prayer is of transcendent importance. Prayer is the mightiest agent to advance God’s work. Praying hearts and hands only can do God’s work. Prayer succeeds when all else fails. Prayer has won great victories, and rescued, with notable triumph, God’s saints when every other hope was gone. Men who know how to pray are the greatest boon God can give to earth--they are the richest gift earth can offer heaven. Men who know how to use this weapon of prayer are God’s best soldiers. His mightiest leaders. ~E. M. Bounds, Purpose in Prayer

Only praying hearts will build God’s kingdom.  Only praying hands will put the crown on the Savior’s head.  ~E. M Bounds, The Reality of Prayer, 293

E. M. Bounds on Prayer - x3

The preaching which is most successful is that ministry which has much prayer in it.  Perhaps one might go so far as to say that is the only kind that is successful. ~E. M. Bounds, The Weapon of Prayer


Men who are brave, persistent, illustrious in other pursuits ought to be full of courage, unfainting, strong-hearted in prayer.  ~E. M. Bounds, Purpose in Prayer


The [prayer] closet is not an asylum for the indolent and worthless Christian. It is not a nursery where none but babes belong. It is the battlefield of the Church; its citadel; the scene of heroic and unearthly conflicts. The closet is the base of supplies for the Christian and the Church. Cut off from it there is nothing left but retreat and disaster. The energy for work, the mastery over self, the deliverance from fear, all spiritual results and graces, are much advanced by prayer. The difference between the strength, the experience, the holiness of Christians is found in the contrast in their praying. ~E. M. Bounds, Purpose in Prayer

Bounds on Prayer

It takes prayer to minister.  It takes life, the highest form of life, to minister.  Prayer is the highest intelligence, the profoundest wisdom, the most vital, the most joyous, the most efficacious, the most powerful of all vocations.  It is life, radiant, transporting, eternal life.  Away with dry forms, with dead, cold habits of prayer!  Away with sterile routine, with senseless performances, and petty playthings in prayer!  Let us get at the serious work, the chief business of men, that of prayer.  Let us work at it skillfully.  Let us seek to be adepts in this great work of praying.  Let us be master-workmen, in this high art of praying.  Let us be so in the habit of prayer, so devoted to prayer, so filled with its rich spices, so ardent by its holy flame, that all heaven and earth will be perfumed by its aroma, and nations yet in the womb will be blest by our prayers.  Heaven will be fuller and brighter in glorious inhabitants, earth will be better prepared for its bridal day, and hell robbed of many of its victims, because we have lived to pray.  ~E. M. Bounds, The Reality of Prayer, 233

Bounds on Prayer

When the church is in the condition of prayer God’s cause always flourishes and his kingdom on earth always triumphs.  When the church fails to pray, God’s cause decays and evil of every kind prevails.  In other words, God works through the prayers of his people, and when they fail him at this point, decline and deadness ensue.  It is according to the divine plans that spiritual prosperity comes through the prayer channel.  Praying saints are God’s agents for carrying on his saving and providential work on earth.  If his agents fail him, neglecting to pray, then his work fails.  Praying agents of the most high are always forerunners of spiritual prosperity.  ~E. M. Bounds, The Weapon of Prayer

Bounds on Prayer

Conformity means to “stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”  It means to delight to do God’s will, to run with eagerness and ardor to carry out his plans.  Conformity to God’s will involves submission, patient, loving, sweet submission.  But submission itself falls short of and does not include conformity.  We may be submissive but not conformed.  We may accept results against we have warred, and even be resigned to them.  ~E. M. Bounds, The Reality of Prayer

Bounds on Prayer

So ignorant are we in this matter of prayer, so impotent are all other teachers to impart its lessons to our understanding and heart, that the Holy Spirit comes as the infallible and all-wise teacher to instruct us in this divine art.  To pray with all your heart and all your strength, with the reason and the will, this is the greatest achievement of the Christian warfare on earth. This is what we are taught to do and enabled to do by the Holy Spirit.  If no man can say that Jesus is the Christ but by the Spirit’s help; for the much greater reason can no man pray save by the aid of God’s Spirit.  ~E. M. Bounds, The Reality of Prayer, 288

Bounds on Prayer

The forces of good and evil are contending for the world.  If we would, we could add to the conquering power of the army of righteousness, and yet our lips are sealed, our hands hang listlessly by our side, and we jeopardize the very cause in which we profess to be deeply interested by holding back form the prayer chamber.  ~E. M. Bounds, Purpose in Prayer