The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer – Andrew Murray

Resource Description

Author: Andrew Murray

Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1981 (originally published in 1897)

Likely you’ve heard the name Andrew Murray (1828-1917). Maybe you’ve even read a book or an article by him. Murray was a South African pastor, teacher, and missionary who wrote about fifty books. Though I don’t cross my theological “T”s and dot my theological “I”s exactly like Murray does, I certainly do admire this godly man and have learned much from him. Prayer and missions were the great passions of Murray. His desire was to train up an army of intercessors. In this book he speaks of the need of a large group of elderly believers to hold up in prayer those younger ones taking the gospel around the world. The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer contains much solid biblical teaching on prayer and also gives some practical advice on the subject. One of his chapters is on “Pray without Ceasing” in which he focuses on Ephesians 6:18-19,1 Timothy2:12, and James 5:16. In this chapter he asks the reader the question, “How can I learn it (prayer without ceasing)?”He replies with a simple, but powerful answer. “The best way of learning a thing is to do it. Begin by setting apart some time every day, say ten to fifteen minutes, in which you come to Him as an intercessor for others.”What helped me the most was the last appendix of the book which contains thirty-one sections, one for each day of the month, consisting of brief instruction on “what to pray” and “how to pray.” At the bottom of each page there is space to write what you have learned about intercession. For me it was a helpful discipline to write out my daily prayer and bring it before the Lord at the end of each of the thirty one days.“Enroll now in Andrew Murray’s school of intercessory prayer!”

HG