Prayer, Character and Conduct

Out Soul Is As Healthy As Our Prayer Life

Quotes about prayer from John Bunyan, a Puritan

This morning, as is my practice, I begin my day by reading the scriptures, and other books, not in any necessary order. There always needs to be room to allow the Lord to lead. By the end of my time with God, I decided to write from E. M. Bounds, 'The Necessity of Prayer,' chapter 8, and the epistle from James. It was so valuable to me that I felt the necessity to share it with others. I will be quoting from both.

Prayer, Character and Conduct Understood

"Prayer governs conduct, and conduct makes character. Conduct is what we do; character is what we are. Character is the root of the tree, conduct is the fruit it bears. ...The very end and purpose of the atoning work of Christ is to create religious character and to make Christian conduct."

"who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." (Titus 2:14)

"In Christ's teaching, it is not simply works of charity and deeds of mercy upon which He insists, but inward spiritual character. This much is demanded, and nothing short of it, will suffice."

"In the study of Paul's Epistles, there is one thing which stands out, clearly and unmistakably--the insistence on holiness of heart, and righteousness of life. Paul does not seek, so much, to promote what is termed "personal work," nor is the leading theme of his letters deeds of charity. It is the condition of the human heart and the blamelessness of the personal life, which form the burden of the writings of Paul."

"The Christian religion deals with men who are devoid of spiritual character, and unholy in life, and aims so to change them, that they become holy in heart and righteous in life."

"And it is just here where prayer enters and demonstrates its wonderful power and fruit. ...without prayer, no such supernatural change in moral character can ever be effected. For the change from badness to goodness is not wrought "by works of righteousness which we have done," but according to God's mercy, which saves us "by the washing of regeneration." And this marvelous change is brought to pass through earnest, persistent, faithful prayer. Any alleged form of Christianity which does not effect this change in the hearts of men is a delusion and a snare."

"The church is presumed to be righteous, and should be engaged in turning men to righteousness. ...this is its very first business. Primarily, its work is not to acquire members, nor amass numbers, nor aim at money-getting, nor engage in deeds of charity and works of mercy, but to produce righteousness of character, and purity of the outward life."

A righteous church with a righteous purpose makes righteous men. Prayer produces cleanliness of heart and purity of life. It can produce nothing else. Unrighteous conduct is born of prayerlessness; the two go hand-in-hand. Prayer and sinning cannot keep company with each other. One or the other must, of necessity stop. Get men to pray, and they will quit sinning, because prayer creates a distaste for sinning, and so works upon the heart, that evil-doing becomes repugnant, and the entire nature is lifted to a reverent contemplation of high and holy things."

"Today, it is not so much our words as what we are that weighs with God. Conduct affects character, of course, and counts for much in our praying. At the same time, character affects conduct to a far greater extent and has a superior influence over prayer. ...Bad living means bad praying and, in the end, no praying at all. We pray feebly because we live feebly. The stream of prayer cannot rise higher than the fountain of living. And the weakness of living grows out of the shallowness and shoddiness of character."

"In primitive times, preachers were charged to preach by their lives, or not to preach at all. So today, Christians, everywhere, ought to be charged to pray by their lives or not to pray at all. The most effective preaching is not that which is heard from the pulpit, but that which is proclaimed quietly, humbly, and consistently; which exhibits its excellences in the home, and in the community. Example preaches a far more effective sermon than precept. The best preaching, even in the pulpit, is that which is fortified by godly living, in the preacher himself. The most effective work done by the pew is preceded by, and accompanied with, holiness of life, separation from the world, and severance from sin."

"Praying, which does not result in right thinking and right living, is a farce. We have missed the whole office of prayer if it fails to purge character and rectify conduct. Cold formal praying may exist side by side with bad conduct, but such praying, in the estimation of God, is no praying at all. Our prayers advance in power, just insofar as they rectify our lives. Growing in purity and devotion to God will be a more prayerful life."

Prayer, Character, and Conduct Understood Biblically

What I am about to say regarding James' letter could be said about all the New Testament writers. They were men who understood and practiced unity, and they were sinners just like us.

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4)

In the verses before us, as in all his chapters, the thing that is primary on James' mind and in his heart, an earthly brother of our Lord, is conformity to Christ. It is not surviving the trial but thriving so that our faith produces what our character needs, which is to be complete or perfect, so that we lack nothing. Nothing is what this world offers. Fame, prestige, wealth, a house, a motorized means of transportation, and on and on, all amount to nothing when we stand before Christ and give an answer for the lives we've led. We will be judged by the character of our hearts and the conduct of our lives. Where were our priorities? Keeping up with the Joneses!

James underscored the importance of faith, which E. M. Bounds underscores is the result of godly character, which produces godly conduct, and a clear and decisive separation from the world and its ways.

"But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, [being] a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; and the rich man [is to glory] in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away." (James 1:6-11)

Why a double-minded man? Because instead of placing God's kingdom first as we all should, we are so easily drawn away from Jesus to serve the idols of this present world system. He turns the world quite literally on its head when he says, "...the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation..." Why? The man who walks away from all the world can offer because of a love for Jesus Christ will reap rewards for ETERNITY. The rich man who gets rich to satisfy his lusts for this present evil world will fade in a day, just like the grass.

We can take this thinking through all five chapters because James never veers off course, as is the case with all the New Testament writers. The goal is a godly character that produces godly conduct, and a prayer life that grows and results in more godly character and conduct. Prayer, Character, and Conduct is what I hope and pray for my readers. Lord bless this day and for the rest of your earthly and eternal lives.