Category: Pray with Spurgeon

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Lord, will you deal with us according to your wisdom and prudence. Take out of us every evil and false way; any area in which we have deceived ourselves, remove. Anything which looks like growth in grace, which is mere puffing up, take away; anything which we prize, which is but counterfeit, utterly destroy.

And oh, bring us of your great love to know Christ in truth, that what we know we may know, and not think we know. And oh, that there might be a deep reality about our Christian experience, and knowledge; that the truth of God may be incarnate in the truth which lives in us.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:6–7)

O child of suffering, be patient; God has not passed you over in his providence. He who is the feeder of sparrows will also furnish you with what you need. Do not sit down in despair; hope on, hope ever. Take up the arms of faith against a sea of trouble, and your opposition shall yet end your distresses. There is One who cares for you. His eye is fixed on you, his heart beats with pity for your woe, and his hand omnipotent shall yet bring you the needed help. The darkest cloud shall scatter itself in showers of mercy.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Bring your family to know and treasure Christ

Today we prayed that God would remove every false and evil way from our lives and help us to know Christ more truly than ever before. As we pray that God would do this for ourselves, those of us who are parents should also be praying that God will do this for our children as well — to cause them to be amazed at who God is and what he has done.

I’m passionate about helping parents teach their kids the wonder of the true and living Jesus. And that’s why I created GodCenteredFamily.org.

GodCenteredFamily.org offers everything you need to have a daily family Bible reading plan that is both faithful and fun. These reading plans walk through books of the Bible with age-appropriate resources and discussion questions for any age group.

If you are a parent, I hope you’ll check out GodCenteredFamily.org. You can download a full week of daily family Bible guides and learn more about our mission.

Check out GodCenteredFamily.org and download a free sample family Bible guide.

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 day, be pleased, in infinite mercy by Christ Jesus, to visit your people. Give us first a sense of perfect pardon. May there be nothing between any of your children and yourself, great Father, that could mar the perfection of communion. May we know that you have forgiven us for Jesus Christ’s sake.

And as for anything in us that would grieve your Spirit, take it away at once, and then let your Spirit bear witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. Oh, now give us the spirit of adoption. If indeed we be yours, by your Fatherly love to us, we do beseech you, breathe into every child of yours a sense of love, a sense of your near presence.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)

Although the word “grieve” is a painful one, yet there is honey in the rock; for it is an inexpressibly delightful thought that he who rules heaven and earth and is the Creator of all things and the infinite and ever blessed God condescends to enter into such infinite relationships with his people that his divine mind may be affected by their actions. What a marvel that Deity should be said to grieve over the faults of beings so utterly insignificant as we are.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

A Fun Way to Engage Kids with the Stories of the New Testament

Recently, my family has been loving a new resource from the Good Book Company, Seek and Find: New Testament Bible Stories. This new book is a creative way to tell stories from the New Testament to children, ages 2–6.

Every page of these books is beautifully illustrated with a lot of fun things, animals, and characters to find. But the book isn’t just for fun — each page also tells a key story from the New Testament. Taking the time to find all of the hidden objects will give you and your child time to reflect on the stories and what they mean for us.

I was so thankful that the Good Book Company sent me a copy of Seek and Find: New Testament Bible Stories and I know your family will enjoy it as well.

Buy Seek and Find: New Testament Bible Stories:

• Amazon
• ChristianBook.com

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 bless you for ever teaching us the way of faith; for enabling us to cast our guilty souls upon the Divine propitiation, made in Christ Jesus; for peace, like a river, has streamed into our spirit ever since. We bless you for the power to trust you with everything else; for time, as well as for eternity. We are sure we never live except when we live by faith; that all else is but death, and the counterfeit of life.

