“My name is Stephen Walton, and I am the Rector of St Mary’s Whitewell, Wales, where Matthew Henry was born and grew up (it would have been known as Iscoyd at his time). I thought that you would like to know that the gospel that Matthew and Philip Henry preached is still preached in Whitewell, and that I use “A Method for Prayer” to help me prepare services. I would like to think that my ministry here is partly an answer to his prayers for his home. Unfortunately, the church building Matthew Henry would have known fell down in the 19th century. However, there are still several families around who are descended from MH. One still lives on the site of the house where he was born, and another owns his family Bible — possibly the one he had in front of him as he was writing his commentary. If any of your readers are in the UK, you are welcome to come and visit us.”
Yours in Christ,
Stephen Walton,
The Vicarage, Church Lane, Marbury, SY13 4LN [01949 663758]
“When a tool that has helped teach Christians to pray with biblical fidelity and spiritual integrity, across a span of three centuries, is being distributed again and in fresh ways, thoughtful believers can only applaud and give thanks to God for the grace that has brought forth this fruit.”
D. A. Carson,
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School,
Deerfield, Illinois
“The great and nearly unique benefit of Henry’s “Method for Prayer” is that it flows so directly from the biblical text. His approach enables the believer not only to read the Bible and study the Bible, but also to pray the Bible.”
Philip Ryken,
Tenth Presbyterian Church,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“Prayer is an amazing privilege, but it’s also a discipline for which we need direction and instruction. Like a trellis, Henry’s Method for Prayer helps us to grow up in a Godward direction, not only to think more biblically, but to pray more biblically as well.”
Michael Horton,
Westminster Seminary California
“Who of us hasn’t had trouble with prayer at some time or another? And here is a God-sent solution: Matthew Henry’s A Method for Prayer. This book is worth its weight in gold (platinum?). No one utilizing this book can fail to profit from it.”
Derek W. H. Thomas,
Reformed Theological Seminary,
Jackson, Mississippi
“Whether the reader is looking for a guide to public prayer or an encouragement to private prayer, Henry’s work is a key text, drawing the mind again and again to Scripture as it seeks to shape our prayer life by the forms and priorities of God’s own revelation of Himself.”
Carl Trueman,
Westminster Theological Seminary,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“It’s good to see this classic on prayer in an accessible edition. Ligon Duncan has done brilliant work, adapting Matthew Henry for twenty-first century readers without sacrificing any of the depth and devotional value of the original Puritan work.”
John MacArthur,
Grace Community Church,
Sun Valley, California
“Being made in the image of God, prayer is intuitive; but effective and prevailing prayer must be learned. I have never met any believer who was satisfied with their prayer life. Therefore with the Apostles we cry out, “Teach us to pray.” Matthew Henry’s A Method for Prayer is perhaps an unparalleled asset for all of us who need to learn to pray so that when we ask we ask “rightly.” Enjoy this providentially provided instrument through Matthew Henry, a choice servant of God.”
Harry Reeder,
Briarwood Presbyterian Church,
Birmingham, Alabama
“Matthew Henry towers above the centuries as the undisputed king of devotional commentators, the premier verse-by-verse expositor of the English language. He is a treasured gift to the church, who speaks to all generations in all places. To sit at his feet is to be served a rich banquet. To study his Method for Prayer is to drink from a deep artesian well. Wise is the one who plunges themselves into this storehouse of truth.”
Stephen J. Lawson,
Christ Fellowship Baptist Church,
Mobile, Alabama
“Matthew Henry’s Method for Prayer is a classic resource for learning how to pray according to biblical priorities, and for being re-inspired to pray with a heart for God’s purposes. The work is timeless because Henry’s words are so resonant with the heavenly themes that enable us to face earthly trials.”
Bryan Chapell,
Covenant Theological Seminary
“Our Sovereign Lord communed with the Father in prayer. His disciples wisely asked, ‘Teach us to pray.’ And that request has been answered through the centuries both through the word of God and through the example of praying saints. Matthew Henry’s A Method of Prayer is itself an answer to prayer, an answer to the request, ‘Teach us to pray.’ Henry’s life and ministry make it clear that he was a man of prayer. And through this website, his example is still helping the church.”
