Author: Charles Spurgeon

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

Thanks for praying with us this week (and don’t miss this weekend edition tomorrow!) Thanks to Lexham Press for sponsoring the newsletter this month. Their beautiful book, Fount of Heaven: Prayers of the Early Church is FINALLY back in stock. Get it this month only for 25% off right here.*

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Come near, our Father, and draw close to your children. Some of us are weak in body and faint in heart. Soon, O God, lay your right hand upon us and say, “Do not fear.” If any of us are being drawn towards the world, come near and extinguish the influence of the world with your superior power.

Even the act of worship may not be easy for some. The dragon seems to pursue them, and floods of distractions wash away their devotion. Grant them wings like eagles, that each one may soar away to the place prepared for them and find rest in your presence today.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Now they know that everything you have given me is from you..” (John 17:7–8)

How blessedly Christ lays aside all honor to himself, even in his own gospel! He declared that the things he taught his disciples were not his own but the Father’s. The Father always honors the Son, and the Son takes care always to honor the Father.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

A Summer Bible Study Challenge for Men

Husbands, we are called to lay down our lives in service for our wives — how can we grow to be the sacrificial leader that God has called us to be?

I created a resource, The God Centered Husband Bible Study Workbook to help husbands understand God’s call on their lives and equip them to follow it. 

This is a simple, hands-on Bible study workbook for married guys. It will walk you through six passages of Scripture about being a husband and challenge you to serve your wife sacrificially, lead her consistently, and show her the character of God.

Every man lives for something. This Bible study will challenge you to stop living for yourself, your wife, or your career, and live for God more faithfully.

Perfect for individual, small group, or one-on-one Bible study, my prayer is that this Bible study will help you become the husband that God has called you to be.

If you’re a husband, grab a copy for yourself and a guy you know.

If you’re a wife, grab a copy for your husband.
(Trust me, he’ll thank you)

Buy The God Centered Husband Bible Study Workbook on Amazon.

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

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

O you who are the King of kings and Lord of lords, we worship you. “Before the Lord’s awesome throne, we bow with sacred joy. We can truly say that we delight in God. There was a time when we feared you, O God, with the fear of bondage. But now, we revere and love you equally.

The thought of your omnipresence was once dreadful to us. We wondered, “Where shall we flee from Your presence?” and it seemed to make hell itself more horrifying, as we heard the voice saying, “If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.” But now, O Lord, we desire to find you. Our longing is to feel your presence, and it is the heaven of heavens to know that you are there. The sickbed is soft when you are there. The furnace of affliction grows cool when you are there, and the house of prayer, when you are present, is none other than the house of God and the very gate of heaven.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.” (John 17:6)

How tenderly he speaks of them! He speaks the best he can about them. They were imperfect, feeble people, yet he says, “They have kept your word.” And indeed, they did. May you and I do the same and not be swept away by the tide of unbelief! Even if we are not perfect and fall short in some aspects, may the Master be able to say to God about us, “They have kept your word!”

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Should we use pre-written prayers?*

We don’t want to merely go through the motions of prayer — we need to have deep, passionate, heartfelt communication with the living God. Prayer that engages our hearts, fills our minds, and fuels our lives of love for God and others.

Some people think that using a book of pre-written prayers is incompatible with this kind of passionate prayer life.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Using pre-written prayers can actually lift your prayer life out of a rut (praying the same words about the same issues), giving us new things to pray for, biblical language to pray with, and different attributes of God to reflect on in prayer.

Praying with the Fount of Heaven book has really fueled my prayer life this month, and I know it will fuel your prayer life as well.

This book compiles hundreds of prayers from the early church, so you can pray along with heroes who lived within just a few generations of Jesus’ ministry.

Pray with passion, with all of your heart.

Pray with the church, with all of history.

This month only: Buy Fount of Heaven and save 25%.

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

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Send, we pray, seasonable weather for the harvest of the earth’s fruits, but above all, send a time of harvest to your Church. May your Kingdom come and your will be done. Fulfill the promise of the Father that you have made to your Son—”They shall be called a people who were not a people, and her beloved who was not beloved. And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they shall be called sons of the living God.”

Oh, draw them today; save them today. May this be a day in which many fruits ripen for Christ. Lord, save the people; save all of your people. We ask this in the name, the mighty sovereign name, of Jesus.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with that glory I had with you before the world existed.” (John 17:5)

After completing the work, Christ was to receive glory. O worker for God, do not seek glory before your work is done! Do not expect honor from people because you have begun the work so earnestly. Persevere until it is finished, and then the glory will come. “Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward,” said our Lord regarding the scribes and Pharisees who sought the praise of people. But your reward is not yet, it is yet to come. Wait for it, for it is certain to come.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Learn more about prayer from Spurgeon

I’ve been sending this newsletter every day for almost four years, and I’m still learning a lot about the power and importance of prayer from Spurgeon. Which is why I recently compiled some of his best sermons on prayer into a book, Spurgeon on Prayer.

