Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 27 October, 2019
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering …” (Col. 3:12)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
The Christian’s Acceptable Prayer [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Psalm 116
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 45
I. The Necessity of Prayer
II. The Requisites of Prayer
Psalms: 34:1-9; 118:15-21; 143:5-11; 116:1-4, 9-14
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Practical Christianity (5)
The Origin and Goal of Temptation [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Matthew 4:1-11
Text: James 1:13-15
I. The External Tempter
II. The Internal Tinder
III. The Death Cycle
Psalms: 122:1-9; 118:22-28; 58:1-6; 36:5-11
For CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services, contact Stephen Murray
If you desire a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Stewart or the elders
CPRC Website: www.cprc.co.uk • Live Webcast: www.cprc.co.uk/live-streaming
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quotes to Consider
Herman Hanko on James 1:14: “When a believer succumbs to the enticement of temptation, whether in his thoughts or in fact, he does not lose his status as a believer, for there can be no falling away from and loss of faith. Even when he sins, he hates his sin. Paul described this anomaly in Romans 7:20: ‘Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.’ That unwillingness to sin (even if the believer commits the sin) is the work of grace that brings him to the cross seeking forgiveness and pardon, thus conquering sin through the cross of Jesus Christ” (Faith Made Perfect, p. 43).
Matthew Henry on James 1:14: “In other scriptures the devil is called the tempter, and other things may sometimes concur to tempt us; but neither the devil nor any other person or thing is to be blamed so as to excuse ourselves; for the true original of evil and temptation is in our own hearts. The combustible matter is in us, though the flame may be blown up by some outward causes.”
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
We welcome all our visitors to our worship services today. May we be blessed together under the preaching of the Word.
Everyone is welcome to stay for tea after the evening service today. Tea rota: Group C.
Monday catechism classes:
5:30 PM – Angelica, Bradley, Josh, Samuel & Taylor (Seniors NT)
6:15 PM – Corey & Katelyn (Juniors OT)
7:00 PM – Alex, Jacob & Nathan (Essentials)
Tuesday Bible Study meets at 11 AM. We will continue our discussion on the subject of faith.
Belgic Confession class meets this week at 7:45 to consider the question, Do unbelievers partake of Christ at the Lord’s Supper?
Men’s Bible Study meets this Saturday at 8 PM at the Kennedys to study Acts 15:1-35.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s Day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Bruinsma is entitled “Miriam’s Lamentable Fall” (Num. 12).
Offerings: General Fund: £756.
PRC News: Immanuel PRC (Lacombe, AB) has formed a trio of Revs. Barnhill, Bleyenberg and VanderWal. Rev. Jon Mahtani has received the call to be minister-on-loan to the CERC in Singapore. Unity PRC, daughter congregation of Byron Center PRC, will be organized this Wednesday; this will be the 34th congregation in the PRC. By God’s grace, the Sioux Falls School Society recently approved a motion to move forward with starting a grade school (beginning with grades K-4) for the 2020-2021 school year.
Family Prayer
by Rev. Garry Eriks
(an excerpt from an article in the Standard Bearer, volume 81, issue 17)
… One of the great blessings in our covenant homes is the time our families gather for daily family worship. Before the meal, a prayer is offered to God, thanking Him for the food and for His care for the family throughout the day. After the evening meal, often with one of the young children on his lap, father reads a passage of Scripture, leads the family in a discussion of the truth found in that passage, and finishes by calling the children to fold their hands and bow their heads in prayer. The home in which this worship is the highlight experiences rich blessings from God.
A necessary element of this family worship is habitual, sincere family prayer. How is your family prayer life? Do you find that your prayers after the evening meal become repetitions that mean nothing? Is prayer rushed so that you can attend other activities? Do you fathers give much thought to what you pray, or is your prayer offered with a lick and a promise? It is important for us to be recommitted in our homes to faithful family prayer because of the many threats to this aspect of our family worship.
When believers and their children pray together, they fellowship with Jehovah by speaking to Him. In this family prayer, the head of the home usually leads the family to the throne of grace to praise and thank their heavenly Father for His many blessings, to confess the sins of the home, and to request what they need for body and soul. What distinguishes family prayer from personal prayer and congregational prayer is that those who are part of a family, living in the same home, come to the throne of grace. The one who leads in prayer brings the entire family before God. This is what makes family prayer especially difficult for the one who leads. He must put words in the mouths of his family so that what he prays is their prayer.
