Category: Pray with Spurgeon

Pray with Spurgeon: May I glorify God with everything

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Lord, help me to glorify you; I am poor, help me to glorify you by contentment; I am sick, help me to give you honor by patience; I have talents, help me to extol you by spending them for you; I have time, Lord, help me to redeem it, that I may serve you; I have a heart to feel, Lord, let that heart feel no love but yours, and glow with no flame but affection for you; I have a head to think, Lord, help me to think of you and for you; you have put me in this world for something, Lord, show me what that is, and help me to work out my life-purpose: I cannot do much, but as the widow put in her two mites, which were all her living, so, Lord, I cast my time and eternity too into your treasury; I am all yours; take me, and enable me to glorify you now, in all that I say, in all that I do, and with all that I have.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to the LORD!” (Psalm 100:1)

The original word signifies a glad shout, such as loyal subjects give when their king appears among them. Our happy God should be worshipped by a happy people; a cheerful spirit is in keeping with his nature, his acts, and the gratitude which we should cherish for his mercies.

In every land the Lord’s goodness is seen, therefore in every land should he be praised. Never will the world be in its proper condition until with one unanimous shout it adores the only God. O nations, how long will you blindly reject him? Your golden age will never arrive until you, with all your hearts revere him.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Will you surrender everything to God?

Today we prayed that God would rule our whole lives — that every bit of rebellion and unwillingness to serve him would be removed, because we recognize that we belong to Jesus, our creator and savior.

An excellent book to help you consider how you can serve God with more boldness and surrender is Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt.

The idea of the book is simple to understand, but bold to live out. In a world that tells us to live for ourselves, we need to hear the counter-cultural message of Jesus with clarity: “Take up your cross.”

This book will challenge you and give you specific practical guidance to give your all in service to Jesus. I know this book has encouraged many in the past and I know it will encourage you as well. I hope you’ll buy a copy today.

Buy Radical:

*You can get the audiobook for free with a trial of Audible.

Pray with Spurgeon: God our Father, we know incredible grace

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Glory be unto the Father. We feel the love of children within our hearts; we can say Abba, Father. Oh, how we love you, our God. Father of Jesus, Father of all that are in Jesus, our Father—sweeter word than Abraham could use. You have given us more light and introduced us to a nearer and dearer place than the patriarch knew: shall we not worship? Inconceivably glorious, we are awe-struck. Inconceivably good, we are quickened into boldness. Our God, our Father—we mingle the two words and we feel it to be very sweet to be in the immediate presence of such an One.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, Everyone who does not do everything written in the book of the law is cursed.” (Galatians 3:10)

The true gospel is no new thing; it is as old as the hills. It was heard in Eden, before man was driven from the garden; and it has since been repeated in sundry ways and in many places, even to this day. Oh, that its antiquity would lead men to venerate it and then to listen to its voice!

The gospel blessing which was thus preached to Abraham and to his seed came to him by faith. He was justified by his faith. The blessing, which is the soul of Abraham’s gospel, must come to us in the same way as it did to him, namely by faith. And if we expect to find it in any other way, we will be grievously mistaken.

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Learn how the Bible’s story impacts every part of your life.*

Christianity is not a “Sunday religion” — it is a faith that controls every part of our lives — our identity, our beliefs, our eternity, our hobbies, our work, our relationships, and more. It’s a worldview, because it helps us see the whole world with clarity.

God’s great story makes sense of the most amazing and the most mundane things in our lives.

My friends at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary have put together a GREAT video class from Jared Wilson that unpacks exactly how God’s story really can impact every part of your life.

It’s called “The Story of Everything” and it’s available FOR FREE right now.

Click here to get started with this FREE seminary-level course.

Pray with Spurgeon: Let the Lord be Worshiped Everywhere

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

O Lord, we feel as if we must just stand before you in adoration. Glory be to the Triune God, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, “the God of the whole earth shall he be called.”

Let the Lord be worshipped everywhere. Creator, Preserver, Redeemer, the Friend and Helper of man: unto his name be glory forever and ever. You have revealed yourself to us in trinity as well as in unity, and we adore you as you reveal yourself.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11)

Sins are “works of darkness.” They delight in concealment. They are not fit to be seen. They flourish in the darkness of the unrenewed heart. They are most fully maintained in the ignorance of a soul that is without the knowledge of the ever-blessed God. There is no true light, no real joy, in sin. They are works of darkness, too, because they tend to further darkness. The man who pursues them goes from blackness to a deeper blackness, and in the end his portion will be darkness unbroken by a ray of hope.

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Anger is deadly… And God can offer lasting change

Anger is a persistent issue for me. I encounter it every day in my home, in my church, and, most of all, in my own heart. Most of us who struggle with anger, no matter how infrequently, hate it but we don’t know how to change.

A really great book to help you is The Heart of Anger by Christopher Ash and Steve Midgley. This book is an incredible exploration of everything the Bible teaches about anger. It will help you understand your anger, what motivates it, and how to slay it. This book is practical, biblical, and deep.

Reading The Heart of Anger will really help you, because it doesn’t offer short-cuts — it offers real transformation, rooted in God’s Word and dependent on God’s grace. (And, if you’re a pastor, you should grab a copy to be equipped to confront anger in others you disciple/counsel).

This book is incredibly useful. I hope you’ll pick up a copy today.

Buy The Heart of Anger:

*You can get the audiobook for free with a trial membership of Audible.

Pray with Spurgeon: Come, Jesus, King of all the earth

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Bless our country. God be pleased to rule and overrule. Give peace and quietness among all ranks and conditions of men. God bless those who rule among us. May the Queen be the special object of your divine power. May the blessing of God rest on all our foreign relations. May God bless the United States, and the myriads of our brethren there, and all the scattered in every nation that fear God.

Best of all, come, O great King of all the earth! Son of God, make haste to come. We pray that you will appear and be glorified in the eyes of men, and reign among your nations, and end the world’s strife and sin. We ask it for your glory’s sake.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)

Hear this command, and practice it; get near to God in Christ Jesus, and you shall soon find him come to your help in every hour of need.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Give Godly Role Models to Your Children

Today we prayed for the reign of King Jesus to extend over the whole earth, including every a nation. This is God’s passion — are we teaching this passion to our children?

I love the Do Great Things for God series from The Good Book Company. Each picture 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.

Buy Betty Greene:

Pray with Spurgeon: Help my friends to follow God

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Come, Holy Spirit: we adore you from the bottom of our hearts, and we pray for you to work mightily with your people, that work may be done and Christ may be glorified. Save, we pray, those we know who have not yet tasted that the Lord is gracious. Save them today. May a second thought drop into their hearts, and work there like a fire spot, setting their sin alight that it may be consumed. May many be so impressed this morning as never to forget, but to turn to God with full purpose of heart.

O my Lord, continue to give me fruit among this people. I ask you, bring my friends and family to be obedient to Christ. Your people are praying with me now, as with one heart—Lord save the ungodly! Save those, also, who are hearers but have never felt the divine power with the word. Save them now even this day.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Jesus replied, ‘This is the work of God—that you believe in the one he has sent.’” (John 6:29)

Faith is most pleasing to God because it is the comprehensive summary of all true work. There lies within a heart of faith every possible form of holiness. As a forest may lie asleep within an acorn, so within the bounds of faith, little though it is, every virtue lies hidden. It may be microscopic in form, but it is certainly there and only needs development.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Don’t Just Read Scripture in 2023 — Live it Out.*

We know that when we read Scripture, we need to be seeking to have our lives transformed, not only collect more information. And yet, it can be difficult to apply Scripture in a way that is faithful to the text and specific to our lives.

That’s a great feature of the CSB Day-by-Day Chronological Bible. Each day’s reading features reflection questions to consider while you read and there’s also a weekly recap to help you consider the big things that you have learned.

These reflection questions are really helpful for growing in godliness as you read Scripture. One thing that I love about these questions is that they’re really diverse — they don’t say the same thing 365 different ways, they will address your heart, your beliefs, and your actions.

I’m confident that the Day-by-Day Chronological Bible will help you follow Christ this year, so I hope you’ll pick up a copy today.

Buy the CSB Day-by-Day Chronological Bible from Lifeway — up to 40% off:

Parents, you should read the Bible to your kids every day because we need the Bible every day.
In some ways, God’s Word is more essential to life than food. Let’s teach our children to know their need for God and his Word.

Looking for a resource to read the whole Bible with your kids? GodCenteredFamily.org will give you everything you need to teach your kids the Bible in just ten minutes each day.

