Author: Charles Spurgeon

Pray with Spurgeon: Selfishness is sinfulness. Free us, God!

Get a prayer from Spurgeon in your inbox every day. Subscribe to the Pray with Spurgeon newsletter for free.

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Will you glorify yourself, great Father, by making us more holy? Purge us every day from the selfishness that clings to us. Deliver us also from the fear of man, from the love of approbation so far as these might lead us astray. Help us to be resolute and self-contained to do, and think, and speak the right at all times. Give us great love to our fellow men. May we love them so that we could die for them if need be.

Above all, blessed Jesus, our Redeemer, let your love to us fire us with love to you. Stamp your dear image on our hearts, and let us never wander from the path of complete obedience to your will. Here we stand, asking to be washed again in the open fountain that every sin may be put away; but also begging to be washed in the water “from the riven side that flows,” that every wrong desire, every base aspiration, everything contrary to the mind of God may be utterly taken away from us.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3–4)

Do not obey the world’s maxim, “Take care of Number One.” Have a large heart, so that, though you care for yourself in spiritual things, and desire your own soul-prosperity, you may have the same desire for every other Christian man or woman.

The apostle knew that, to create concord, you need first to beget lowliness of mind. Men do not quarrel when their ambitions have come to an end. When each one is willing to be least, when everyone desires to place his fellows higher than himself, there is an end to party spirit; schisms and divisions are all passed away.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

A new interactive resource to deepen your Bible study*

The Bible is such a treasure. Often when reading God’s Word, I’m overwhelmed by its depth, so finding new, faithful tools to study Scripture is always a blessing.

One resource that’s been helpful for me recently is Consider Him, a new Scripture memorization booklet from Cemented Co. This booklet will help you cement God’s Word into your heart, so that it can bear fruit and change your life.

Each page of the booklet offers a different interactive exercise to focus on God’s Word, rather than distract from it. The booklet will help you study, understand, apply, and memorize five key passages from the book of Hebrews.

Buy Consider Him from CementedCo.com.

Pray with Spurgeon: We trust the God who controls all things

Get a prayer from Spurgeon in your inbox every day. Subscribe to the Pray with Spurgeon newsletter for free.

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Now do we hoist sail and draw up anchor to sail into another day. O blessed Pilot of the future as of the past, we are so happy to leave all to you; but in leaving all to you we have one wish, and it is that you would in the rest of this year glorify the Father’s name in us more than in any other year of our lives.

Perhaps this may involve deeper trial, but let it be if we can glorify God. Perhaps this may involve the being cast aside from the service that we love; but we would prefer to be laid aside if we could glorify you the better. Perhaps this may involve the ending of all life’s pleasant work and the being taken home—well, your children make no sort of stipulations with their God, but this one prayer ascends from all true hearts this morning, “Father, glorify your name.”

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Jesus told him, ‘It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.’” (Matthew 4:7)

Some people are engaged in activities that are hazardous to their immortal souls. They are in the midst of evil, yet they say God can keep them in safety there. Yes he can, but I also know we have no right to go voluntarily where we are surrounded by temptation. If we are continually tempted in various situations, we may not presume upon the goodness of God to keep us, for it is our business to get as far as we can from what will lead us into sin.

God does not put his servants on the pinnacle of the temple; the devil puts them there. And if they ever are there, the best thing they can do is to get down as quickly and as safely as they can. But they must not cast themselves down. They must look to him who alone can bring them down safely. With some who claim to be Christians, presumption is a common sin.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Spurgeon’s hope for depressed people

Many people don’t realize that Spurgeon was plagued with crippling depression throughout his life and ministry. Throughout this struggle, Spurgeon cultivated a deep, Christ-centered hope that allowed him to continue to live and minister. We all have something to learn from Spurgeon.

You can learn more about Spurgeon’s struggle with depression — and the hope that kept him through it —in Spurgeon’s Sorrows: Realistic Hope for Those Who Suffer from Depression by Zack Eswine. This book isn’t just a biography of Spurgeon — it describes lessons that we can learn from his real battle with depression.

Spurgeon’s Sorrows is a great resource for anyone who struggles with depression, and it’s a great Christ-centered gift that you can buy for someone else who is struggling.

Buy Spurgeon’s Sorrows:

Pastor, preach IN faith and FOR faith

Get wisdom encouragement for Spurgeon in your inbox every week. Subscribe to the The Pastor’s Note newsletter for free.

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR PASTORS (BY SPURGEON)

The object of our preaching, as well as its doctrine, is faith; for we reckon that we have done nothing for sinners until, by the power of the Holy Ghost, we bring them to faith; and we only reckon that our preaching is useful to saints as we see them increase in faith. As faith is in our hand the power with which we sow, and as the seed we sow is received by us by faith, and steeped in faith, so the harvest for which we look is to see faith springing up in the furrows of men’s hearts to the praise and glory of God.

Interwoven, therefore, with our entire spiritual life, and with all our ministerial work, is the doctrine and grace of faith; and, therefore, we must be very clear upon it — that is a small business; we must be very strong in it — that is the great matter. I am praying earnestly that we may all be like Abraham, “strong in faith, giving glory to God,” and, like Stephen, “full of faith and of the Holy Ghost.”

SERMON ILLUSTRATION (BY SPURGEON)

Spurgeon was a master illustrator. You can use this illustration in your own preaching to describe the cost of following Christ.

Before we buckle on the Christian armor we ought to know what that service is which is expected of us. A recruiting sergeant often slips a shilling into the hand of some ignorant youth, and tells him that Her Majesty’s Service is a fine thing, that he has nothing to do but walk about in his flaming colors, that he will have no hard service—in fact, that he has nothing to do but to be a soldier, and go straight on to glory.

But the Christian sergeant, when he enlists a soldier of the cross, never deceives him like that. Jesus Christ himself said, “Count the cost.” He wished to have no disciple who was not prepared to go all the way—“to bear hardness as a good soldier.”

PRAYER FOR PASTORS

This week, please pray for Pastor Deon van Zyl from South Africa

  • Wisdom to teach and lead the church in the truth
  • Wisdom to guide the Christian school with godly wisdom
  • For strength body soul and Spirit for him and his family

Can we pray for you? Click here to submit prayer requests for a future newsletter.

Pray with Spurgeon: In all our suffering, God is so good

Get a prayer from Spurgeon in your inbox every day. Subscribe to the Pray with Spurgeon newsletter for free.

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

God, you have been good to us this year. Each believer here has trodden a different pathway: to some it has been a very smooth road, to others a very rough climb; to some a deep descent into the valley of sorrow and humiliation. But you have led your people by a right way. With all the twisting of the wilderness march, we are persuaded that when you lead us, still we go the best way.

You know best, and often to retreat is to advance, and to be beaten back is to make surest headway. Whatever happens in the rest of this year, we will lift up the song of grateful praise, raise another stone of help to record the loving-kindness of our God.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him.” (Hebrews 1:2)

Christ is Lord of all the angels—not a seraph spreads his wings except at his bidding. As for all things here below, God has given the Son power over all flesh. All must willingly, or else unwillingly, submit to his sway, for his Father has appointed him. This is another wondrous encouragement to anyone who is seeking salvation. Christ has everything in his hand that he may save us. If we come and entrust ourselves into his hands, we will never have to look about to find the balm for our wounds.

If you want to continue studying the book of Hebrews, check out the Consider Him Scripture memorization booklet from Cemented Co. This beautiful resource will help you study, apply, and memorize five key passages from Hebrews. Click here to learn more.*

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

God wants you to be confident in your salvation. Here’s how.

Many faithful Christians are living in a state of constant fear, worrying about whether or not they’re really saved. Friend, if this is you, know that this is not God’s design for your life. God wants you to walk confident in your eternal security, not because of your own goodness, but because of Christ’s grace.

