Author: Charles Spurgeon

Pray with Spurgeon: Jesus is alive. There is nothing left to do.

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Our Father, we wish this morning to come to you anew in Christ Jesus. Many of us can look back to the happy moment when first we saw the law fulfilled in Christ, wrath appeased, death destroyed, sin forgiven, and our souls saved. Oh it was a happy morning—a blessed time. Never did the sun seem to shine so brightly as then, when we beheld the Sun of Righteousness, and basked in his light.

Many days have passed since then with some of us, and every day we have had proofs of the faithfulness of God to the gospel of his Son. We have proved the power of Jesus’ blood for daily cleansing; we have proved the power of his Divine Spirit for daily teaching, guidance, and sanctification; and now we want no other rock to build upon, than that which we have built upon; we desire no other hope, nor even to dream of any other, but that hope which you have set before us in the gospel, to which hope we have fled for refuge, and which hope we still have, as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall.” (Malachi 4:2)

Child of God in the dark, in prison, ungrowing and unhappy, what a promise is here for you! “The Sun of righteousness shall arise.” His rising is to do it all, there is nothing for you to do, no works for you to perform in order to get the needed blessing.

As soon as ever this sun is up and Christ begins to shine upon his people, they enjoy a clear light. They were in the dark before, but they are in the light now. The Sun of righteousness, when it rises on those that fear the Lord, gives them healing.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Teach your children that Christ has come to make all things new

Today we prayed that God would remind us and refresh us with the good news that Christ came to save and make all things new.

A great resource for sharing this good news with your kids is The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden by Kevin DeYoung. This book tells the grand, overarching story of the Bible in a way that will leave you (and your kids) eagerly longing for Christ to come back.

The story is beautifully told and is accessible for the youngest, but mature enough for older kids as well. And the illustrations are incredible — they are absolutely beautiful and full of biblical symbolism. Don’t be surprised when you find yourself pulling it out after the kids are in bed to pour over the illustrations.

This is one of my family’s favorite books. I hope it will be blessing to your family as well.

Buy The Biggest Story:

Pray with Spurgeon: God, you know my pain

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Now, this morning, we would bring before you all your saints, and ask you to attend to their trials and troubles. Some we know here, are afflicted in person; others are afflicted in their dear friends; some are afflicted in their temporal estate, and are brought into sore distress. Lord, we do not know the trials of all your people, but you do; for you are the Head, and the pains of all the members are centered in you. Help all your people even to the end.

Now, we ask for you to grant us the blessing of rest, which we have already sought; and let it come upon all the churches of our beloved country. May the Lord revive true and undefiled religion here.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“So she named the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are El-roi’ for she said, ‘In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?’” (Genesis 16:13)

There is a God. God is not an impalpable somebody up there who has nothing to do with me, but there is God here, here, and he sees me. God deals with me—not far away, asleep, or blind—but God sees me.

Oh, it is a glorious thing when that conviction arises in the soul: “I am not alone, I am not friendless, after all. There is a God and a God who sees me and who takes such notice that he speaks to me.”

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Center Your Church on the Bible*

Today we prayed for a revival of true and undefiled religion in all of our churches. The power we need a faithful and fruitful ministry will not come by chasing after the latest cultural trends. No, we need a supernatural power from God himself. The good news: we don’t have to invent our ministry methods — they’ve been revealed to us clearly in the pages of Scripture.

Recently, I’ve been so blessed by an audiobook for pastors: Seven Key Principles for Effective Ministry: Nurturing Thriving Churches in a Postmodern Culture by David Harrell.

This book is packed with biblical truth and encouragement for ministry. It makes clear that ministry is uniquely challenging today, but God’s power to save is unchanged and unchanging.

Listening to the audiobook has been a much-needed realignment of my ministry around the things that matter most. It’s left me refreshed by God’s grace and reoriented on God’s Word.

Listen to a free sample of Seven Key Principles for Effective Ministry on Audible.

