Andrew Murray (1828-1917) was born in South Africa, the son of Dutch Reform Church missionaries sent to South Africa from Scotland. He studied theology at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands and became a missionary in South Africa himself.
"Here was a Man...destined to become one of the best loved and most widely read writers on the deeper Christian life. In his eighty-eight years he wrote about 240 books and tracts which were published in fifteen languages....who worked for spiritual renewal within the established church and who reaped the results of his prayers and labors in a deep moving of the Holy Spirit not only in his parish, country, and generation, but even to the present day through his writings."
Choy, Leona. Andrew Murray the Authorized Biography. (CLC Publications: Fort Washington, PA. 2000).
One of my favorite books in my personal library is Andrew Murray's With Christ in the School of Prayer published by Whitaker House New Kensington, PA, 1981. He was a minister, who believed in prayer, as do I, and his book is a classic! He taught much on how to pray!
1. Alone With God: Our prayers may be in silence before our God. "All we have to do is entrust our lives on earth to God when we are in secret and alone with Him....Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask Him." (26, 27).
2. The Model Prayer: This is the Lord's Prayer. "We thank you for these living blessed words You have given us....And we will bring our needs, our sins, and our temptations to Him in the confidence that the love of such a Father cares for all." (36, 37).
3. The Certain Answer to Prayer: Our Lord proclaims He will answer our petitions. However, we must have a clean heart by having confessed our sins and forgiven all others. I have found the answer is yes, no, or wait.
4. The Boldness of God's Friends: "There is a twofold use of prayer: one is to obtain strength and blessing for own lives. The other is the higher and true glory of prayer...on behalf of others....Teach me to know the power of persevering prayer." (61, 66).
5. Prayer Provides Laborers: "...(we) must cry to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers....need of laborers in the fields of the world, so ripe for the harvest." (67, 69). We are members of the team needed for evangelism.
6. Prayer Must Be Specific: "Our prayers must be a distinct expression of definite need, not a vague appeal to His mercy or an indefinite cry for blessing." (74).
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