If you’re walking in worry about whether or not you’re really saved, Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart by J.D. Greear is a great resource. Greear offers a diagnostic for Christians to “know for sure that you’re saved.” It’s not rooted in looking back at the moment of your conversion, but about honestly evaluating God’s work in your life right now.

This book is really biblical and really practical. I hope God will use it to encourage you and end your worry. You don’t need to get saved again, because Christ will always hold onto you.

Buy Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart:

Pray with Spurgeon: I am a child of God, not a slave to sin

Get a prayer from Spurgeon in your inbox every day. Subscribe to the Pray with Spurgeon newsletter for free.

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Since the hour when we knew your love and learned to say “Abba, Father,” we do confess we have been unworthy still. We have only felt your goodness a little; we have often acted very ungratefully, very distrustfully. But Lord, you have not changed, but still your faithfulness abounds to your servants; for which again we can only say, Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Romans 8:15)

We did receive the spirit of bondage once. We felt that we were under the law, and that the law cursed us. We felt its rigorous taxation, and that we could not meet it. Now that spirit has gone, and we have the spirit of freedom, the spirit of children, the spirit of adoption.

I suppose that the apostle felt so much of the spirit of adoption in his own bosom that he could not talk of it as belonging to others alone. He was obliged to include it thus, and so he puts it, “you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’” He wanted to intimate that he himself also was a partaker of this blessed spirit. And woe to the preacher who can preach an adoption which he never enjoyed. Woe to any of us if we can teach to others concerning the spirit of sonship, but never feel it crying in our own souls.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

A booklet to help you be amazed at Jesus*

One of the most impactful practices in my own life has been memorizing extended portions of Scripture. When we memorize Scripture, God faithfully uses it to deepen our love for him and keep us from sin.

There is a mountain of treasure to be found in Scripture memory. Unfortunately, often when I talk to others about Scripture memory, they don’t know where to begin. And that’s why I’m so grateful for Consider Him — a new Scripture memorization booklet focusing on the book of Hebrews.

Consider Him is a great resource to help you study, apply, and (yes!) memorize five key passages from the book of Hebrews. It is a really great tool and I’m excited to use it to deepen my own study of Hebrews.

Buy Consider Him from CementedCo.com.

Pray with Spurgeon: God loves sinners (And we are amazed)

Get a prayer from Spurgeon in your inbox every day. Subscribe to the Pray with Spurgeon newsletter for free.

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

In the recollection of all that you have done for us, your people, we are filled with amazement, as well as with gratitude, that you should have loved us before the foundation of the world; that sovereign love should have pitched upon us poor unworthy ones, that you should so love us as to redeem us with the blood of Jesus and give the Only Begotten to die for unworthy creatures like to us; that you should love us notwithstanding our sins and transgressions, that you should love us despite the hardness of our hearts and the rebellion of our nature. It is strange, it surpasses belief at times; yet do we know it to be so.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Hallelujah! I will praise the LORD with all my heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.” (Psalm 111:1)

“Praise ye the LORD,” or, Hallelujah! All you his saints unite in adoring the Lord, who works so gloriously. Do it now, do it always, do it heartily, do it unanimously, do it eternally. Even if others refuse, take care that you always have a song for your God. Put away all doubt, question, murmuring, and rebellion, and give yourselves up to the praising of the Lord, both with your lips and in your lives.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

You need a dictionary (Seriously, you need a dictionary)

Definitions are important. When reading a book or listening to teaching, we can’t learn or apply anything if we don’t know the words an author or speaker is using.

The Baker Compact Dictionary of Theological Terms by Gregg Allison is an invaluable resource for theological studies, offering clear definitions for the most important words for understanding the Bible and theology. This is an incredible resource for looking up new words that you don’t know and for getting a quick refresher on various theological positions.