Pray with Spurgeon: Know God, and you will grow to be like him

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Oh Savior, make us like yourself; we wish not so much to do, as to be. If you will make us to be right, we shall do right. We have often to put a constraint upon ourselves to be right; but oh, we want to be like you, Jesus, so that we only have to act out ourselves to act out perfect holiness. We shall never rest until this is the case, until you have made us to be inwardly holy; and then words and actions must be holy as a matter of course.

Now, here we are, Lord, and we belong to you. Oh, it is because we are your own, that we have hope. You will make us worthy of you. Your possession of us is our hope of perfection. You wash our feet because we are your own. Oh how sweet is the mercy which first took us to its heart, and made us all its own, and now continues to deal tenderly with us that, being Christ’s own, we may have that of Christ within us which all may see, and which proves us to be the Lord’s.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

The knowledge of God is the most effective influence under heaven. Everything that we learn and know affects our character in some measure, even as the flesh of an animal tastes of its food. Every thought which crosses the mind affects it for the better or the worse, every glance is molding us, every wish fashions the character. A sight of God is the most wonderfully sanctifying influence that can be conceived of. Know God, and you will grow to be like him. Dear hearer, have you beheld this marvelous vision?

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

How God’s grace helps you grow

Today we prayed that God would help us see his face and set us. free from sin. We ask God to help us grow in holiness, because we know that God’s grace doesn’t just save us from sin, it also gives us the power that we need to slay sin. The work of growing in godliness is a work of cooperation between us and God’s grace.

One of my all-time favorite books is The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges. This book explains how God’s grace empowers Christians to slay sin and grow in godliness. It is one of the helpful, practical, and encouraging books that I have ever read! If you want to grow in godliness, start with The Discipline of Grace.

Reading The Discipline of Grace will definitely help you grow in holiness. I hope you’ll grab a copy today.

Buy The Discipline of Grace:

Pray with Spurgeon: God, be patient with me

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Oh Lord and Master, you who did wash your disciples’ feet of old, still be very patient toward us, very condescending towards our provoking faults, and go on with us, we pray, until your great work shall be completed, and we shall be brethren of the firstborn, we shall be like him.

Gracious Master, we wish to conquer self in every respect; we desire to live for the glory of God and the good of our fellow men. We would have it true of us as of our Master, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself” (Matthew 27:42) Will you enable us, especially, to overcome the flesh with all its affections and lusts; may the flesh be kept under; let no appetite of any kind, of the grosser sort, prevail against our manhood, lest we be dishonored and unclean. And let not, even, the most refined power of the natural mind, be permitted to come so forward, as to mar the dominion of the Spirit of God within us.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“How joyful is a person whom the LORD does not charge with iniquity and in whose spirit is no deceit!” (Psalm 32:2)

He had a thousand iniquities; he transgressed in all sorts of ways. The Lord does not impute these things to him. He has set them down to the account of another, who has ventured to stand in the sinner’s stead, and be made sin in the sinner’s place, but to this man, this blessed man, God does not impute iniquity, and in his spirit there is no guile—he confesses his sin with honesty, he is pardoned with certainty, and in his spirit there is no cunning concealment.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

God is patient. It’s time to learn why.

Today we prayed that the God who redeemed us would continue to show patience to us. Friends, I have remarkably good news: the Christ who washed his disciples’ feet is still washing feet today. He is always a patient, loving redeemer.

One book that has reminded me afresh of the beauty and the freeness of God’s love is Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund. This book is an absolutely stunning picture of God’s grace to us in Christ. It will fill you up with confidence to know that God will always be patient, because that’s who he is.

I’ve been moved to tears several times while reading this book and seeing the stunningly beautiful and thoroughly biblical picture of Christ’s love for his people. The book is great reading for any sinning and suffering Christian (which is all of us!)

I hope you’ll grab a copy and read it this fall. I promise that you won’t regret it!