I’ve made this book available for free to all subscribers of the newsletter, but you can also purchase physical or Kindle copies on Amazon to support this ministry, so I’m able to continue sending this newsletter.

I hope you’ll support this ministry so I can continue to send the newsletter for many years to come.

Get Spurgeon on Prayer:

• Free Download (PDF)
• Amazon (Paperback or Kindle editions)

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

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Restore the sick among us, and for those in our fellowship who are appointed to face death, may the Lord be solemnly present with them. May they depart from this world in ecstasy, filled with eternal life. May the vast sea of God’s presence surge into the river of their existence, so that even if their natural sources run dry, they may be replenished from the supernatural deeps of God’s indwelling presence.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“I have glorified you on the earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” (John 17:4)

Here our Saviour speaks by anticipation. He foresaw that he would pass through his passion, that all the work of his people’s redemption would be fully accomplished, and in this his final prayer on earth to the Father he could truly say, “I have finished the work which you gave me to do.”

May you and I be able to say the same when we depart out of this world! Not boastingly—there was no boasting in our Lord—but truthfully, conscientiously, from the bottom of our heart may each one of us be able to say, “I have finished the work which you gave me to do.”

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Prayers 1,500 years before Spurgeon*

You subscribe to and read this newsletter every day because you know that praying along with voices from church history is beneficial. We can learn prayer by “eavesdropping” on conversations with God that our forefathers, like Spurgeon, have had.

But there is even more wealth to be discovered earlier in church history, in the prayer life of the early church. We have a lot to learn from the devotional life of the early church — and teachers like Augustine, Irenaeus, Ambrose, and John Chrysostom can be great examples of prayer.

I’m really excited about a new book, Fount of Heaven which carefully collects some of the most beautiful prayers from the first six centuries of the church.

Fount of Heaven has been sold out for months but it’s finally back in stock! And to celebrate, my friends at Lexham Press have a special offer for “Pray with Spurgeon” subscribers.

This month only, you can buy Fount of Heaven at a discount. (I don’t know how long this book will be in stock, so I hope you’ll grab a copy today.)

This book is really beautiful and it’s been extremely beneficial for strengthening my prayer life. I’m confident that it will benefit your prayer life as well.

This month only: Buy Fount of Heaven and save 25%.

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

PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH (BY SPURGEON)

There are many who are now joining us, great God, in this prayer, that we may have many conversions this very morning. We mean to look, and wait, and watch for it. We ask that this very morning, while Jesus Christ is lifted up, many may look unto him and be cured of the serpent’s bite forever. You have promised to hear your people’s prayer, and this is a prayer that must be according to your mind; and it is for the honor of your dear Son; and it is put up in faith, put up in faith in Jesus. Give us then a great increase to the church, by the preaching of the gospel this morning.

Amen.

GET A FREE BOOK

Thanks to Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Spurgeon College for sponsoring the Weekend Edition.

Midwestern is giving away five sets of The Lost Sermons of C.H. Spurgeon to Pray with Spurgeon subscribers (a collection of Spurgeon’s earliest sermons, now released in a series of seven beautiful books). Click here to enter to win.

They’ve also curated some great resources, including FREE seminary-level video classes. Get all of these resources right here.

WEEKEND LONG READ (SERMON BY SPURGEON)

Two Sorts of Hearers

Pause and consider what God the Lord sets before you. Be a doer of the word. Do what God bids you. As he bids you repent, repent; as he bids you believe, believe; as he bids you pray, pray; as he bids you accept his grace, God helping you, do it. Oh, that it might be done at once, and to the Lord shall be praise world without end.

Read the full sermon from the Spurgeon Center for Biblical Preaching at Midwestern Seminary.

A FREE RESOURCE FROM MIDWESTERN

Theology in the Everyday: Angels

The Theology in the Everyday series seeks to introduce and explain theological concepts in 500 words or less, with a 200-word section helping explain the doctrine to kids.

PREPARE FOR MINISTRY AT MIDWESTERN

With all the hardships and headwinds Christian ministers face in a post-Christian world, along with the growing reality of ministry burnout, this year’s For The Church National Conference seeks to remind ministry leaders and saints alike of the glorious calling of everyday ministry. There may be days filled with difficulties and loss, yet being a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ is worth every pain, every worry, and every tear.

Join us in Kansas City on September 11-12 to remember why everyday ministry matters for the glory of God and the good of the Church.

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

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

O God, have compassion on our city with all its sorrows, and may efforts be made to reach every inhabitant with the gospel, bringing it to every home and every heart, until this city becomes renowned for godliness as it is known for its vast population.

Lord, we long for your glory to be made known to all mankind. Our hearts ache for the Jewish people, that they may come to accept the Messiah. Bring them to the feet of our beloved Messiah. We cry out to you for those who are bound by ritualism, seeking righteousness of their own. They have zeal for God, but it is not based on true knowledge. Oh, may they encounter the knowledge of Jesus and seek him, finding in him eternal life.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3)

This does not mean mere head-knowledge; but to know in the heart and soul the one only true God, and Jesus Christ who was sent of him to the sons of men, “this is life eternal.” God without Christ brings not eternal life, and Christ, if he were not sent of God, would not bring eternal life to us; but knowing God in Christ Jesus is eternal life.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Trust in God’s preserving, purifying power through all of your suffering

Today, we prayed a prayer of thanksgiving that God has preserved us (and others) through significant trials. And then, turning to God’s Word in Psalm 34:19, we saw that this is always the case: God is at work in your suffering to preserve you and to purify you.

This was one of the major themes in Spurgeon’s teaching on suffering, but it was not all he had to say on the topic. Spurgeon learned supernatural wisdom from God’s Word and his own pain on how to address our suffering in a God-glorifying, hopeful way.

Spurgeon’s teaching on suffering is very useful, so I compiled a brief collection of it in a short book, Spurgeon on Suffering. This book contains 12 classic sermons from Spurgeon on suffering, pain, and God’s grace through it all.

I hope you’ll buy a copy today, and I hope it will bless you.

(As a side note, purchasing a copy is a great way to support this ministry so that I can continue to send this daily newsletter!)

Buy Spurgeon on Suffering on Amazon (Paperback or Kindle edition)

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

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Bless today all your people, wherever they are gathered, representing many nations and speaking different languages. We pray for our fellow believers at home and offer our prayers for the entire family of God around the world. May there be a revival of religion in every country, and may the light of Christ break through the darkness of the unreached where he is not yet known. Grant that people may earnestly seek after God, and may your gospel reach out to meet their searching hearts.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him.” (John 17:1–2)

Here we have both the universality and the speciality of the work of divine mercy. Christ has power over all flesh, men are in the power of the one Mediator, but there is this special object ever before him: “that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him.”

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

How to pray (when you don’t know how to pray)*

We cannot live without prayer. It is not an added bonus to make the Christian life a little bit better — it is our source of life. We cannot survive without it anymore than we could survive without oxygen. Prayer is incredibly important, and so we have to work constantly to strengthen our prayer life.

A practice that’s always been really helpful for me when I don’t know how to pray is praying along with saints from church history.

When my words fail me, the words of saints who have gone before me can encourage my prayers.

(And, as a matter of preference, the older the better!)

And that’s why I’ve been really loving Fount of Heaven: Prayers of the Early Church. This book has gathered some of the most biblically-solid, moving prayers from early church history into one incredible volume.

These prayers are arranged by topics, which makes this book a great resource if you need help praying about a specific issue.

Praying along with the early church will not REPLACE your personal prayers — it will STRENGTHEN them.

This is a great time to add this book to your library. I know it will help your prayer life this summer.

This month only: Buy Fount of Heaven and save 25%.

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

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Our Father, we earnestly implore you to have mercy on the unconverted we know. We have always prayed for them, but now we pray with even greater intensity. Hear the multitude of supplications that have been lifted up for those who are almost persuaded to be Christians but have not fully committed. Do not let them linger any longer in that perilous place on the edge of faith, knowing but not obeying, hearing but not receiving the gospel.

May the Lord draw sinners to himself. Whether it is in London, or anywhere else in the world, whether it is through pastors, evangelists, or private members, as the gospel is proclaimed, may it be accompanied by the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. May multitudes and hundreds of thousands turn to Christ, until the whole earth is filled with your glory. Lord, bring revival to my city. We thank you that you have not cast it aside. But for those who may be considered outcasts, gather them together and bring them to the feet of Jesus. Save the people, O Lord, and raise up a nation that will fear your name.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you,’” (John 17:1)

The great design of Christ, all through his life on earth, was to glorify the Father. He came to save his people; but that was not his first or his chief aim. It was his object, through the salvation of myriads of the sons of men, to glorify the Father.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Are you really saved? (You CAN know for sure)

Today we prayed for those who don’t know God’s grace in Christ. Some of these people are “looking to themselves instead of to Christ,” which makes it extremely difficult to share the gospel with them.

Here’s a resource to help you examine yourself: Am I Really a Christian? by Mike McKinley.

This book is a short Bible study on seven ways that the New Testament describes all Christians. If these things are true of you, then praise God, you can have assurance that you are born again. If these things are not true of you, then come to the cross in faith and find life in Jesus’ resurrection.

This book is a great resource for any Christian struggling with assurance. It is also a great book to read with a non-believer who claims to be a Christian — buy two and read it with a nominal Christian you know this year.

I hope you’ll take seriously the call to examine yourself, and I know that this book will be a helpful tool in the process.

Buy Am I Really a Christian?:

• Amazon (Paperback or Kindle editions)
• ChristianBook.com (Paperback or ebook editions)