Buy The Baker Compact Dictionary of Theological Terms:

Pray with Spurgeon: God is good (even if life isn’t)

Get a prayer from Spurgeon in your inbox every day. Subscribe to the Pray with Spurgeon newsletter for free.

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

O Lord, our God, how excellent is your name in all the earth! Some of us have to thank you for many mercies bestowed. We thank you for them; for we feel that we are entirely in your hands in all respects. Others of us have been brought very low, bruised full sore, but having a little strength remaining, we desire to praise and bless the giver of every gift.

You are good when you give, and you are good when you take away. You are good when the night gathers heavy about us. You are good when the sun shines and gladdeneth our pathway. You are always good and always do good, and blessed be the name of the Lord from the rising of the sun to the going down of it, and through the night watches let his praise be still celebrated.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)

Some of the rarest pearls have been found in the deepest waters, and some of the choicest utterances of believers have come when God’s waves and billows have been made to roll over them. The fire consumes nothing but the dross and leaves the gold all the purer. In Job’s case, with regard to his position before God, he had lost nothing by all his losses, for what could be purer and brighter gold than this that gleams before us from this text, revealing his triumphant patience, his complete resignation, and his cheerful acquiescence in the divine will?

We must learn the wisdom of never ascribing any earthly comfort to any earthly source. We must worship the giver and not the gift. And when we know that the Lord takes away our possessions, the knowledge that they are his effectually prevents us from complaining. From the first moment when the love of God is revealed to us, right on to the hour when we will be in the presence of the Father in glory, we may depend on it that there is infinite love in every act of God in taking from us, just as much as in giving to us.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

A Bedtime Blessing for Children

Whether your children are afraid of the dark or not, we should always encourage our children to trust God at bedtime (and at all times!). Why Do We Say Good Night? by Champ Thornton is a great God-glorifying book for kids.

The book, packed full with simple rhymes, beautiful illustrations, and even more beautiful gospel-centered theology, tells the story of a little girl who is a little scared to be left alone at night. Her mother offers her the good news that our great God, the one who made the night, is near, in control, and good.

This book is one of the favorites of our family. There have been seasons when we’ve read it every night before bedtime, and my wife and I would even get it out again after bedtime to pour over the beautiful illustrations and think more about the incredible message it offers.

Buy Why Do We Say Good Night?:

Pastor, you can’t save your hearers (But Christ can)

Get wisdom encouragement for Spurgeon in your inbox every week. Subscribe to the The Pastor’s Note newsletter for free.

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR PASTORS (BY SPURGEON)

The new birth is the mysterious point in all religion. If you preach anything else except the new birth you will always get on well with your hearers; but if you insist that in order to enter heaven there must be a radical change, though this is the doctrine of the Scripture, it is so unpalatable to mankind in general that you will scarcely get them to listen.

Ah! Now ye turn away if I begin to tell you, that “except ye be born of water and of the Spirit, ye cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.” If I tell you that there must be a regenerating influence exerted upon your minds by the power of the Holy Ghost, then I know ye will say “it is enthusiasm.” Ah! but it is the enthusiasm of the Bible. There I stand; by this I will be judged. If the Bible does not say we must be born again, then I give it up; but if it does then, sirs, do not distrust that truth on which your salvation hangs.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION (BY SPURGEON)

Spurgeon was a master illustrator. You can use this illustration in your own preaching to describe Christian contentment.

I have heard of some good old woman in a cottage, who had nothing but a piece of bread and a little water, and lifting up her hands, she said, as a blessing, “What! all this, and Christ too?” It is “all this,” compared with what we deserve.

PRAYER FOR PASTORS

This week, please pray for Pastor Alma Garcia from Templo Linaje Escogido in El Paso, Texas.

  • Wisdom to fund raise money to buy our own church building.
  • Grace and wisdom from our Lord to lead his children with love.
  • For our Lord to continue providing for rent and utility bills.

Can we pray for you? Click here to submit prayer requests for a future newsletter.

Pray with Spurgeon: God makes us happy, holy, devout, and strong

Get a prayer from Spurgeon in your inbox every day. Subscribe to the Pray with Spurgeon newsletter for free.

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Now this morning be pleased to refresh us. Draw near unto us, gracious God: it is only your presence that can make us happy, holy, devout, or strong. Shadow us now with your wings, cover us with your feathers, and under your wings may we trust. May we follow you very closely, and so feel the quickening warmth, the joy which only your nearness can bring.

The Lord bless us now, and all his chosen people. Our soul cries out for it. Break, O everlasting morning, break over the dark hills! Let our eyes behold you, and till the day break and the shadows flee away, abide with us, O our Beloved, abide with us now

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me, for I take refuge in you. I will seek refuge in the shadow of your wings until danger passes.” (Psalm 57:1)

What a mixture of feebleness and strength there is in this verse—the feebleness so beautified by being clothed with the strength of faith! What a turning away from man and what a turning wholly unto the Lord! And, in coming to the Lord, what humility and what pleading for mercy, and for mercy only!

And what joyous confidence and what sweet rest in God! “If I cannot see the brightness of your face, the shadow of your wings will be enough for me. Only let me get near you—only permit me humbly to trust you, and it will be enough for me, ‘until these calamities pass.’”

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Discover how Christianity is more reasonable than atheism

Christianity offers the most logical explanation for the world. The Bible alone can explain our existence, our innate feelings of right-and-wrong, and the pain we feel in our suffering. The Bible doesn’t offer a reasonable explanation of these things — the Bible offers a hopeful, gospel-saturated explanation of our world.

A great book on this topic is Jesus or Nothing by Dan DeWitt. The book presents Christianity as the only reliable and hopeful alternative to atheism. This book will surely deepen your faith and help you defend it against skeptics and atheists.

But, maybe more importantly, the book will fill you up with joy that the real God who really did create the world, really did launch a loving plan to save you. And that’s really good news.

Buy Jesus or Nothing:

Pray with Spurgeon: I want to serve God with my all

Get a prayer from Spurgeon in your inbox every day. Subscribe to the Pray with Spurgeon newsletter for free.

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Lord, we have yet another burden—it is that we ourselves do not love you as we should, that often we grow lukewarm and chill, and doubt creeps over us, and unbelief mars our confidence, and we sin and forget our God. O Lord, help us!

Pardon is not enough, we want sanctification. We ask you, let the weeds that grow in the seed plot of our soul be cut up by the roots. We do want to serve you. We long that every thought we think, and word we say or write, should be all for you. We want to lead consecrated lives, for we are persuaded that we only live as we live unto God, that anything else is but trifling. Oh, to be taken up as offerings wholly to be consumed upon the altar of the Lord, joyfully ascending to him in every outgoing of our life.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

Sincere belief in the word of Christ leads to emancipation from the tyrannical power of the evil that dwells in our members and from the dominating power of the sin that rules in the customs of the world. We will be free from our own prejudices, prides, and lusts. We will be free from the fear of others.

The truth known within our spirits will make a free man of us. Up to now we may have been the bondsman of self. We have inquired, “What will this thing profit me?” and thus the desire of self-aggrandizement has ruled everything, but when Jesus is our Lord, we will be free from this sordid motive.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

If theology is boring, you aren’t doing it right

Theology is meant to be a life-changing, worship-inducing encounter with the living God. When we ponder who God is, what he is like, and what he has done, we ought to be completely amazed.

One book to help you be amazed at our great God is None Like Him by Jen Wilkin. In each chapter, Jen unpacks one of God’s incommunicable attributes — the attributes that make God unlike us. She also describes the disastrous consequences when we try to take God’s place and live as if we were the supreme eternal ones.

This book is really wonderful (it will leave you amazed at how great our God is!) and really practical (it will help you become more like Christ).

Buy None Like Him: