Grace is a central theme of the Bible. It's right through the book. John Bunyan was saved after hearing a sermon about God's grace. Bunyan realised that God's grace was sufficient to forgive him. He called his spiritual autobiography, "Grace Abounding To the Chief of Sinners". Bunyan wrote his autobiography while serving his 12 year prison sentence in Bedford jail where he was sent for preaching the gospel. Paul praises the grace of God. He tells how Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief; 1 Timothy 1:14. Grace is essential to God's plan for our salvation and is often mentioned in contrast to the law. The law was given by Moses, but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ. John 1:17. God's grace is a gift. We do not deserve it or earn it. God gives from His great treasure store of grace. We receive it by faith, not of works. Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, Genesis 6:8 - the first mention of God's grace in the Word of God. We depend upon the gracious look of God towards us. For the saved, God looks upon us with love and compassion, with his saving grace, rather than His condemnation. God's character is grace. It's His very nature - 1 Peter 5:10 …the God of all grace… The gospel is called the gospel of grace - the good news story of salvation. Grace is God's kindness towards us. We don't deserve it, but we're glad recipients of it. Grace is God reaching down to man. He's declared us righteous, he's given us his merit, and he's saved us by His power.

Severe warning to prayerless people, whom Bunyan attests are simply unbelievers. How's your prayer life?

Five obstructions to prayer. Bunyan describes them well and many modern pray-ers should take heed. Also, cautions against discouragement.

How can we pray if we don't know how? Wasn't the "Lord's Prayer" a "form" like the book of prayer? Shouldn't we teach form prayers to our children? These and other questions are raised and answered by this holy man of God.

An interesting explanation of praying "with the understanding."

Scathing is the only word that fits, of Bunyan's description of those who have form but no Spirit, in prayer or other Christian practices. We are told in Scripture to avoid such folks...

Bunyan masterfully decries routine prayers and calls men to pray with the Spirit. This is life-changing.

What Prayer is, part 2. Bunyan's definition certainly covers all the bases. We all need to go back from time to time and examine our prayer life, yes?

What prayer is, points a-e. Bunyan is very specific in his defining of prayer, a definition that did not match the "official" religionists of his day... or ours...

George Offor was the man who in the 19th century "spent his days reading, researching, recording, comparing, and editing the works of JOHN BUNYAN..." Listen to his set-up of Bunyan's important work on prayer. The question: Do we pray by the Spirit or with a form? It was an important question then and for many, it is still...