Family prayer is vital for the spiritual health of the covenant family. What breathing is to our earthly lives, prayer is to our spiritual lives. This is not only true for us individually, but this is true for us in our family life. Prayer is the backbone of a spiritually healthy family. A family that does not pray will be spiritually weak. A family that regularly seeks the throne of grace in the right way will be spiritually strong.
God’s Word demands such family prayer. God’s Word does not simply provide a good suggestion. The call to family prayer does not simply come to your home highly recommended by me and other office-bearers. Clearly God urges family prayer upon His children. We do not find specific passages that demand this family prayer. Nevertheless, we find this calling by putting together different passages concerning prayer and family worship. Jesus says in Luke 21:36, “Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Romans 12:12 says, “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.” In I Thessalonians 5:17, God commands us, “Pray without ceasing.” Jesus Himself demands prayer. This demand is carried out partly in family prayer.
Family prayer has been the long-standing practice established by God Himself. It began soon after the fall when God’s people began to worship Him publicly, which we read in Genesis 4:26: “then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.” This is in the context of Jehovah providing the covenant seed of Seth instead of Abel. And to Seth Jehovah gave the son Enos. Adam and Eve and their children and their children’s children prayed to and worshiped Jehovah, as a family. Another example of family worship and prayer is found in Joshua 24:15, when Joshua vows, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” We can be sure Joshua’s confession included family prayer. In the New Testament, we read concerning Cornelius, a Roman captain, that he was “a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always” (Acts 10:2). From these many examples it is clear that God demands family prayer.
God calls the head of the home, husband and father, to lead the family in prayer. This does not mean fathers are the only ones who may lead the family in prayer. When father cannot be present, the mother leads the children in prayer. In fact, it is good for mothers to lead the children in prayer at breakfast or lunch when father is not present. At other times, father may have one of the children lead in prayer. In our home, one of the children often leads in prayer before the meal so that they learn how to pray. The head of the home is called to oversee family prayer …
Let us beware of the many attempts of Satan to disrupt family prayer. Probably the most common excuse for not conducting regular family worship and praying is that we are too busy. We read a passage of Scripture with our families. We explain that passage. But then we take a look at the clock and we have to leave in a few minutes. The game will be on soon. If any element gets the short end of the stick, it is prayer. Not enough time was left for prayer, so we rush. Satan loves it when this happens.
Satan also uses sin to disrupt family prayer. Instead of a dinner of herbs where love is, our mealtime can turn into a time of quarrelling and yelling. Often this is because Dad or Mom had a bad day and they are crabby. Their bad mood infects the children also, so that the time of fellowship is ruined. Satan baits us to disrupt our prayer life. How can we pray to God rightly when we have just been yelling and fighting?
Family prayer must be characterized by urgency and sincerity. Our family prayers must be wholehearted. Fathers, does this characterize your prayers? Do your prayers consist of the same words every night? Do you just try to squeeze prayer in at the end of supper before you sit down in front of the television or read the newspaper? Or do you sweat and labour in prayer? Speaking to God in prayer is hard work. Jesus warns against vain repetitions in Matthew 6:7: “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” Jehovah God is not pleased with vain repetitions. This is why we should not be content simply to pray the Lord’s Prayer every night as the main family prayer. It is the perfect prayer. But there is the danger that those words mean nothing after awhile. In our family prayers, we must choose our words carefully because we lead our family in speaking to the Holy God. God is not pleased with an abundance of words.
Our prayers with our families will be sincere when we know our need to pray. We need to pray to give thanks to God. Pray in the consciousness of the amazing covenant grace of God. God is so good in the line of generations. He provides covenant children and covenant parents. He has delivered us and our children from our sins in Jesus Christ. God is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. In prayer, we must thank and praise God because He is our Saviour, Redeemer, and Rock.
Our prayers will be sincere and living when we pray knowing our need for His grace and Holy Spirit (Lord’s Day 45). Family prayer is the time to pray for the spiritual needs of the family … Family prayer must be conducted because God demands it, but also because we need it!
