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The Secret Key to Heaven: The Vital Importance of Private Prayer
The power of religion and godliness lives, thrives, or dies, as closet prayer lives, thrives, or dies. This was the deeply held conviction of Thomas Brooks, the author of this book. As a pastor who knew his people well, he feared that many Christians do not understand the necessity, excellency, and usefulness of private prayer, and that many live too great a neglect of this indispensable duty. Focusing on our Lord's words about closet-prayer in Matthew 6:6, Brooks gives us a masterful treatment of a vitally important aspect of Christian s living. His aim is intensely practical, to preserve and keep up the power of religion and godliness both in men's houses, hearts, and lives.
304 pages, Paperback
First published March 30, 2006
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390 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Brooks
80 books52 followersLittle is known about Thomas Brooks as a man, other than can be ascertained from his many writings. Born, probably of well-to-do parents, in 1608, Brooks entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in 1625. He was licensed as a preacher of the gospel by 1640 at the latest. Before that date he seems to have spent a number of years at sea, probably as a chaplain with the fleet. After the Civil War, Brooks became minister at Thomas Apostle s, London, and was sufficiently renowned to be chosen as preacher before the House of Commons on 26 December, 1648. Three or four years later he moved to St Margaret s, Fish-street Hill, London, but encountered considerable opposition as he refused baptism and the Lord s Supper to those clearly unworthy of such privileges. The following years were filled with written as well as spoken ministry. In 1662 he fell victim to the notorious Act of Uniformity, but he appears to have remained in his parish and to have preached the Word as opportunity offered. Treatises continued to flow from his agile pen. In 1677 or 1678 he married for the second time, 'she spring-young, he winter-old'. Two years later he went home to his Lord.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 5, 2016
Thomas Brooks is one of the easier Puritan writers to read so in that sense his book is very reader friendly & easy to understand.
The down sides are few but there are some. There's a fair bit of repetition, particularly in the first half of the book. Nothing that some careful editing would not have easily corrected. Some of the analogies seemed odd or outdated but again, this book is about 400 years old.
The positives outweigh the negatives & although the book seems a little slow in the beginning, momentum really kicks in about halfway where I'd say the meat of the book's content begins to really unfold. The latter half is chalked full of very helpful instruction & guidance in the very practical aspects of prayer but also in the deeper mysteries of it as well. Prayer really is one of the more difficult aspects of the Christian life according to Brooks.
Brooks does a good job of laying the ground work for developing faithful, consistent obedience to the duty without being too definite about the particulars or formulas we are so often prone to seek. The material on evidences of true communion with God was extremely helpful & Brooks does spend some invaluable focus on the pitfalls & manifest ways in which satan distracts & succeeds at discouraging believers at various stages in their spiritual maturity.
Well worth the read for any & every nugget to be gleaned in order that our prayer lives would advance that we might know God better!
The down sides are few but there are some. There's a fair bit of repetition, particularly in the first half of the book. Nothing that some careful editing would not have easily corrected. Some of the analogies seemed odd or outdated but again, this book is about 400 years old.
The positives outweigh the negatives & although the book seems a little slow in the beginning, momentum really kicks in about halfway where I'd say the meat of the book's content begins to really unfold. The latter half is chalked full of very helpful instruction & guidance in the very practical aspects of prayer but also in the deeper mysteries of it as well. Prayer really is one of the more difficult aspects of the Christian life according to Brooks.
Brooks does a good job of laying the ground work for developing faithful, consistent obedience to the duty without being too definite about the particulars or formulas we are so often prone to seek. The material on evidences of true communion with God was extremely helpful & Brooks does spend some invaluable focus on the pitfalls & manifest ways in which satan distracts & succeeds at discouraging believers at various stages in their spiritual maturity.
Well worth the read for any & every nugget to be gleaned in order that our prayer lives would advance that we might know God better!
September 9, 2015
This book deals specifically with private prayer - not public or family-level prayer - done indoors or outdoors in a chosen place: a nook, a field or another place in nature, whatever alone-place one might choose.
It's not a book that seems to shine at first. It may feel like something done before if one has read books on prayer.
But the Puritan flavor and the deep reasonings and answers convince quite well of the excellence of this form of prayer, and give deep reasons why one should strive persistently to keep it, even if one has a lot to do (sometimes even cutting a moment of time from eating or sleeping, though it's clear it's not really *all* of those times). Brooks guides one well on how to do it (and what one's state of mind and emotions should be like; he also suggests keeping a prayer diary to record how things go) and gives solid answers to questions included.
So, even if you've read books on prayer before, this might bring some more motivation and guidance to doing it in its private form. And private prayer is essential for one's connection to God, for all Christians. Recommended. :)
It's not a book that seems to shine at first. It may feel like something done before if one has read books on prayer.
But the Puritan flavor and the deep reasonings and answers convince quite well of the excellence of this form of prayer, and give deep reasons why one should strive persistently to keep it, even if one has a lot to do (sometimes even cutting a moment of time from eating or sleeping, though it's clear it's not really *all* of those times). Brooks guides one well on how to do it (and what one's state of mind and emotions should be like; he also suggests keeping a prayer diary to record how things go) and gives solid answers to questions included.
So, even if you've read books on prayer before, this might bring some more motivation and guidance to doing it in its private form. And private prayer is essential for one's connection to God, for all Christians. Recommended. :)
October 1, 2013
This was pretty good and I don't regret reading it, but I have enjoyed other Puritan authors more. There was more along the lines of "do the right thing" and less pointing the reader to Jesus and his grace.
December 19, 2015
Great encouragement to prayer. I couldn't read more than a few pages before I felt that I should stop reading and start praying.
The book is divided into a lot of short sections with separate arguments, so it works very well as a daily devotional.
