Throughout my life in Christ, I have found that these followers of Christ of the 1800’s disciple through their writings. You will find that their biblical teachings will mature you in your relationship with Jesus as His follower and disciple. They will give you a deeper understanding of the Word, and you will begin to devote yourself more to Jesus, His Word and prayer.
Andrew Murray
“South African pastor and author Andrew Murray (1828—1917) was an amazingly prolific writer. Murray began writing on the Christian life for his congregation as an extension of his local pastoral work, but he became internationally known for his books, such as With Christ in the School of Prayer and Abide in Christ, that searched men’s hearts and brought them into a deep relationship with Christ. Writing with an intensity of purpose and zeal for the message of the gospel, Murray wrote numerous books even after his “retirement” at age seventy–eight.”1
“Murray wrote to interpret the Scriptures in such a way that Christians were free to believe and experience the grace of God. He believed that God had done everything necessary for people to live rich, productive, meaningful lives that participated in the life of God. The obstacles to such lives included half-hearted surrender to God, a lack of confidence in the anointing of the Spirit, and a deep-rooted skepticism about the power of prayer.
One of his most popular books, With Christ in the School of Prayer, takes New Testament teachings about prayer and illumines them in 31 “lessons” designed to help the reader move past shallow, ineffectual prayer into a fuller understanding of the work God has called them to do. According to Murray, the church does not realize that “God rules the world by the prayers of his saints, that prayer is the power by which Satan is conquered, that by prayer the church on earth has disposal of the powers of the heavenly world.”2
E.M. Bounds
“Edward McKendree Bounds (August 15, 1835 – August 24, 1913) was a clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal Church South and author of eleven books, nine of which focused on the subject of prayer.”3
“E. M. Bounds truly followed the charge to pray without ceasing. It was as normal and essential to him as breathing. But though he was in prayer constantly, it never became a chore to him. Throughout his life, whether he was ministering to troops during the Civil War or bringing God’s Word to his congregation, E. M. Bounds relished his time in conversation with God. . . . He spent the last seventeen years of his life reading, writing, and rising before dawn every morning to pray.”4
Charles Haddon (CH) Spurgeon
“Charles Haddon (CH) Spurgeon (19 June 1834 – 31 January 1892) was an English Particular Baptist Preacher. . . . Spurgeon was a prolific author of many types of works including sermons, an autobiography, commentaries, books on prayer, devotionals, magazines, poetry, hymns, and more. Many sermons were transcribed as he spoke and were translated into many languages during his lifetime. Spurgeon produced powerful sermons of penetrating thought and precise exposition. His oratory skills held his listeners spellbound in the Metropolitan Tabernacle and many Christians hold his writings in exceptionally high regard among devotional literature.”5
1 Whitaker House, s.v. “Andrew Murray,” accessed March 10, 2017, https://www.whitakerhouse.com/DeskTop.aspx?page=AuthorInfo&author=1.
2 Christianity Today, s.v. “Andrew Murray: Leading student in Christ’s school of prayer,” accessed March 21, 2017, http://www.chritianitytoday.com/history/people/innertravelers/ andrew-murray.html.
3 Christian Classics Ethereal Library, s.v. “Edward M. Bounds: American Methodist minister and author,” accessed March 21, 2017, https://www.ccel.org/ccel/bounds.
4 Amazon.com, s.v. ”The Complete Works of E. M. Bounds on Prayer: Experience the Wonders of God through Prayer,” accessed March 21, 2017, https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Works-Bounds-Prayer-Experience-ebook/dp/B00B76T3T0.
5 Wikipedia, s.v. “Charles Spurgeon,” last modified March 8, 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Charles Spurgeon.