The Prayers of the Church Required for the Conversion of Souls
Ezekiel 36:37-38
Thus said the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them…


This chapter is full of "exceeding great and precious promises." The text is associated with all these prophecies. Though God promises these blessings, and they are absolute blessings springing out of Divine grace and flowing from sovereign electing love to this people, yet He determined that for these blessings there should be prayer, and that not one of them should be communicated but through this channel. Two things God designs by this plan. The first is, to make the mercy we get, valuable. No man fancies a thing that comes without his care, without his concern, without his anxiety; hence, to render these mercies precious and valuable to us — as they are valuable in themselves, so also to make us account them so — God will have us ask for them. And next, we shall not only prize them more, but praise the Giver of them, when we have them in answer to prayer. Coming without prayer, we should be very apt to forget the hand that bestowed them; but coming immediately in answer to prayer, a song of gratitude naturally arises to God.

I. THE SUBJECT OF OUR PRAYERS. What is it to be? "I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them."

1. The conversion or sanctity of souls, human souls, to God.

2. Not only that souls should be converted and sanctified, but that numbers should be converted. Why are we to ask for this so especially?

(1)  God's promises warrant it. "All flesh," He says, "shall see the salvation of God."

(2)  God's Spirit can easily accomplish it. If these seem great things to ask, yet we are straitened in our own bowels, not in Him.

(3)  God's honour is advanced by it.

(4)  The Church is encouraged.

II. THE IMPEDIMENTS TO PRAYER.

1. The want of vigorous personal piety.

2. The power of unbelief.

3. Private sins. Sometimes these sins are personal; sometimes relative; sometimes social.

III. THE SUCCESS OF PRAYER. God then designs to do it for us. He ha made up His mind to the granting of the blessings. And here is our comfort — that no uncertainty exists when we ask Him to grant His blessings which He has promised.

1. It has been His practice to answer prayer in all generations of the Church.

2. He pledges His faithfulness and honour to hear and answer prayer.

3. Christ's fulness is to be received by prayer — is to be communicated through this channel.

(James Sherman.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.

WEB: Thus says the Lord Yahweh: For this, moreover, will I be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them: I will increase them with men like a flock.




The Necessity of Prayer
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