Buy Gentle and Lowly:

Pastor, don’t be a jerk (seriously)

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ENCOURAGEMENT FOR PASTORS (BY SPURGEON)

We should avoid everything like the ferocity of bigotry. There are religious people about, who, I have no doubt, were born of a woman, but they appear to have been suckled by a wolf.

Some warlike men of this order have had power to found dynasties of thought; but human kindness and brotherly love consort better with the Kingdom of Christ. We are not to be always going about the world searching out heresies, like terrier dogs sniffing for rats, and to be always so confident of our own infallibility that we erect ecclesiastical stakes at which to roast all who differ from us with bundles of kindling, but with those coals of juniper, which consist of strong prejudice and cruel suspicion.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION (BY SPURGEON)

Spurgeon was a master illustrator. You can use this illustration in your own preaching to describe the power of God in salvation.

It would be a very wonderful thing if one could stand at the foot of the Niagara Falls, and could speak a word which should make the river Niagara begin to run upstream, and leap up that great precipice over which it now rolls in stupendous force.

Nothing but the power of God could achieve that marvel; but that would be more than a fit parallel to what would take place if the course of your nature were altogether reversed. All things are possible with God. He can reverse the direction of your desires and the current of your life, and instead of going downward from God, he can make your whole being tend upward toward God. That is, in fact, what the Lord has promised to do for all who are in the covenant; and we know from Scripture that all believers are in the covenant.

THANKS FOR READING

Brothers,

One of the qualifications for the office of elder is “not quarrelsome” (1 Timothy 3:3). We should not be quick to pick fights or hate on others. In your church, from your pulpit, and on social media, preach the Word of God in love.

Don’t be distracted by cultural issues or trends — preach and apply the Bible and God will build up his people.

If this newsletter is encouraging, please share it with another pastor. You can forward this email to a pastor you know.

If someone forwarded this email to you, sign up to get another one every week. Click here to subscribe.

Blessings to your ministry,

Doug H.
Creator of SpurgeonBooks

Pray with Spurgeon: We are washed in the blood of Christ

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Oh God, cover we ask you, with your feathers, all the people of Christ; and keep your church, even until he shall come who, having loved his own that were in the world, loved them even to the end (John 13:1).

We would, each one of us, ask this morning that our feet may be washed. We trust you have bathed us once for all in the sin-removing fountain. You have also washed us in the waters of regeneration, and given us the renewing of our minds through Jesus Christ. But oh, for daily cleansing! Do you see any fault in us?—oh, we know that you do—wash us that we may be clean. Are we deficient in any virtue? Oh, supply it, that we may exhibit a perfect character, to the glory of him who has made us anew in Christ Jesus. Or, is there something that would be good, carried to excess? Be pleased to modify it, lest one virtue should slaughter another, and we should not be the image of Christ completely.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.’ ‘One who has bathed,’ Jesus told him, ‘doesn’t need to wash anything except his feet, but he is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.’” (John 13:9–10)

Then our Savior meekly, gently, quietly explained that there was no need for the washing of his head and his hands, for his whole being had already been renewed by the one great act of regeneration; and as he had been cleansed from sin by the free gift of pardon at the time when he first believed, there was no need of any repetition of the spiritual bathing.

He that believes in Christ is fully forgiven. He is like a man who has gone into the bath, and washed, but, when he steps out of the bath, and puts his foot on the ground, he often soils it, so that, before he robes himself, he needs to wash his feet again. That is our condition as believers in Jesus; we are washed in his precious blood, and are whiter than snow; but these feet of ours constantly touch this defiling earth, so they need every day to be washed.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Know how you were forgiven — be freed from pride and despair.

Today we reflected, in prayer and Bible study, on Jesus’ washing of his disciples feet. This beautiful act was a display of Jesus’ incredible humility, but also a picture of the forgiveness that he would purchase with his blood just a few hours later.

Remembering this truth — that we are forgiven of our sins, washed in the blood of Christ — is a crucial step for finding freedom from legalism, pride, and anxiety. We can know that we are forgiven forever, because it was purchased by Christ himself.

A great book to help you dive deeper into this topic of our forgiveness is Justification by Grace through Faith: Finding Freedom from Legalism, Lawlessness, Pride, and Despair by Brian Vickers. This book walks through the Bible’s teaching on justification and forgiveness in a way that is thoroughly biblical and intensely practical.

The good news that this book contains is just as stunning, just as comforting, and just as necessary as Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. I hope you’ll grab a copy — I know it will bless and encourage you.

Buy Justification by Grace through Faith:

Pray with Spurgeon: Protect us from the Evil One

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

We cry to you this morning, for the preservation of your church in the world, and especially for her purity. Oh Father, keep us, we ask you, with all keeping, that the Evil One touch us not. We shall be tempted, but let him not prevail against us. In a thousand ways he will lay snares for our feet, but, oh, deliver us as a bird from the snare of the fowler. May the snare be broken that we may escape.

Let the church not suffer dishonor at any time; but may her garments be always white. Let no-one come in among her, that are not of her, utterly despoil her. Oh Christ, as you did groan concerning Judas, so may your children cry to you concerning any that have fallen aside into crooked ways, lest the cause of Christ in the earth should be dishonored.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:13)

After a man is converted and has received forgiveness of sins, soon he will be tempted by the devil, for Satan cannot bear to lose his subjects. And when Satan sees someone cross the border and escape out of his hand, he gathers up all his forces and exercises all his cunning that he may slay him at once.

To meet this special assault, the Lord makes the heart watchful. This is thus a prayer of watchfulness, which is necessary from the commencement of the Christian life even to its close. There is no hour in which a believer can afford to slumber. And in addition to watchfulness, a believer must never deliberately enter temptation. Anyone who does so is a liar before God.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Feeling weary? Be refreshed in the glorious gospel of God’s grace*

Spurgeon’s classic book All of Grace is a much-needed message for our current day. So many Christians (myself included!) are feeling weary and worn down by the weight of our sin. If you’re feeling weary as the year draws to a close—you need to know that God has grace for you.

All of Grace is such a valuable book. Spurgeon’s joy in God’s grace is overflowing from every page. This book is more refreshing than a dip in the pool this summer.

There’s a new audiobook of All of Grace available now. Listening to solid Christian audio is a great way to redeem the time spent on menial tasks (like doing dishes, commuting, or anything else). I hope you’ll check out the All of Grace audiobook. I know that it will encourage your faith and help you grow in grace.

Listen to a free sample of All of Grace on Audible.
(Also available in paperback or Kindle)

*Sponsored advertising content.

Pray with Spurgeon: We are in the world, but not of the world

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Holy Father, keep your people we ask you, for Jesus’ sake: though they are in the world let them not be of it (John 15:9); but may there be a marked distinction between them and the rest of mankind.

Even as their Lord was “holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26), so may it be with believers in Christ. May they follow him; and may they not know the voice of strangers, but come out from the rest, that they may follow him out of the camp.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.” (John 15:19)

Here is distinguishing grace and discriminating regard; for some are made the special objects of divine affection. Do not be afraid to dwell upon this high doctrine of election. When your mind is most heavy and depressed, you will find it to be a bottle of richest cordial. Desire to have your mind enlarged, that you may comprehend more and more the eternal, everlasting, discriminating love of God.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

A Personal Story to Boost Your Confidence in God*

We all love to hear a good testimony, right? We love to hear stories of how God has been faithful, and shown his power to protect his people and advance his own glory. Recently, I’ve been incredibly blessed to read a stunning book-length testimony about how God worked in and through the life of a missionary pilot and his wife, Immeasurably More: Flying for the Way-Maker by Liz Parker.

This new book is an incredible memoir of a missionary pilot family and their work in Africa. Liz and her family are not famous, and they probably never will be, but they are true heroes. They have laid down their lives and comfort for the glory of Christ in Africa, and we all have a lot to learn from their story.