Thabiti Anaybwile,
First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman,
Cayman Islands
“‘A golden thread of heart prayer must run through the web of the whole Christian life…’ So writes one of the most insightful and practical divines, the great Presbyterian Puritan pastor, Matthew Henry. Many rightfully associate this great pastor with his commentary. But in A Method for Prayer, Henry weaves the ‘golden thread’ of prayer into the daily life of the believer in a way that is not only convicting, through his many faithful admonitions concerning prayer, and convincing, as he shows the careful reader how such piety may become biography through prayer, but also practical, as he guides the believer into the ways of such weaving. The end result is life changing. It has been in my life. And you will never make a wiser investment of books than A Method for Prayer. I am thankful for its publication and join in the prayer that many in our day will find the joys that await those who not only discover this method, but embrace it as a way of life.”
Michael A. Milton,
Reformed Theological Seminary,
Charlotte, North Carolina
“Matthew Henry’s A Method for Prayer is not simply a classic book in prayer. It is a marvelously relevant tool for assisting believers in shaping their prayers before God. I have found great help in Henry’s method, but even more help in his passion for encouraging his readers in bringing their hearts to the God whose steadfast love has been manifested in Jesus. Highly recommended!”
Sean Michael Lucas,
First Presbyterian Church,
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
“Matthew Henry’s A Method for Prayer is both a compendium on the subject of Prayer and a comprehensive manual for praying. J. I. Packer refers to us moderns as spiritual midgets standing on the shoulders of the Puritan giants. Here is an opportunity to be hoisted up on the prayer shoulders of one of England’s great divines. Ligon first gave me a copy of A Method for Prayer back in 1994 when we served together at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Mississippi, and when Christian Focus Publishers reprinted Lig’s edition from Academic Press. I have been enriched by this volume for fifteen years of pastoral ministry, and have given a copy to all elders and deacons in the churches I have served as part of their officer training. I recommend this fine encyclopedia on prayer to all who desire, as I do, to enter within the veil through Christ, our Great Intercessor. And I am most grateful for Ligon’s creative energies in the launching of this project online.”
Mike Ross,
Christ Covenant Church,
Matthews, North Carolina
“There is much to indicate that the most serious need for the church today is a return to prayer, corporate and private. It was not men in the past who changed communities and nations, but the prayer-hearing God. Matthew Henry’s book is a valuable practical aid in addressing our deep need.”
Iain H. Murray,
Banner of Truth
“This is a classic work on prayer, which will stimulate and guide believers in the practice most urgently needed in the church today — regular, biblical, personal business with God.”
Iain D. Campbell,
Minister,
Point Free Church of Scotland, Lewis
“Prayer is the breath of the believer’s heart. It is a delight, a duty, and a discipline in which we desperately need the aid of godly pastors such as Matthew Henry. For more than a decade, A Method for Prayer has sat beside my desk where I can feed upon its timeless sustenance as it instructs me and bids me to gaze upon our Lord and feed upon His Word in public and private prayer.”
Burk Parsons,
Editor of Tabletalk Magazine
“If I were to recommend one book for those who are to lead in public prayer, this would be it. Can we pray ‘according to Scripture’? Two hundred astonishing pages into Matthew Henry’s A Method for Prayer and you will realize the answer is an emphatic YES! Henry’s Method, which is really just traditional Protestant public prayer, will revolutionize the prayer life of any individual or congregation that studies it.”
Terry Johnson,
Independent Presbyterian Church,
Savannah, Georgia
“My three greatest influences on the practice of prayer are Thomas Cranmer, Samuel Miller’s Thoughts on Public Prayer, and Matthew Henry’s Method for Prayer. How wonderful that this priceless resource is updated, and back in print.”
T. David Gordon,
Grove City College,
Grove City, Pennsylvania
“As his commentaries taught me as a young man to apply the Scriptures pastorally, so Henry’s Method has helped me to pray pastorally.”
George Robertson,
First Presbyterian Church,
Augusta, Georgia
“Let’s be honest, entering into Matthew Henry’s A Method of Prayer is like entering into a new world for many of us. He encourages us to let the very words and thoughts of Scripture become the very words and thoughts of our prayers. While this may appear ‘inauthentic’ prayer for some — and it can become so if treated in a dispassionate way — such an approach to prayer can also open up worlds for us as we find ourselves entering anew into the story of Scripture, the story of redemption, and the story of God. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is our God, and there is great wisdom in Henry’s method of letting His revelation shape our cries, our petitions, our comforts. This is a book not so much to ‘read,’ but to ‘pray,’ as you soon find out when you enter into Henry’s world of A Method for Prayer.”
Kelly M. Kapic,
Covenant College,
Lookout Mountain, Georgia
“Henry’s A Method for Prayer is the most profitable resource for enhancing your prayer life outside of Scripture. How wonderful that this classic resource has been made even more useful in an online, interactive format. Your personal and congregational prayer life will be deepened and strengthened by incorporating Henry’s deep insight. I recommend it wholeheartedly.”
Kenneth A. Pierce,
Trinity Presbyterian Church,
Jackson, Mississippi
“This is a most welcome development. Ligon Duncan and others have taken Matthew Henry’s classic Method for Prayer, updated the language (including the ESV instead of KJV) and put the whole thing online for free. … I highly recommend checking it out and bookmarking it! There are few other resources as helpful for learning how to pray God’s Word back to him.”
Justin Taylor,
Managing Editor,
ESV Study Bible, Editor, Crossway Books
“Matthew Henry’s A Method for Prayer has been a gift to the church for three centuries. It’s exciting to see this work of theologically informed Christian practice, which I’ve enthusiastically recommended to so many people, made available to a broader audience. This tool will bolster the ministry of pastors as they mentor church leaders and congregations in the disciplines of private and corporate prayer.”
Matthew Pinson,
President,
Free Will Baptist Bible College
“In 1994 Christian Focus Publications released a newly edited version of Matthew Henry’s A Method for Prayer (original edition appeared in 1712). Former professor and constant friend, Ligon Duncan, served as editor. A Method for Prayer has assisted and encouraged me over the last fifteen years in both private and public prayer. It has helped me pray with greater Scriptural proportion and brought my prayers into greater conformity to the priorities and the very language of God’s Word. Now Henry’s A Method for Prayer is available online, together with a number of resources. Take and read…and above all, PRAY!”
Phillip Palmertree,
First Presbyterian Church,
Kosciusko, MS
“Dr. Ligon Duncan, Dan Arnold, and the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals have collaborated to launch a new website dedicated to making Matthew Henry’s classic treatise A Method for Prayer more accessible to 21st century readers. The text is based on the 1994 edition prepared by Dr. Duncan and employs ESV Bible language references, although other versions such as the KJV are to be incorporated into the text in the future, and foreign translations of this work are anticipated as well. There are also options to read the text in corporate (“we”) or personal (“I”) language as well depending upon one’s preference. One may sign up for daily Method for Prayer emails as well. These and other features are available or planned. All in all, this is a valuable new resource for those striving to improve upon their prayers employing the wisdom contained within this Puritan classic on the subject. Thanks for all concerned for their labors in this noble work. Be sure to visit this worthy website!”
R. Andrew Myers,
Editor,
The Matthew Poole Project
“Matthew Henry sets out a specific plan for prayer — a reminder that prayer should be ordered and not haphazard and the Lord’s prayer is a pattern to which we ought to pay more attention…good biblical teaching which, if followed and worked at, would enrich both private and public prayer.”
Evangelical Times
“This is an reprint of an old classic Matthew Henry of Commentary Fame. It is two books in one…For Henry, as for other puritan nonconformists, prayer was not simply a Sunday activity. He presupposes the earnest Christian would engage in public prayer, private prayer and family prayer. He regrets that it is to spend so many hour in sleep! The value of this publication is shown by the fact that it has required three editions in recent years. “
British Churchman Newspaper
“Reading this book elicited a twofold response, ranging from a sense of guilt and shame as it exposed many shortcomings in this important duty, to inculcating an earnest desire for fervency, and to add considerably to the petitions normally brought before God. This book is highly recommended”
Monthly Record
“Ligon Duncan’s editorial work has given this valuable book a new lease of life.”
Banner of Truth