Highly recommended!
The book is divided into a lot of short sections with separate arguments, so it works very well as a daily devotional.
Highly recommended!
December 16, 2017
Do you love ordinal number adverbs like I do? Then you will love this book! The word "Sixthly " is used at least six times. O and he even hits double digits a couple times.
If redundant, I wouldn't say needlessly redundant. He does have quite the lyric quality at times. Some of his Old Testament illustrations were a bit surprising
I can see where this book may be confusing. I would suggest keeping a bookmark in the table of contents. Sometimes he offers three proofs to one of the four ideas in the one of the chapters in Part 2. So you will sometimes need a reminder of where you are in the scheme of things if you aren't careful.
Another reviewer recommended it be read as a devotional. You may find it written a bit backwards with that strategy as the Why pray privately precedes the methods of private prayer. But then you probably won't do it wrong.
If redundant, I wouldn't say needlessly redundant. He does have quite the lyric quality at times. Some of his Old Testament illustrations were a bit surprising
I can see where this book may be confusing. I would suggest keeping a bookmark in the table of contents. Sometimes he offers three proofs to one of the four ideas in the one of the chapters in Part 2. So you will sometimes need a reminder of where you are in the scheme of things if you aren't careful.
Another reviewer recommended it be read as a devotional. You may find it written a bit backwards with that strategy as the Why pray privately precedes the methods of private prayer. But then you probably won't do it wrong.
August 18, 2021
I agree with many who consider this book the most helpful Puritan work on prayer (along with Oliver Heywood's book, Closet Prayer: A Christian Duty). Brooks' classic is packed full of persuasive arguments to stir up prayer, answers to objections and common hinderances to prayer, and helpful advice to a successful life of prayer. Spurgeon said of Brooks, “He has dust of gold; for even in the margins of his books there are sentences of exceeding preciousness. . . . If you have never read his works, I almost envy you the joy of entering for the first time upon [them].”
June 12, 2022
Not Really Guidance for Prayer
If you are looking for practical steps to take in prayer, this is probably not the book for you. As it’s title says, it is a “call” to closet prayer, not really instructions. I would summarize its message in two words: “Do it!“ There is some value in it but it tends to be very repetitive and focuses on the negatives of not having private prayer, and much less on the positives.
If you are looking for practical steps to take in prayer, this is probably not the book for you. As it’s title says, it is a “call” to closet prayer, not really instructions. I would summarize its message in two words: “Do it!“ There is some value in it but it tends to be very repetitive and focuses on the negatives of not having private prayer, and much less on the positives.
May 9, 2025
If you like Puritan books then this is still a good one. Content is good and makes you think. The only reasons for subtracting a star is that the book is incredibly difficult to follow in terms of layout/structure: he gives a list of points, then in a point has a sub-point, then in that sub-point he has another list of points. You basically get lost in buried points and wonder what was the parent topic you were in. Don’t get me wrong, the points are good just not laid put great.
July 21, 2017
Excellent book on prayer
While Thomas Brooks can be difficult to follow at times, he gives excellent advice on prayer. No fluff here. Brooks urges Christians to go to their closets and earnestly seek the Lord.
While Thomas Brooks can be difficult to follow at times, he gives excellent advice on prayer. No fluff here. Brooks urges Christians to go to their closets and earnestly seek the Lord.
April 18, 2021
An excellent Puritan treatise on private prayer. Recommended to be read devotionally by everyone who is not turned off by 17th-century English. Brooks is very readable among his peers. Chew on a few pages and pray each day.
July 21, 2020
This is one of my favourite books in prayer and one of the first Puritan books I read. It was a real game changer for me, thank you Thomas brooks and thank you God!
January 2, 2021
Not finishing. Too repetitive and some verses seem to be taken out of context and stretched to fit the point being made.
January 15, 2025
An immense encouragement to closet prayer. Brooks' thorough exposition doesn't come across as dry, but as more kindling on the fire for private communion with God.
April 8, 2020
Thomas Brooks’ work on “closet” or private prayer is both pastoral and challenging. His strong rebukes against failure in our duty towards private prayer were convicting and encouraging. As with most Puritans, Brooks directs us towards piety saddled in correct orthodoxy. He labors intensively to show the biblical support for private prayer, largely arguing from Matthew 6:5-6. While I may not agree with some of his exegesis (he runs in the same vein as Spurgeon in this regard), his admonition to bring all things before the throne of grace with confidence as a primary privilege of the adoption we have in Christ is a good word. I do recommend this book but as with most Puritan writers, it takes some work.
July 24, 2017
How much is this book needed today!? From what I can tell, private prayer is all but non-existent in many Christians' lives today.
Reading this work was both convicting and encouraging; I was ashamed and yet inspired.
Brooks is always a pleasure to read. My own prayer life has been forever changed.
Reading this work was both convicting and encouraging; I was ashamed and yet inspired.
Brooks is always a pleasure to read. My own prayer life has been forever changed.
January 6, 2017
This is a powerful book on prayer that proves that the condition of the human heart - esp in relation to prayer - has not changed since 1665, and therefore will not change. This spiritual doctor treats every excuse and every objection with a thoroughness rare in modern writings. While the style may he dated, the truths hit home.
September 16, 2011
Excellent. It was fun to be reading something written so long ago, and the subject material was amazing. The author does a good job of showing the privilege and duty of private (as opposed to family or church) prayer.
July 23, 2012
Very challenging, will give you every reason to pray, and leave you with no excuse not to.
December 5, 2012
Good work, seemed somewhat redundant though.
May 8, 2019
Excellent Puritan writer. He seemed to use a basic outline form to construct his book. I made notes in the margin to keep track of where I was in his outline. Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews