I have been working my way through the three volume work of William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour. It’s Gurnall’s meditation on Ephesians 6 and the armour of God. Here is what David Wilkerson (if you are not too young to remember that name) wrote in the preface: “A very godly friend gave me a copy of Christian in Complete Armour … At first I put the book aside. It was too long, too wordy, and written in 17-century English. Out of curiosity, I scanned the first twenty-five pages. That is all it took to bring me to my knees. Gurnall, the pious Puritan, had touched something deep within me. His were such probing, scorching, searing words that they shook my inner man. I devoured the entire book with great zeal.”
A modern version of this work has been published. Over the next few weeks, from time to time, I will share quotes from Gurnall’s work. I hope these quotes might be of encouragement and challenge to each of us. As well as serve as a way to convince some of the benefit of ploughing through the 900 pages!
“Secular reason sees a Christian on his knees and laughs at the feeble posture God’s child assumes as his enemies descend upon him. Only divine insight can perceive what mighty preparations are actually taking place. Yet just as an unarmed soldier cannot achieve the military exploits of a well-equipped infantryman, so the carnal Christian cannot hope to do the exploits for God which the committed Christian can expect through prayer. Prayer is the main line that leads straight to the throne of God. By it the Christian approaches God with a humble boldness of faith, takes hold of Him, wrestles with Him, and will not let Him go until he has His blessing.”
Filed under: Prayer, Spiritual Warfare |
Thoughts Along The Journey 
Contemplating that “feeble posture” reminds me of Bobby Clinton’s suggestion, in a field conference a long time ago, that SUFFERING could be called the seventh piece of spiritual armor.
Prayer is so often viewed as an ‘add on’ to work & ministry. So I appreciate Gurnall giving it is right and priority place.
Thanks, David, for sharing this quote from Gurnall’s writing.
I’ve been parked in the Upper Room Discourse (John 13-17) and was struck by the way Jesus reveals that we don’t need to “go through Him as a mediator” to pray to the Father, for the Father loves us and receives us into His presence because of His Son. Yet we are called upon to pray “in Jesus’ name.” I want to write up a short meditation based on how Abraham’s servant prayed to God about his task to go and find a wife for Isaac. Both in his intercession and worship, his words reflect his concern for God and his master in relationship. I think it sheds light on what it means to pray in Jesus’ name. Write more later on this.
Blessings,
Carl
Thanks Carl! Would love to read that short meditation once it is written. Stay tuned for more quotes from Gurnall!