Category: Pray with Spurgeon

Pray with Spurgeon: God, we long to be holy like you

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Savior, help us to mortify the flesh with its corruptions and lusts. May that which was our pride become our shame; that which was our love become our hate. May every form of sin for which we have been so ready to make excuse and apologies, be condemned by us, and taken out to die a felon’s death.

Let not our hands spare, nor our eyes have pity upon any one of our sins; but may we smite them until we have been clean delivered from their dominion, and even from their intrusion. We sigh for holiness, we long for it. Lord grant we may attain to it, yes, to the very fullness of it by your sanctifying Spirit.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“He turns a desert into a pool, dry land into springs. He causes the hungry to settle there, and they establish a city where they can live.” (Psalm 107:35–36)

They will appreciate the change and prize his grace. As the barrenness of the land caused their hunger, so will its fertility banish it forever, and they will settle down a happy and thankful people to bless God for every handful of corn which the land yields to them. None are so ready to return a revenue of praise to God for great mercies as those who have known the lack of them. Hungry souls make sweet music when the Lord fills them with his gracious gifts. Are we hungry? Or are we satisfied with the husks of this poor, swinish world?

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Real Hope for All Your Fears and Anxiety

Today we prayed that God would end all wars. Unfortunately, God has not answered that prayer yet. And as we read the news, we’re often filled with dread and anxiety about the state of our world.

Whether our fears are global or very personal, we won’t grow past our worries unless we address them with solid biblical truth.

That’s the point of Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest by Ed Welch. This book offers a biblical perspective on fear and worry in general, and then zooms in to offer biblical hope for some of the most common fears (e.g., fear of money, fear of people, fear of death, etc.).

Reading Running Scared will give you more confidence in God and his Word that will help you deal with your own fears and to share the hope of the Bible with others too. I know this book will encourage you to trust God — I hope you’ll grab a copy.

Buy Running Scared:

*Get the audiobook for free with an Audible free trial. (The audiobook is yours to keep, even if you cancel the free trial)

Pray with Spurgeon: Help us to feel the shame of sin

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

May we feel the misery of sin, and chasten our hearts as with a scourge, to think that ever they should have gone aside from the infinite purity of love. Lord, help us feel the shame of sin. We would count it as a thing that is not fit to live. Oh that it might be perfectly crucified in us, and the flesh out of which it comes.

Would the whole power of evil within us, the very embodiment of evil might be slain; and that we might be delivered from its power entirely, to serve God in holiness all the days of our lives. Savior, help us to mortify the flesh with its corruptions and lusts.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“He turns a desert into a pool, dry land into springs.” (Psalm 107:35)

With another turn of his hand, he restores more than what he took away in judgment. He does his work of mercy on a grand scale, for a deep lake appears where there was only a sandy waste. This wonder is not wrought by natural laws, working by some innate force, but by himself. This act of mercy is the precise reversal of the deed of judgment, and is wrought by the same hand.

Similarly, in the church, and in each individual saint, the mercy of the Lord soon works wondrous changes where restoring and renewing grace begins its benevolent work. Oh, that we might see this verse fulfilled in all around us and within our own hearts! Then would these words serve us for an exclamation of grateful astonishment and a song of well-deserved praise.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Pursue holiness like your life depends on it.

Today we prayed that God would help us be fully dead to sin — holy in thought, deed, and word. In this pursuit of holiness, we need a lot of help along the way, don’t we?

One of the most motivating and empowering books on personal holiness that I have ever read is The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. This book will show you the high calling of holiness that God has laid on all of his people (and why it’s so important) while also giving grace-fueled practical guidance on actually pursuing holiness in your own life.

Jerry Bridges is one of my all-time favorite authors. All of his books are worth reading — he does an excellent job at applying the truths of the gospel to the problems we face in life.

This book will equip you and empower you to pursue holiness. I hope you’ll grab a copy and be blessed by it.

Buy The Pursuit of Holiness:

Pray with Spurgeon: There is no pleasure in sin

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

We know that Christ has suffered so that we may not suffer and has taken upon himself our griefs so that we may be filled with joy. Yet, let the shadow of his blessed grief fall over our spirits now. May that shadow begin in our souls the consciousness of the darkness, the blackness, the heinousness of sin. May we see it in its true colors and loathe ourselves to think we ever loved the wages of unrighteousness and the pleasures of transgression. What pleasure can there be in disobeying our Father, in revolting against One who loves us so infinitely?

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“He turns… fruitful land into salty wasteland, because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.” (Psalm 107:34)

If we will not yield the Lord a harvest of obedience, God may forbid the soil to yield us a harvest of bread, and what then? If we turn good into evil can we wonder if the Lord pays us in kind, and returns our baseness into our own bosoms? Many a barren church owes its present sad estate to its inconsistent behavior, and many a barren Christian has come into this mournful condition by a careless, unsanctified walk before the Lord. Let not saints who are now useful run the risk of enduring the loss of their mercies, but let them be watchful that all things may go well with them.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

God is real (and that is really, really good news)

Today’s prayer reminded us that there is no joy to be found in sin. Sin and unbelief rob us of joy by bringing us to doubt that God really is there (or really is good). But when we embrace him in faith, we see that he really is perfect, loving, kind, and real.

A great resource for growing your own faith and ending your unbelief is Jesus or Nothing by Dan DeWitt. This book doesn’t just help us see that God exist, but it shows that God’s existence is really, really good news.

Because God (as he’s revealed himself in the Bible) is real, our life has meaning and joy is possible. If there isn’t a God, nothing has any meaning. 

I know that this book will strengthen your faith and equip you to share your faith with others. Jesus or Nothing is an incredible, faith-strengthening, life-giving, joy-producing, Bible-saturated book. I hope you’ll grab a copy.

Buy Jesus or Nothing:

Pray with Spurgeon: Devoted to God alone

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

O God, we are often ashamed of ourselves to find how vehemently our affections will turn toward earthly loves, how soon we are carried away by a sort of spiritual harlotry after other things. Oh, make us to be chaste to you; our whole heart being given up to the one ever-blessed God, in the Trinity of divine Persons, whom we would worship this morning with all our heart and soul and spirit.

We ask of you, most blessed Father, that your Holy Spirit may repeat in us the life of Christ. Especially, we pray that we may know the fellowship of his suffering, and the power of his resurrection.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“He turns rivers into desert, springs into thirsty ground,” (Psalm 107:33)

When the Lord deals with rebellious men he can soon deprive them of those blessings of which they feel most assured; their rivers and perennial springs they look upon as certain never to be taken from them, but the Lord at a word can deprive them even of these. In hot climates after long droughts streams of water utterly fail, and even springs cease to flow, and this also has happened in other parts of the world when great convulsions of the earth’s surface have occurred. In providence this physical catastrophe finds its counterpart when business ceases to yield profit and sources of wealth are made to fail; as also when health and strength are taken away, when friendly aids are withdrawn, and comfortable associations are broken up. So, too, in soul matters, the most prosperous ministries may become dry, the most delightful meditations cease to benefit us, and the most fruitful religious exercises grow void of the refreshment of grace which they formerly yielded.

Therefore, we must walk before God with reverential gratitude, and so to live that it may not become necessary for him to afflict us.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

An incredible event for 18–25 year-olds*

At CROSS CON24, 18–25 year-olds will learn about what it really looks like to lay their lives down to serve Jesus. Speakers like David Platt, John Piper, Kevin DeYoung, Brooks Buser, Mark Dever, and more will help you understand God’s purposes in the world (and the unique part that YOU can play in his plan).

I am PUMPED about CROSS CON24, and I hope to see you there. You’ll be amazed at what God does in your life as you learn about his undefeated, undefeatable mission to spread his glory to all of the earth.

If you’re 18–25, be there. Get a group of friends together and find a way to get to Louisville.

If you’re not 18–25, then tell every 18–25 year-old in your church about CROSS CON24.

Prices increase on May 31, so register now to save.

Weekend Edition: We need Jesus. Every Week.

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)

We fear there are some among us this morning who still indulge in the sins which brought Christ to death, some that still are trusting in their own righteousness and so are despising his; because if their’s will suffice, then his were superfluous. O God, we ask you, bring men away from all their false trusts to rest in the great sacrifice of your dear Son. Let not one person here be so callous to the merit of Christ as not to love him, or so indifferent to the efficacy of his blood as not to desire to be cleansed in it.

Oh, bring every one of us now to believe in Jesus Christ with our whole heart unto eternal life, that so everyone who gathers with our church today may belong to Jesus, that he may have a portion with the great. But even those who have believed in Christ have need to put up the same prayer. Our Lord and Master, Redeemer and Savior, come and take entire possession of us.

Amen.

