Christian Rules of Prayer

To true, Christian and salutary prayer it is requisite:

1. That a man lift up holy hands (II Tim. 2) and offer his devotions with a good conscience; for God does not hear sinners who are not repentant (John 9).
2. That a man pray in every time of trial and need; for, the greater our need the stronger is our prayer.  Therefore also God, in the 50th Psalm, says: “Call upon me in the day of trouble.”  (Always and everywhere there is sufficient provocation to prayer if one will but realize it).
3. That a man pray, cry and sigh from out of the depths of his heart, without hypocrisy, anger, complaint or doubt, even as Moses prayed upon the shore of the Red Sea.  Lip-service and mouth-work in which the heart participates not, is a vain service of God (Matt. 15).
4. That a man call upon the one, true and only God as He has revealed Himself at the River Jordan, as Christ teaches in the Gospel (John 16), and in the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6; Luke 11).
5. That a man plead the name, merit, blood, death and intercession of Christ for help, and the support of the Holy Ghost (John 4, and 14).
6. That a man pray with all boldness as Abraham prayed (Gen. 18); with a mighty faith, as the centurion prayed; without murmuring or impatience, continuing instant, as did the Canaanite woman; and with humility, as did Daniel (Dan. 9).
7. That a man persevere, as Sirach teaches, and set no limit or goal for God, as is said in Chapter 8 of the Book of Judith.*
8. He that will thus pray needs first of all to believe, that he is reconciled to God through His Son, and must base his pleas upon baptism† and the blood of Christ as well as upon God’s command and promise.  He must embrace the promise of Christ and the example of all the saints; and remember that God has frequently helped others before us (Ps. 22:34).

If prayer is to be rightly offered, all these things must be well observed and kept:

1. Holy hands and a good conscience.
2. Our need.
3. From the heart, without hypocrisy.
4. Calling upon the name of the One, Only God.
5. In the name of Jesus Christ, who is the soul of all prayer.
6. Boldly.
7. Preseveringly.
8. In faith.  Such prayer pervades heaven, as Sirach says; and makes our joy perfect, as Christ witnesses, John 16.  It attains help, gives comfort, joy, and a sure defense against all devils and evil men.

Wilhelm Loehe, Seed-grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians

* Historically, apocryphal works were bound with the canonical scriptures as useful though not authoritative.  After the mass production of Bibles began, the Apocrypha was omitted to reduce cost.  Citations were regularly used to give examples and bolster arguments.
† Remembering that at baptism one confesses being buried into death, in order that "we too might walk in newness of life" (Rom 6:4; see also Col 2:12), and he who has died has been set free from sin (Rom 6:7).