Lord God, you have written death before our eyes on all the creature; you have made us see the vanity of the most substantial things on earth. Behold we walk as in a vain show, and we disquiet ourselves in vain. All things are but shadows; but you, you are the eternal All. Casting our anchor upon you, we are steadfast, and fixed, and safe; but all things else are quicksands. We cannot—dare not—find comfort, nor make a hope of them. You, Lord, are all our expectation, all our salvation, and all our delight; and this morning, in the act of public devotion, we would cry, “Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from him” (Psalm 62:5)

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from him.” (Psalm 62:5)

The soul is apt to be dragged away from its anchorage, or is readily tempted to add a second confidence to the one sole and sure ground of reliance; we must, therefore, stir ourselves up to maintain the holy position which we were at first able to assume. Be still silent, O my soul! Submit yourself completely, trust immovably, wait patiently. Let none of your enemies’ imaginings, consultings, flatteries, or maledictions cause you to break the King’s peace.

Unmingled faith is undismayed. Faith with a single eye sees herself secure, but if her eye be darkened by two confidences, she is blind and useless.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Dive in Deep to Spurgeon’s Earliest Writings*

Like many of you, I’ve been a big fan of Spurgeon for years. His preaching ministry, even over 120 years after his death, has been a constant source of hope and encouragement for me.

If you’re a Spurgeon fan like me, you need to check out The Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon. These books contain the outlines and manuscripts of Spurgeon’s earliest sermons — sermons that he preached while a teenage pastor at a small Baptist chapel. The content is absolutely incredible.

One really cool feature is that the sermon outlines have been annotated with critical notes featuring references to Spurgeon’s later preaching and writing. You can see how Spurgeon’s faithfulness to Scripture never wavered throughout his ministry.

This series really is a must-have for any student of Spurgeon. You will benefit richly from these sermons.

This month only, “Pray with Spurgeon” subscribers can get any volume in the Lost Sermons collection for 50% off! Just use promo code LOSTSERMONS6 when you check out on Lifeway.com.

You can use this coupon for any of the volumes in the series, including the newly-released volume six!

Buy the Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon on Lifeway.com (Use promo code LOSTSERMONS6 to save 50%)

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

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

You have brought your light to our blindness and made us to behold you; and now, you are not only the greatest source of joy to our spirit, but you are all our joy—we have none apart from you. Whatever of comfort we find in the creature, we know it is but fickle; and while it is there, it comes from you; for all these things are empty, and vain, and void without you. Who do I have in heaven but you? And I desire nothing on earth but you!

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Who do I have in heaven but you? And I desire nothing on earth but you.” (Psalm 73:25)

The psalmist turns away from the glitter which fascinated him to the true gold which was his real treasure. He felt that his God was better to him than all the wealth, health, honor, and peace, which he had so much envied in the worldling.

God was not only better than all on earth, but more excellent than all in heaven. He wished all other things go, that he might be filled with his God. “And I desire nothing on earth but you” — No longer should his wishes ramble, no other object should tempt them to stray; henceforth, the Everliving One should be his all in all.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Do you understand how amazing Jesus really is?

Today’s prayer and verse of the day focused on the wonders and the greatness of Jesus — he is ALL our joy. When we see Jesus for who he really is, in all of his beauty as the King of all Ages, we have to fall to our faces in worship. We must lay everything on the table in submission to this great king.

We always need resources that will magnify Christ to us — books that will remind us of how wonderful he is. One of those books is Christ from Beginning to End: How the Full Story of Scripture Reveals the Full Glory of Christby Stephen Wellum and Trent Hunter. This book walks through the story of Scripture, showing how Christ is the supreme hero and the supreme hope — he is what all of the Bible is pointing to.

This book is a helpful handbook to help you read Scripture in a more faithful, Christ-centered way and a guide to help you see Christ in every page.

This book will help you treasure Christ and the Bible more. I hope you’ll grab a copy for yourself.

Buy Christ from Beginning to End:

• Amazon (Paperback or Kindle edition)
• ChristianBook.com (Hardback or ebook edition)

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

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Glorious Lord God; our faith is fully assured of your being, and our heart rejoices in your infinite love. Blessed was the day when first we knew our God. We mourn and lament with deep penitence, that we should have lived so long strangers to our best friend, to him in whose hand our breath is, and whose are all our ways.

It is of your grace that we were ever brought to know you. Had we been left to ourselves, we should have wandered on, and have remained in darkness till this day; but blessed be your name, O God of all grace, you have revealed yourself to us, you have brought your life to our death, and made us alive in you.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“The men were amazed and asked,‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!’” (Matthew 8:27)

It was well that they were amazed; it would have been better had they adored. If Christ had been only man, the wonder about him would have been beyond all wonderment. He was divine, and hence to his royal word all nature yielded. This is the end of the wonder of the intellect, but it is the beginning of the worship of the heart.

In this case, our glorious King for the moment unveiled his glory, and commanded obedience from the most boisterous of the elements. In our own cases how often have we had to cry out, “What kind of man is this!” How grandly has he brought us through terrible storms! How easily has he calmed the surges of our souls! Blessed be his name! Still “the winds and the sea obey him.”

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Read Spurgeon’s earliest sermons in a beautiful series of books*

One thing many people don’t know about Spurgeon is that he started preaching when he was only 17-years-old, about a year after his conversion. Four years later, he would become the pastor of the New Park Street Chapel in London and his sermons began to be regularly published.

But what happened to the sermons he preached before his arrival in London?

Up until a few years ago, these sermons were completely unavailable for reading anywhere. But now, a new series of books is making the outlines and manuscripts of these sermons available for our enjoyment and edification: The Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon.

To be honest, before I read the Lost Sermons, I wasn’t sure how useful reading sermons written by a 17-year-old Spurgeon would be, but WOW, the content is so rich.

Each book contains hundreds of outlines and sermons from Spurgeon’s early ministry, including full-color scans from Spurgeon’s personal notebooks, along with typed-out transcripts.

Everytime I pick up any of the volumes, I can’t put them down. Reading them is just such a delight.

Thanks to my friends at B&H Academic, every volume in the Lost Sermons collection is 50% off for “Pray with Spurgeon” subscribers — just use promo code LOSTSERMONS6 when you check out on Lifeway.com.

You can use this code for any of the volumes in this series, including the newly-released volume six!

Buy the Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon on Lifeway.com (Use promo code LOSTSERMONS6 to save 50%)

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

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Lord, make us useful to your own children who have backslidden. May we be as Peter was, to whom you said, “when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). O Lord, make us useful among backsliders—this very day may some of us be enabled to do somewhat toward the fetching up of the rear guard, of those that loiter and linger, that the whole army of Christ may quicken its pace and march to victory.

And now, Lord Jesus, we have a thousand things to ask of you, and of your Father; but you know what we have need of before we ask. Give to each one of your own, that special gift most needed: we may not even know what it is, but according to your own wisdom and prudence, deal out of your treasury things new and old, for the enrichment and comfort of your people.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:32)

We little know what we owe to our Savior’s prayers. When we reach the hill-tops of heaven, and look back upon all the way whereby the Lord our God has led us, how we shall praise him who, before the eternal throne, undid the mischief which Satan was doing upon earth. How shall we thank him because he never held his peace, but day and night pointed to the wounds upon his hands, and carried our names upon his breastplate! Even before Satan had begun to tempt, Jesus had forestalled him and entered a plea in heaven. Mercy outruns malice.

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

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Now we are asking you to let your love be revealed to us, in all its sweet influences; and now we ask also that our love to you may be fervent, we pray that you would make us useful to our brethren. O Lord, we would not live unto ourselves; make us serviceable in gathering in the lost sheep.

Make us wise that we may go after them in their devious wanderings, and discover them. Lord, help us to speak a word in season to him that is sad of heart. When your arrows stick fast in the conscience, may we know how to apply the balm of Jesus’ wounds. Make us ready to tell out the sweet gospel which has been so precious to our own souls; and as men that have newly come ourselves from the presence of a pardoning Savior—men but newly washed in that dear blood which makes white as snow, may we go and tell to our fellow men, all black as they are, how they also can be made whiter than snow.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“For there is nothing reliable in what they say; destruction is within them; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongues.” (Psalm 5:9)

Pouring out foul, putrid gas. They cannot speak without using filthy or blasphemous expressions; or if they do, there is falsehood lurking behind their words, for deceit and evil of all kinds are in their hearts.

Always beware of people who flatter you, and especially when they tell you that they do not flatter you, and that they know you cannot endure flattery, for you are then being most fulsomely flattered, so be on your guard against the tongue of the flatterer.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

A kid’s book to teach the importance of evangelism

Today, we prayed that God would help us serve him with our words, especially to non-Christians. By God’s design, this usually happens when one Christian shares about his hope with a non-believer. Evangelism is a crucial topic in the Christian life that we need to teach others, including our children.

Lately my family has been loving a new book that focuses on “How God uses people to save people.” It’s called The Prisoners, the Earthquake, and the Midnight Song by Bob Hartman, illustrated by Catalina Echeverri. This book tells the story of Paul and Silas while they were in prison in Philippi for proclaiming Christ, and encourages children to proclaim Christ with the same kind of boldness.

The book is incredibly creative (without sacrificing faithfulness to the biblical text) and the illustrations are stunning. It’s a ton of fun and children under ten will love it. Your kids will be amazed at the story of Paul, Silas, and the incredible work that God did in Philippi.

This isn’t just a cheap Bible story — this is a great book full of rich theology, an incredible (true!) story, and an important message. It will encourage kids of all ages to boldly proclaim Christ, no matter the cost.

I hope you’ll add this book to your family’s library!

Buy The Prisoners, the Earthquake, and the Midnight Song:

• Amazon
• ChristianBook.com

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

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Lord, some of your children think you are weak because they are; and suppose that grace will fail them, because the flesh does: but oh, teach them better, and may they know that it is just in the death of the creature, that they shall find the life of God revealed.

Oh that our spirit might be always subject to the Divine Spirit: may its earthiness and feebleness, only reveal the heavenliness, and the strength of the indwelling Spirit of God. And oh, grant us to feel that we have power to overcome sin; that we have power to resist the lusts of the flesh, and to despise the pride of the world and the lust of the eyes.

Though we groan within ourselves concerning the body of this death, yet we also sing “thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). Help your children to take the victory, to rejoice that they do conquer; yes that we are more than conquerors, through him who has loved us.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Corinthians 15:57)

The Christian is the only champion who can smite the dragon of death; and even he cannot do it of himself, but when he has done it, he shall cry, “Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Boldly the Christian comes to the realms of death, and entering the gates there, he cries, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?” And when he has said it, the dragon drops his sting, he descends into the grave; he passes by the place where fiends lie down in fetters of iron; he sees their chains, and looks into the dungeon where they dwell, and as he passes by the prison door, he shouts, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect!” They growl, and bite their iron bonds, and hiss in secret, but they cannot lay anything to his charge. 

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Be amazed by our great God.

Our view of God is much too small, much too tame. The Bible reveals a ravishing, glorious, fear-inspiring, awesome picture of the God who created all things and sits in the heavens. If you want to better understand God’s glorious infinity, read None Like Him by Jen Wilkin.

In each chapter, Jen unpacks one of God’s incommunicable attributes — the attributes that make God unlike us — and discusses how knowing each of these attributes of God will change our lives. This is biblical, rich, glorious theology.

This book will fill you with love and amazement at God’s greatness — what a great way to begin a new year! I know that it will grow your faith. I hope you’ll grab a copy today.

Buy None Like Him:

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

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

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Are your dear children poor, or are they sick in body, or are they losing those they love, or is there yet a newly-dug grave over which they could shed floods of tears? Oh, sweet love of God, comfort them. Cover all the rocks, O mighty tide of everlasting love, till not a rock is seen; and on that glassy sea may our spirits float above the rocks, which else had wrecked our lives.

We do pray that you would give us comfort, but also give us strength as well as consolation. Lord, we are very weak, and in ourselves we have no desire to be otherwise, because when we are weak, then are we strong; but we are very strong in you, and we do wish to have faith to perceive this.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“But I enter your house by the abundance of your faithful love; I bow down toward your holy temple in reverential awe of you.” (Psalm 5:7)

I will not stand at a distance, I will come into thy sanctuary, just as a child comes into his father’s house. But I will not come there by my own merits; no, I have a multitude of sins, and therefore I will come in the multitude of your mercy. I will approach you with confidence because of your immeasurable grace. God’s judgments are all numbered, but his mercies are innumerable; he gives his wrath by weight, but without weight his mercy.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

A Resource to Help You Pray in 2022

It seems like every year, I make a new year’s resolution to pray more frequently and more biblically. This is healthy — we should realize our need for prayer more and more every year. This year, I’m really excited about a new resource that I know is going to really help fuel my prayer life in 2022.

There’s a new book called Psalms in 30 Days by Trevin Wax. This book is a collection of thirty days of prayers (morning, midday, and evening) that includes all 150 psalms and prayers from Scripture and church history. With this book, you can pray through all of the psalms every month.

These prayers are so incredibly fresh, deep, and life-giving, and having a book that is set aside just for prayer is a physical reminder (on your table, shelf, desk, or bedside table) to pray (Plus, the book looks great!)

I’m excited to grow my prayer life using Psalms in 30 Days. I hope you’ll grab a copy and join me.

Buy Psalms in 30 Days:

• Amazon (Hardback or Kindle editions)
• ChristianBook.com (Hardback or ebook edition)

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, will you be pleased today to fill us with delight because of your love. Are we heavy of heart? Let your sweet love lighten the burden; for what after all can there be to trouble the man whom God loves?

Shall we not find even in your rod of discipline to be sweet, as Jonathan did, when he dipped his rod in the honey? Have you not said, “as many as I love I rebuke and chasten,” shall we not therefore take your rebukes and chastenings, and even rejoice in them, because therein the love of God is manifested toward us.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be zealous and repent.” (Revelation 3:19)

What is our comfort when God rebukes and chastens us? Our great comfort is, that he loves us still. Oh! what a precious thing faith is, when we are enabled to believe our God, and how easy then it is to endure and to surmount all trouble! Now, Child of God, when you are troubled, you have such a rich consolation poured into your heart, that you might endure all with a smile and sing in the furnace. Remember, all you have to suffer is sent in love.

It is hard work for a child, when his father has been chastening it, to look at the rod as a picture of love. You cannot make your children do that: but when they grow up to be men and women how thankful they are to you then! “O father,” says the son, “I know now why it was I was so often chastened; I had a proud hot spirit; it would have been the ruin of me if you had not whipped it out of me. Now, I thank you, my father, for it.” When we come of age, and we go into our estates in Paradise, we shall look back upon the rod of the Covenant as being better than Aaron’s rod, for it blossoms with mercy.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

A New Bible Reading Plan for 2022

Reading the entire Bible in a year is an incredibly fruitful discipline. As you encounter every verse of God’s Word year after year, you know God (and his Word) better. Recently, my friends at B&H Publishing sent me a copy of the Day by Day Chronological Bible which is an incredible resource for reading the entire Bible in a year.

In the Day by Day Chronological Bible, the entire Bible is arranged chronologically (in the order the events took place) and divided into 52 weeks of readings to help you read the entire Bible throughout the year. There are also brief introductions to every “scene” and “act” of the Bible’s story, so you don’t get lost in the details or forget who the characters are.

The readings are broken down by week and day, instead of date, so you can start reading any time, but the new year is a fantastic time to get started (And, there are only six days per week, so you won’t fall too far behind, even if you miss a day).

If you’re looking for a new way to read the Bible in 2022, I highly recommend you check out the Day by Day Chronological Bible.

Buy The Day by Day Chronological Bible:

• Amazon (Imitation leather, paperback, or Kindle editions)
• ChristianBook.com (Imitation leather, paperback, or ebook edition)