Belgic Confession Class, Vol XVII, Art. 26

6 classes plus a bonus disk on 7 CDs

For whom does Christ pray? Does he intercede against other people? What does He pray for us? Does He bow down on His knees in prayer for us? How does Christ’s intercession compare with and relate to the Holy Spirit’s intercession? How is all this of immense comfort to us?

(1) Introducing Christ’s Intercession (Heb. 7:17-28)
(2) Answering Rome’s Mistrust of Christ’s Intercession (Acts 14:1-18)
(3) The Character and Extent of Christ’s Intercession (John 11:32-46)
(4) More on the Extent of Christ’s Prayers (Ps. 22:1-21)
(5) The Content of Christ’s Intercession for Us (John 17:11-26)
(6) Christ’s Intercession: Errors and Mode (Heb. 12:18-29)
Bonus Disk: The Intercession of the Spirit (Rom. 8:26-27)

Prayer brings us into God’s sanctuary. True prayer has requirements and Jesus has given one model for all our prayers. Line by line, Hoeksema analyses, explains and applies the principles found in Jesus’ perfect model prayer. The reader is taught that prayer is given by the Spirit of God and that he must pray in a God-honouring way. The author stresses how prayer is thanksgiving to God, reflecting fellowship with our heavenly Father.

“I must know him, the only true God, in order to be able to pray at all. But I cannot know him out of myself, I cannot find him out … Only he can make known to me who he is, and what he is. Hence I must begin to let him speak to me before I can even begin to speak to him. This he does in his word, in the holy scriptures,” writes Rev. Hoeksema. As readers, we are compelled to exclaim, “Lord, so teach me always to pray in accordance with Thy will!”

“This book contains eleven expository sermons on the Lord’s Prayer, preached by Herman Hoeksema, the founding father of the Protestant Reformed Churches of America. These sermons were first preached as a series over the radio in the early 1940s and because of their popularity they were later published in book form. Let me quote a portion from the first petition in order to whet your spiritual appetite to want to read this book for yourselves. ‘Hallowed be thy name’ is concerned with the glory of God. Hoeksema writes, ‘We must not overlook this position: for it teaches us at once that the chief and only purpose of all things is the glory of God, and that the desire for the realisation of this purpose should be uppermost in our hearts and minds and should occupy, therefore, the first place in all our prayers’ (p. 37). Hoeksema also explains the spiritual disposition necessary in the heart of the believer in order to make these petitions, which makes these sermons also very devotional.” – Singapore

“When reading the treatment of the address, ‘Our Father which art in heaven,’ I could not believe how deep it is … absolutely amazing!” – Co. Antrim

“My daughter is loving the book. It has been an eye opener for both of us. She was saying that the way she feels about praying the Lord’s prayer is now completely different from before she read the book.” – Co. Antrim

REVIEW

IN THE SANCTUARY, Expository Sermons on the Lord’s Prayer, by Herman Hoeksema; Reformed Free Publishing Association, 1982; 116 pages (paperback). (Reviewed by Prof. H. Hanko).

Many of our readers will know that this book is a reprint of a book which first appeared in the Forties, but has long been out of print. It was published soon after Rev. Hoeksema delivered a series of radio sermons on this subject. The book is a published form of those radio messages. 

I wish that there was some way in which this book could be put in the home of every Christian family to be read and studied. I say this because the book speaks of prayer, and God’s people today are badly in need of instruction concerning prayer. Not only is this true because of the sorry corruptions of prayer which are so common in our day; nor is this true only because God’s people do not pray as much as they ought; but it is also true because prayer is a holy art, and God’s people themselves know how much they need to be instructed in it. This book is admirably suited to this purpose. 

The book has an introductory chapter on prayer and a chapter on the general principles of the Lord’s Prayer; these are followed by an exposition of the address, the six petitions, and the doxology with which the Lord’s prayer closes. It is an incisive exposition of each part in which the petition itself is explained and the spiritual disposition of the heart necessary to pray is set forth. Rev. Hoeksema, as all who knew him know, had the ability to make the profound clear, and the clear interesting and gripping. These things come through in this book. 

In expounding the Lord’s Prayer the author has the opportunity to discuss all the principles which underlie true prayer, to warn against evils in prayer, and to point out repeatedly the deepest truth that God is God. 

The book can be read as meditative readings, and this is indeed a thoroughly enjoyable way to read the book. But, more importantly, any child of God who takes seriously the petition, “Lord, teach us to pray. . .” must get this book. It will be an answer to his prayer.

How many Christians can confidently say that they have “mastered” the art of prayer?

Probably no one.

What is blessedly refreshing about Professor Hanko’s work, When You Pray, is his admission that none of us is good at prayer—including himself—yet over the years of one’s life, the author assures us, a person can make progress in praying.

Professor Hanko shares with his readers homely yet highly meaningful lessons he learned from growing up in a covenant family and covenantal church community. He also tells the specific benefits of praying to the sovereign God of the universe, who knows our sins and weaknesses but love us still. Valuable is the professor’s clear explanation of how God can be likened to the father of an earthly family, loving and caring for his own dear children.

An eye-opening and very helpful part of his book is the author’s pinpointing of misconceptions people have about God and prayer that bar them from praying in a God-honouring way.

Prayer that does not clash with Scripture is of prime importance for the author, whose sensitivity to scriptural truths has been honed in more than thirty years of study and teaching as professor of New Testament and church history in the Theological School of the Protestant Reformed Churches in America. Professor Hanko is a down-to-earth writer, one who very much feels with his readers the struggle that it sometimes is to take the time to engage in heartfelt, sincere prayer. His apt illustrations from everyday life make the underlying theology of prayer vividly understandable.

If you have found your devotional life to be frequently barren, reading what the author has learned the hard way—over fifty years in the ministry—will not discourage you further, but will give you a renewed desire to fellowship with your Father in prayer.

“This book helped me more than anything else I have heard or read on prayer.” – S. Wales

“I have a copy. Recommended reading.” – Philippines

“I’ve been benefitting from reading Prof. Hanko’s book on prayer at the minute [i.e., during the days of restrictions due to COVID-19].” – Co. Antrim

“Thank you so much for continuing to send me your C. R. News and the other supporting leaflets … I have just received my copy of When You Pray by Prof. Hanko—being a member of the Book Club—and have only just peered inside for a foretaste! The standard of the book’s format and binding is excellent (I do much prefer ‘hard cover’ productions!) and I am sure that its contents will be even greater. Please arrange to forward me a set of the tapes ‘Covenant with Adam’…” – South Wales

Click here to read a review of this book published in the Beacon Lights.

To watch the video of the author interview concerning this book, click here.