GET A FREE BOOK

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

This month, Midwestern is giving away three copies of Dr. Geoff Chang’s new book, Spurgeon the Pastor. Plus, everyone who enters will receive the first chapter for free! Click here to enter to win.

Spurgeon the Pastor is a great book. When you read this book, Spurgeon becomes your mentor — you’ll learn from his example what a healthy church should look like. This is an incredible resource (and it’s NOT just for pastors!)..

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

WEEKEND LONG READ (SERMON BY SPURGEON)

The Tender Mercy of God

Our point is this, that when the Lord Jesus Christ visits us, he actually brings light to our darkness; really leads into the way, and makes that way a way of peace to us. Put all together, and remember what the Lord has done for you. You did not know the way once, and all the preaching in the world would not have made you know it, if Jesus had not by his Spirit visited you as the dayspring.

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

A FREE RESOURCE FROM MIDWESTERN

Union with Christ: An Unbreakable Fellowship

What does it mean to be “one with Christ” or “in Christ?” This is a crucial theological topic, which is often overlooked or misunderstood by Christians today.

This post is part of the Theology in the Everyday series, which 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.

Pray with Spurgeon: We stand upon the Rock of Ages

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

O Lord, we often question ourselves to know whether we have real faith in Jesus Christ our Lord, and we will now pray that you would search us, and try us, and see that we are really trusting in him; and if we are, Lord increase our faith. But if we have merely a notional faith, rid us from the counterfeit, and give us yet the real, precious gold, which wisdom alone can furnish. Oh, for a humble but sincere faith in our divine Lord.

Lord, if it be necessary to break our hearts in order that we may have it, then let them be broken. If we have to unlearn a thousand things to learn the sweet secret of faith in him, let us become fools that we may be wise, only bring us surely and really to stand upon the Rock of Ages—so to stand there as never to fall, but to be kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.” (Psalm 107:32 1:1)

Thanks for God’s mercies should be given publicly in the place where people gather for worship. Praise should be given with great solemnity in the presence of men of age, experience, and influence. Often when people hear of a narrow escape from shipwreck, they pass over the matter with a careless remark about good luck, but it should never be joked about in such a way.

When a heart has been in great spiritual storms and has at last found peace, there will follow as a duty and a privilege the acknowledgment of the Lord’s mercy before his people.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Preach the gospel to yourself (here’s how)

Today we prayed that God would strengthen our faith by helping us forget false gospels and hold fast to the truth.

One of the ways we work to strengthen our faith is preaching the gospel to ourselves. We must constantly remind ourselves of the work that Christ has done to suffer, die, and rise again for sinners — for me. Spurgeon called those reminders “preaching the gospel to yourself.” This is an important discipline that we have to cultivate to stay rooted in God’s grace.

One tool to help you preach the gospel to yourself is Note to Self by Joe Thorn. This book contains 48 short devotions that are formatted as simple notes written for your own heart. Read them to yourself, preach them to yourself, knowing that you need these truths to live.

Note to Self is a great tool for remembering that your only hope is Christ, not your own works. I know these short devotions will encourage you and increase your love for him.

Buy Note to Self:

*Get the audiobook for free!

Pray with Spurgeon: God is faithful, may we trust him

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Heal us, Immanuel, of our unbelief and make us strong in faith, giving glory to God. Perhaps some of your children here are sorely tempted. They have had many trials during the week. They scarcely know how they have lived during the week, but here they are, and your loving-kindness has kept them alive.

“As your days so shall your strength be,” that is the promise. “Thus far the Lord has helped us,” that is the experience. “I will trust and not be afraid,” that is the practical inference from the promise and the experience. May each child of yours say that through the power of the touch of the Master.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Let them give thanks to the LORD for his faithful love and his wondrous works for all humanity.” (Psalm 107:31)

Let the sea declare the praises of the Lord because of his delivering grace. As the sailor steps onto the shore, let him lift up a solemn hymn to heaven, and let others who see him rescued from the jaws of death join in his thanksgiving.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

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

Today, we prayed that God would strengthen our faith in the face of significant trials. God’s power to preserve us 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)

Pray with Spurgeon: Lord, strengthen our faith

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

There are some who are your children, beloved Lord, but they are afflicted with the sickness of weak and trembling faith. Lord, strengthen our faith. Lift us up beyond all doubt. Let there be no doubts in our minds about the fundamental principles of the everlasting gospel. Let us have no distrust of your power to save us, even though we are the least of all saints and the chief of sinners. Let us have no distrust of your providence, no doubt of your faithful love, but may we trust you as a child trusts its father, without the shadow of distrust, resting in you and waiting patiently for you.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“They rejoiced when the waves grew quiet. Then he guided them to the harbor they longed for.” (Psalm 107:30)

The rougher the voyage, the more the sailors long for port, and heaven becomes more and more “a desired haven” as our trials increase. Through storms and favorable breezes, through tempests and fair weather, the great Pilot and Ruler of the sea brings sailors to port, and his people to heaven. He must have the glory of the successful voyage of life, and when we are anchored in the river of life above, we will make sure that his praises are not forgotten.

We would have been wrecked long ago if it were not for his preserving hand, and our only hope of surviving the storms of the future is based on his wisdom, faithfulness, and power. Our heavenly haven will ring with shouts of grateful joy once we reach its blessed shore.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

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

Today’s prayer acknowledged that sin often causes us to doubt our salvation. 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 preserving 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:

*Get the audiobook for free.

Pray with Spurgeon: When God brings peace, it is indeed peace

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

And if we need anything, O Lord our Provider, may it be seen on the mount that you provide. Bless your people. Many of your servants delight to do your will, but they may be somewhat weary. Lord, refresh them. For this is the rest and refreshing—that we come and feed on Jesus Christ, the heavenly bread.

O Christ Jesus our Lord, you are still mighty to heal, and we are a company who have come together full of sicknesses, sores, and sorrows of all kinds. We would not waste a moment while blessings are so abundant and power to heal is so remarkably present in you. But we would each strive to touch you, if we may, and ask that virtue would come out of you this day, O blessed risen Christ, to heal us of whatever disease we have.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“He stilled the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed.” (Psalm 107:29)

God reveals his power in the sudden and amazing transformations that occur at his command. He commanded the storm, and now he has brought calm: God is in all natural phenomena, and we should acknowledge his work.

The waves are still. They bow down in silence at his feet. Where huge waves once leaped aloft, there is barely a ripple to be seen. When God brings peace, it is indeed peace — the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. He can instantly change a person’s state of mind, so that it seems like a complete miracle to him that he has gone from a hurricane to calmness so suddenly.

May the Lord work in the heart of the reader in this way if his heart is storm-tossed with external troubles or internal fears. Lord, speak the word and peace will come immediately.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

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

I was so encouraged by this line in today’s prayer: “For this is the rest and refreshing—that we come and feed on Jesus Christ, the heavenly bread.”

We find rest and refreshing at the feet of Jesus. He is everything we need and everything we have ever longed for.

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 soon. If you haven’t read it yet, please buy a copy today and put it at the top of your reading list for spring or summer. I promise that you won’t regret it!

Buy Gentle and Lowly:

*Get the audiobook for free!

Pray with Spurgeon: God the Holy Spirit, be our comforter

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

O our gracious God, we not only need to confess our sins but also to ask for innumerable favors. We need to be comforted, for we are often downcast. Perhaps we need to be sobered, for our hearts stray after the idols of the world. Maybe today we are dull and heavy. Oh, give us the Holy Spirit so we can be quick, lively, and joyful as we serve you. Whatever ails us, O Lord our Healer, lay your healing hand upon us.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.” (Psalm 107:28)

Even when they were at their wits’ end, they still had the wisdom to pray. Their hearts were softened, and they cried out for help. This was good and ended well, for it is written, “He brought them out of their distresses.” Prayer is good during a storm. We can pray while staggering and reeling, and pray when we are at our wits’ end. God will hear us amidst the thunder and answer us out of the storm. He brought their distresses upon the sailors, and therefore, they did well to turn to him for help in removing them; and they did not look in vain.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Who is the Holy Spirit, anyway?

Today, we prayed for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. While I’m sure you were able to confident pray this prayer, many Christians are confused about who the Holy Spirit really is and what he is doing in our lives.

A great book to understand and apply the Bible’s teaching on who the Holy Spirit is (and what he does) is Rediscovering the Holy Spirit: God’s Perfecting Presence in Creation, Redemption, and Everyday Life by Michael Horton.

This book unpacks the Holy Spirit’s work throughout the Bible and in our lives today. It is thoroughly biblical and practical.

Knowing and loving the Holy Spirit is a crucial part of the Christian life. I know this book will be a helpful tool as you worship God the Holy Spirit — I hope you’ll grab a copy today.

Buy Rediscovering the Holy Spirit:

*Get the audiobook for free!