(1st,) When he complains of the wickedness, hardness and perverseness of his heart; in this case God has promised, in Ezek. xi. 19. ‘I will put a new spirit within you, and I will take the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you an heart of flesh.’ And, in Jer. xxiii. 29. ‘Is not my word like a fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces.’
(2d,) When a believer is sensible of his ignorance, or, at least, that his knowledge of divine truths bears no proportion to the means of grace, which he has been favoured with, and that he is often destitute of spiritual wisdom, to direct his way, and carry him through the difficulties he often meets with, as to what concerns his temporal or spiritual affairs: There are promises suited to this case, in Prov. ii. 3-6. ‘If thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her, as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord; and find the knowledge of God.’ And in James i. 5. ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.’
(3d,) If they complain of the weakness of their memories, that they cannot retain the truths of God when they hear them; Christ has promised, in John xiv. 26. that the Holy Ghost shall teach them all things, and bring all things to their remembrance.
(4th,) If they complain of their unthankfulness, or that they have not hearts disposed to praise God for the mercies they receive, he has promised, in Isa. 21. This people have I formed for myself, they shall shew forth my praise. And, in Psal. cxl. 14. Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name, the upright shall dwell in thy presence.
(5th,) There are many who are not altogether destitute of hope that they have the truth of grace, but yet are filled with trouble, as apprehending that they do not make those advances, in grace, as they ought, but seem to be at a stand, which they can reckon little other than going backward, and they dread the consequences thereof; such may take encouragement from those promises that respect a believer’s growing in grace; as it is said, in John viii. 7. Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end shall greatly increase. And, in Isa. xl. 29, 31. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might, he increaseth strength. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. And if they complain of their unprofitableness under the means of grace, and not receiving any spiritual advantage by the various dispensations of providence which they are under; there is a promise adapted to this case, in Isa. xlviii. 17. Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer, the holy One of Israel, I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
(6th) Are they afraid that they shall fall away after having made a long profession of religion? There is a promise which our Saviour himself took encouragement from, though never liable to any fear of this nature, which a believer may apply to himself, as affording relief against these fears and discouragements, in Psal. xvi. 8. ‘I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.’ And there is another which is more directly applicable to this case, in 1 Cor. i. 8. ‘Who shall also confirm you unto the end that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ And if he is fallen, and, at the same time, afraid that he shall never be able to rise again, and recover what he has lost, there is another promise in Psal. xxxvi. 24, 28. ‘Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. The Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints:’ And God also says, in Heb. xiii. 5. ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’
(7th,) If a believer be under divine desertion, which he may be, and yet kept from apostacy; if he is mourning after the Lord, and earnestly desiring that he would return to him; he may take encouragement from that promise in Psal. xlii. 5. ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul; and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.’ And, in Jer. xxxi. 13, 14. ‘Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: For I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord.’
(8th,) Is he cast down under a sense of the guilt of sin, and afraid of the punishment that will ensue? there are many promises in the word of God that respect the forgiveness of sin, in Psal. ciii. 3. ‘Who forgiveth all thine iniquities: who healeth all thy diseases.’ And, in Psal. cxxx. 4. ‘There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayst be feared.’ And, in Isa. xliii. 25. ‘I, even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.’
(9th,) Is a believer afraid of the last enemy, death, by reason of the fear whereof he is all his life-time subject to bondage: Heb. ii. 15. and Psal. xlviii. 14. ‘This God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even unto death.’ And, in Psal. xxiii. 4. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ And, in Psal. xxxvii. 37. ‘Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace.’ Thus we have considered the promises of God as suited to every condition, and, consequently, as affording matter of encouragement to us in drawing nigh to him in prayer.
5. Those reproofs for sins committed, and threatenings which are contained in the word of God, as a means to deter from committing them, may be improved for our direction in prayer.