Pray with Spurgeon: God, fill us with the peace of heaven

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

May we yet come into the certainties, where the birds sit on the waves and all is still. We shall come there we know in heaven, but even now give us the peace of God which passes all understanding, the perfect rest of conquered self, and of simple confidence in you. Why are you troubled; why are you cast down, O my soul, why art you disquieted within me? Bring your people again to the hill Mizar and to the land of the Hermonites; and yet again may they praise him, who is the health of their countenance and their God.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Don’t acquire gold, silver, or copper for your money-belts. Don’t take a traveling bag for the road, or an extra shirt, sandals, or a staff, for the worker is worthy of his food.” (Matthew 10:9–10)

When a ministry is really acceptable, the preacher will not be left to suffer want as to the absolute necessaries of life. They needed not even wait to find a staff; for if one was required, and they set off without it, one would be given. Among a willing people, such a mission is not only possible, but it is in the highest degree suitable. It is but right and just that people should support in temporals those who minister to them in spirituals, and it is right that plans should be adopted which cast this duty upon them, as in this case.

The preacher is to preach freely; but those who are benefited are also freely to find meat for him.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

The only way to make sense of our suffering

Our world is full of suffering. And we believe that Christianity offers the only logical explanation for all of the suffering that we face in this world.

Even better — the Bible doesn’t just 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: God, be gracious in our suffering

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

O God, send new comfort where you have sent fresh grief. Deal graciously with us, O Lord, whatever our circumstances may be. It may be our trouble is not without, but within—“Some deep sense of sin renewed; This will work us lasting good” if we carry it not too far.

It may be we have had great battles of late with Satan, with some old corruption. Make us victorious. It may be that some one of your promises, even, has been too great for us, and we have scarcely been able to believe it. O God, visit your people. What strange creatures we are! The little world within has its summer and its winter, its heartquakes, its tornadoes, its storms. Great Master, govern the world of our inner nature as you govern the world of nature, and may we conquer yet.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)

Having ministered to souls, they were to bless the bodies of men; and thus they would confirm their message by their miracles. These deeds of mercy are on the ascending scale: note the steps. All was to be done without fee or reward: their powers had not been purchased, their miracles were not to be sold.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Reading the Bible as One Story That Points to Jesus*

It’s important to remember that the Bible isn’t just a collection of stories — the Bible tells one unified story, the story of the Creator God working to save a people for himself. This story finds its climax in Jesus’ death in our place and glorious resurrection.

If you want to learn more about the story of the Bible, a great resource is the CSB Day-by-Day Chronological Bible. This is a really great resource that puts every passage of Scripture in chronological order (the order that the events took place in), so you can read the whole Bible as a story.

This Bible also has a lot of really helpful tools to help you know what’s going on and why it matters for God’s salvation plan, including daily notes that help you remember what’s going on in the story.

The CSB Day-by-Day Chronological Bible is formatted with a reading plan for a whole year, but the readings aren’t dated, so you can start any time.

I know this Bible will help you read and understand Scripture this year, so I hope you’ll grab one today.

Buy the CSB Day-by-Day Chronological Bible from Lifeway — up to 40% off:

Pray with Spurgeon: May our hearts never wander from the living God

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Look with great mercy upon your people. Some of them are full of joy. You have sown their sky with stars. Their way is bright with inward joy and with surrounding comforts. May they not begin to worship their comforts, nor kiss their hands to the stars, nor begin to make a god of the things around them. O Lord, keep your people in the hour of prosperity. May our hearts never wander from the living God, and may we walk as much by faith in the unseen as we should do if we were in the dark.

But many of your people are in quite another case. Some of us are in pain. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Help us to rise above the flesh. Some here are remembering household troubles. Enable them not to forget them, but to feel that they come from the Father’s hand, and that he must have a good intent in them. So may they accept the bitter cup, and as they drink it, may the cup of consolation be set to their lips.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“As you go, proclaim, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’” (Matthew 10:7)

Their first work was proclaiming the coming kingdom, and preparing the way for the coming King. Those Israelites who were willing might become subjects of this heavenly kingdom, and therefore were they informed of its near approach.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

God’s grace sets us free from sin

Two realities shape every day of the Christian life: the seriousness and persistence of our sin, along with the freeness and persistence of God’s grace. No matter how many times we sin, we find his grace to be an inexhaustible ocean.

But God’s grace is NOT about forgiving our sin and leaving us stuck; it’s about empowering you to actually change. The book Unlimited Grace by Bryan Chappell will show you how wonderfully large and never-ending God’s grace is, and how this grace has the power to change your life from the inside out.

I know this book will encourage you and fill your heart with love and gratitude for God’s grace. If you’re feeling discouraged and shameful about your past sin, this book will assure of God’s never-ending kindness towards sinners. If you’re feeling stuck and unmoved in your present sin, this book will help you to lean into the power of God’s grace to change.

Buy Unlimited Grace:

Pray with Spurgeon: Help our unbelief

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

We pray, O Lord, that those who have not believed in you may take courage from the experience of your people to be assured that you will keep them also.

Some people we know are just beginning to believe—little children—the Lord strengthen them. May they feel no hesitation in committing their souls to the keeping of the great God. May they come to you, our Father, through Jesus Christ your Son, and now believe, and leave the future, the past, the present—leave everything—with you.

We do heartily pray for some we know who are not far from the Kingdom, who have been upon the verge of believing for months, but they think it is a venture, they are afraid lest they may not believe, though you do command them. May they come and taste and see that the Lord is good, for blessed is the man that trusts in you.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“These are the names of the twelve apostles… Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.” (Matthew 10:2, 4)

Thus they go two and two, until the traitor brings up the rear. Simon the Zealot is cooled down by the calculating prudence of Judas Iscariot. Judas was probably the best financier of the company, and he comes at the end with the bag. This quality rendered him useful, but it was perverted to his ruin, for he sold his Master for silver. What a description to follow a name—“who also betrayed him”! God grant it may never be set after the name of any one of us!

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

The privilege of prayer together

If you enjoy praying with Spurgeon every day, you probably know that there is a lot of value in praying with other believers. In an effort to better understand why Christians should pray together (and to better lead my church in this area), I read Praying Together by Megan Hill.

My biggest takeaway from this book? Prayer is an amazing privilege. I am so foolish to neglect such a wonderful treasure. (Because the book is also a great introduction to prayer generally, not just corporate prayer). But the book also describes all of the incredible ways that God will work when we pray together (in the church and in our homes).

Praying Together increased my desire to pray (on my own and with others!) and I know it will help you too. So I hope you’ll grab a copy today.

Buy Praying Together:

Pray with Spurgeon: God’s grace never fails (even though we are undeserving)

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Lord, you have heard our prayers, even when we have hardly thought they could be answered. We have been unbelieving, but you have been faithful. We have been undeserving, but your grace has never failed. Many of us have known you now as long as Israel knew you in the wilderness, these forty years, and never once have you failed to keep your promises, or to remember your people for good.

May our faith grow exceedingly. May we that have had experience of your goodness, feel ashamed ever to entertain a doubt, and when the dark thought ever crosses our mind which would make us mistrust, may we chase it as a strange and vain thought, which must not even lodge, much less dwell, within our hearts. “The Lord lives, and blessed be my Rock”—strong to keep His promise, unchanging, unexhausted, ever the eternal Fountain of good things to his waiting people.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“These are the names of the twelve apostles: First, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;” (Matthew 10:2–3)

Observe how Matthew keeps us in mind that he had been a tax collector. With holy gratitude he thus records his former estate, that the grace which called him might be the more conspicuous. Thomas was as truly called by the Lord as any of them, though he was one whose mind entertained distressing questions.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

A New Bible Reading Plan for 2023*

Reading the Bible in a year can be an incredible habit, but it can also be challenging to know how it all fits together.

And that’s why I love the CSB Day-by-Day Chronological Bible — it features a daily reading plan that covers the whole Bible in one year, with readings arranged in chronological order (the order that the events took place, rather than the traditional order of books in our English Bibles).

The CSB Day-by-Day Chronological Bible also features brief daily notes to help you remember your place in the story (and who all of those kings and prophets are, exactly 😅).

The study notes are written by George Guthrie, who is a great New Testament scholar.

Reading the Bible chronologically in 2023 will grow your knowledge of the Bible and your love for God. And I know the Day-by-Day Chronological Bible will be a great resource to help you along the way.

Buy the CSB Day-by-Day Chronological Bible from Lifeway — up to 40% off: