Henry

Prayer and Teaching of the Disciples

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Acts 4:24-30 (NLT)
Then all the believers were united as they lifted their voices in prayer: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them–you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor King David, your servant, saying, `Why did the nations rage? Why did the people waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’ That is what has happened here in this city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. In fact, everything they did occurred according to your eternal will and plan. And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give your servants great boldness in their preaching. Send your healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

A Theme to Remember:
The Church more than ever needs profound convictions of the vast importance of prayer in prosecuting the work committed to it. More praying must be done and better praying if the Church shall be able to perform the difficult, delicate and responsible task given to it by her Lord and Master. Defeat awaits a non-praying Church. Success is sure to follow a Church given to much prayer. The supernatural element in the Church, without which it must fail, comes only through praying. More time, in this busy bustling age, must be given to prayer by a God-called Church. More thought must be given to prayer in this thoughtless, silly age of superficial religion. More heart and soul must be in the praying that is done if the Church would go forth in the strength of her Lord and perform the wonders which is her heritage by Divine promise. (Adapted from E.M. Bounds, The Necessity of Prayer)

Words to Remember:
When God is about to give His people the expected good, He pours out a Spirit of prayer, and it is a good sign that He is coming towards them in mercy.
¬–Matthew Henry

A Prayer of Petition

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2 Kings 20:1-3 (ESV)
In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.’”

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, “Now, O LORD, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

A Theme to Remember:
It would have been better if Hezekiah had accepted God’s pronouncement. God granted him another fifteen years of life, during which time his son Manasseh was born – a man whose wickedness was so great that he was called an “abomination before the Lord.” Do not be afraid to accept God’s decrees. While your human desires may be granted they will never be superior to God’s perfect plan.

Words to Remember:
He whose head is in heaven need not fear to put his feet into the grave.
–Matthew Henry

Henry, Matthew

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Matthew Henry (1662-1714) was a renowned Bible commentator. He was born in Wales and was educated under the tutelage of his father, a Nonconformist minister. Henry began his career as a jurist but, in 1687, he was ordained a Presbyterian minister and he abandoned the practice of law. He served a church in Chester, England near Liverpool for nearly 25 years. During this time he wrote his multi-volume Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, later renamed Matthew Henry’s Commentaries. His commentaries were unique and greatly influential in that they contained applicational and devotional material in addition to textual exposition.