A Diary of Private Prayer

This collection of private prayers has wondrously opened to me the Scripture: Matthew 22:36-38: To get the context of verses 36-38, more verses are quoted in this Message Bible translation: 34 When the Pharisees heard how he had bested the Sadducees, they gathered their forces for an assault. 35 One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: 36 "Teacher, which command in God's Law is the most important?" 37 Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' 38 This is the most important, the first on any list. 39 But there is a second to set alongside it: "Love others as well as you love yourself.' 40 These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them." In Baillie's diary, much of the prayer content has to do with confession of sin. I now realize my confession of sin has been unwittingly perfunctory. 1 John 1.9 (KJV) reads: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." In a sense and until I studied Baillie's Diary of Private Prayer, I have confessed my sins so that I might be forgiven - period. In Baillie's prayers, it seems his sin confessions were a direct outflow of his abounding love for God. Now, when I confess my sins -even as I read the confessions in A Diary of Private Prayer - I consciously realize the "First Cause." Now my overriding motivation is an outflow of my love for God and not just a desire to gain forgiveness. I am grateful for that insight.

If you are on the staff (or volunteer) at a church or nonprofit ministry, this review might also be a gentle reminder about the kingdom power of thank you gifts. This powerful devotional book is a perfect gift to encourage your team members in their walk with God. John Baillie (1886 - 1960) understood servant leadership when he prayed, "I would hold myself in readiness today for Thy least word of command. Give me the spirit, I pray Thee, to keep myself in continual training for the punctual fulfillment of Thy most holy will." THE PERPETUAL POWER OF A PERFECT GIFT: Will your donors and volunteers remember your gifts 20 years from now? The next time your team brainstorms donor gifts, volunteer appreciation gifts or seemingly insignificant thank you gifts--pray first! I received a powerful thank you gift in the 1980s from Lloyd Ogilvie's television ministry, "Let God Love You" In response to a very small gift, the team sent me John Baillie's devotional classic, "A Diary of Private Prayer. " (Ogilvie studied under Baillie in Scotland.) I've given the book to dozens of people. It's a classic flywheel--it perpetually gains steam year after year and colleagues continue to tell me how much they read it. The simplicity is brilliant. There are 31 morning prayers and 31 evening prayers--and a blank page next to each. I read them regularly for more than 20 years and they consistently connected me with our Father. It's a gift, as they say, that keeps on giving with more than one million copies in print.

My 90 year old aunt recommended this book to me as having been a mainstay in her spiritual growth. I can see why! This is a book of prayers which can't help but enhance your prayer experience. I am not one to just read my prayers to God, I prefer spontaneous conversations which build my relationship with God. However, the prayers in this book make a great supplement to anyone's prayer life. They stretch your understanding of just what might be included in a healthy prayer life - one which isn't just self-centered in nature. They are full of reverence for God, recognizing His sovereignty over all things. Some may find the old language style a bit daunting at first, but don't let that stop you from gaining the benefits of this amazing little book.

I start my prayer time off everyday with this little book. Its wonderful truths in simple form are just what I need to remember who God is. If you use the ACTS method of prayer, this is a wonderful way to show adoration for the Master. I am going to try to get one for everyone in my family. I would suggest a slow reading, however. It is an easy read, so it is possible to read the words without getting the most out of the book's depth. I also like how the devotions remind us to pray about those in certain circumstances by leaving three periods ... so we can fill in a name in our private thoughts. It is a short book with only a month's worth devotions, but I suspect I will use it for many months because the truths remain the same. It also has places in the book in each section and at the end for personal notes. I highly recommend John Baillie's A Diary of Private Prayer for a daily dose of God's greatness.

I was given a copy of this book of prayers at a time when I scarcely had the energy or spirit to pray or the knowledge of what to ask in my prayers. It has been beside my bed ever since, used most mornings and evenings. For each day of the month, both a morning and evening prayer, usually about one small page long, is given. The prayers are traditional, their diction simple and rooted firmly in Biblical scripture. They recall the mind from the chaos of events to transcendent truths in such a manner that one ends with a peace of mind and clarity of purpose. I recommend this book as one that will stand the test of time and that will create a habit of mind that serves our spiritual needs. In its simplicity and its Biblical anchorage, it nurtures and directs man's communion with God.

I found this to be a wonderful addition to my prayer life. The morning and evening prayers have helped me branch out on the way I pray. The prayers in the book vary quite a bit on their focus which was really fun for me. I even bought this book for my dad. That being said it is obvious this kindle book was just a scan and that nobody bothered to proof it. There are quite a few typos and this is made worse by the text being older english. I have found myself on a couple of occasions looking words up because I am not sure if they are a misspelling or some old word that I haven't encountered before. It has always been the former. It is pretty frustrating when a simple read through would have eliminated most of the errors. I would encourage anyone to buy this and use it in there prayer time.

I received my first copy of this prayer guide in 1956. It is as relevant to todays issues which need prayer and time to be with the Lord after reading the prayers daily. I recommend this to anyone starting a prayer life. It has been nicely revised in small ways to be Intune with our way of speaking but the beauty of the original is very much there still. This is in my opinion one of the GREAT daily prayer books.

This is so beautifully written and spiritually blessed. I plan to order some as gifts.

This is an exceptional book of devotions The antiquity and style of writing adds a timeless quality to the prayers within Within these pages lies timeless wisdom. The text is clear and easy to read. Highly recommended.

I love this compilation of prayers for 31 days and Sundays. As an evangelical, it was strange at first to read prayers...especially aloud ... But what a blessing to pray along with John Baillie and attach my own thoughts and prayers to his...

A Diary of private prayer There are many books available that are trying to be like this one. There are any number of books of prayers, books of days, themed collections, praying the scriptures, prayers of the saints or other celebrated personages. In most cases these books fall short. They tend to be superficial in content and in depth of spiritual understanding. This book is different. The author was born in Scotland in 1886. A leading theologian he studied divinity at Edinburgh University, as well as Jena and Marburg in Germany. He taught in Canada and the United States. He was a professor at Edinburgh University and a Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He was well versed in his faith. A diary of private prayer reflects the depths of his education and love of God. This is a book that Will help you plumb the depths of your relationship with the Lord and help you reflect on your understanding and practice of your spiritual path. The author says these prayers and a jumping off point that you should use as a platform to further develop your own prayer life. Each prayer will help you mine the depths of your heart for the sparkling diamonds that you can over to the Lord and use to benefit everyone around you through intercession. Your prayer life will never be the same again. This is also a great book for browsing. You can open it at any page and find something to lift our heart beyond the clouds.

My favourite daily devotional. I’ve bought at least 10 copies to give to friends. Rich in language and concepts.

A wonderful little book of daily devotions for morning and evening both. Directs the mind and spirit towards greater meditation and prayer. Many copies have been bought as gifts.