Immeasurably More is a breathtaking story, showing the faithfulness of our a way-making, promise-keeping God, who has done immeasurably more than Liz and her family could have ever asked or imagined.

This book has been a comfort, challenge, and blessing to me, and I know that it will bless you as well. I hope you’ll grab a copy from 10 of Those.

Buy Immeasurably More from 10 of Those.

Pray with Spurgeon: God, I am in Jesus’ hands

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

O Lord, our God, you love your people! You have placed all the saints in the hand of Jesus; and you have given Jesus to be to them a Leader, a Commander, and a Husband; and we know that you delight to hear us cry on the behalf of your church; for you care for Jesus, and you are ready to grant to him according to the covenant provisions which you have laid up in store for Christ Jesus.

Therefore we pray this morning, entreating you to behold and visit the vine, and the vineyard which your right hand has planted. Look upon Zion the city of our solemnities; look upon those whom you have chosen from before the foundation of the world, whom Christ has redeemed with blood, whose hearts he has won and holds, and who are his own, though they be in the world.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.” (Ephesians 1:4)

That is the commencement of all blessing, God’s electing love. This is the fountain from which the living waters flow. There would have been no stream of blessing to us at all if it had not been for this first primeval choice of us by God, even as Jesus said to his disciples, “you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you” (John 15:16).

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

ONE DAY LEFT: Save 50% on Spurgeon’s Lost Sermons*

This month, every volume in The Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon series is 50% off. That means tomorrow is the final day for this offer.

The Lost Sermons books are incredible resources — reading Spurgeon’s earliest sermons will be a great blessing to you and will encourage you to walk in godliness.

The series contains hundreds of outlines and sermons from Spurgeon’s early ministry, full-color scans of Spurgeon’s personal notebooks, and study notes to help you connect these early sermons with Spurgeon’s early influences and later ministry.

Plus, these books are beautiful (inside and out!) and will look great in your library!

Tomorrow is the last day to save, so grab a few volumes in the Lost Sermons series now!

Buy the Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon on Lifeway.com (Use promo code LOSTSERMONS to save 50%)

Pray with Spurgeon: God, accept our feeble prayer

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

We believe the world will be brought in, when the church believes her God: the Kingdom will come, and the glory shall be made visible to all flesh, when once we have the confidence we ought to have in him, who is worthy to be praised, and to be trusted evermore.

And now, by the precious blood of Jesus, accept this feeble prayer of ours, and send down a shower of benedictions; and to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, be glory forever and ever.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and you purchased people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9)

Have I been redeemed? Has the mortgage that was on me through sin been removed? Do I believe in Jesus Christ? If I believe that Jesus is the Christ and trust in him alone, I have been bought back with a countless price. The sufferings and death of Jesus have set his people free from slavery to sin. They have been purchased—redeemed. They come back to God as lands come back to the owner when the mortgage is discharged. We come back to God to whom we always belonged because Jesus has purchased us for God by his blood.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Give Godly Role Models to Your Children

Today we prayed for God’s glory to extend over the whole earth, for “the world to be brought in.” This is God’s passion — are we teaching this passion to our children?

I’ve been really excited about a new series of kid’s books from The Good Book Company — Do Great Things for God. Each book in this series features a short child-friendly biography of a Christian woman.

I recently received a copy of Betty Greene: The Girl Who Longed to Fly and I was blown away by the compelling story of this little-known hero’s life and service. Betty was one of the founding members of MAF (Missions Aviation Fellowship), and her story is an incredible testimony of how one woman used her gifts for God’s glory.

The storytelling is enjoyable for kids of any age (and their parents!), the illustrations are approachable and beautiful, and the lesson is amazing: Betty was able to do great things, because her God is great!

I’ve loved reading this biography to my daughter and I’m praying she’ll find great, faithful heroes like Betty that will point her to a greater and more faithful God.

I hope you’ll grab a copy of Betty Greene for your family today.

Pre-order Betty Greene: