They poured out a prayer – Thomas Brooks

The greatest antidote against all the troubles of this life, is fervent prayer.

“Lord, in trouble have they visited You; they poured out a prayer when Your chastening was upon them.” Isaiah 26:16

“They poured out a prayer.” Before, they would say a prayer but now, they poured out a prayer.

Saints never visit God more with their prayers than when He visits them most with His rod. Saints never pray with . . .
that seriousness,
that spiritualness,
that heavenliness,
that humbleness,
that brokenness,
that fervency,
that frequency as they do, when they are under the mighty chastening hand of God!

A sincere Christian never prays so sweetly as when under God’s rod. When a Christian is in trouble then prayer is his food and drink.

Oh, what a spirit of prayer was . . .
upon Jonah when he was in the whale’s belly; and
upon Daniel when he was among the lions; and
upon David when fleeing in the wilderness; and
upon the dying thief when he was on the cross; and
upon Jacob when his brother Esau came to meet him with four hundred bloody cut-throats at his heels!

When a Christian is under great troubles, deep distresses, and most extreme dangers; he should pray . . .
more for the sanctification of affliction than its removal;
more to get off his sins than to get off his chains;
more to get good by the rod than to get free from the rod;
that his afflictions may be a purifying and refining fire,
that his heart may be low and his graces high,
that he may be more weaned from this world,
that he be more ripe for eternal glory.