Category: Pray with Spurgeon

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

You have made us to see the end of all perfection; but your love, even then, has been perfected—perfected in our weakness. You are all goodness, and truth, and grace, and loving-kindness; and therefore, blessed be your name forever and ever.

And now, blot out the sin of your servants. Once again let this unbelief of ours be forgiven; and let us stand, with no sin upon the conscience, but absolved through Jesus’ blood, in the enjoyment of such confidence with you, that we may lift up our face without a cloud, and may trust in you henceforth without a doubt, and go on our way rejoicing, whatever that way may be.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Free me from prison so that I can praise your name.” (Psalm 142:7)

The cave was David’s prison since he could not go out without fear of being captured and salin. His doubts, fears, anxieties, and absence from the house of the Lord all tended to make it a prison and were, indeed, the true prison of his soul.

The man whom God delivers will praise him with his lip in prayer and praise in public; with his heart in private devotion; with his life, serving, honoring, and seeking his Lord. No praise to self. He has given all that to the winds. God does the work. He should be praised for it.

This verse and commentary were taken from the Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon (Volume 3, #164). This month only, you can get any volume in this series for 50% off — use promo code LOSTSERMONS. Click here to learn more.*

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

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

Today we prayed, praising God that he is perfect in every way, and asking God to forgive us for our unbelief. Unbelief robs 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:

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

Bless this country, we pray: and we lift up again the voice of earnest prayer that peace may not be broken. Oh, let bloodshed end; may it please you to send wisdom to the leaders of all nations, that by some means this dreadful calamity may be brought to an end.

May he come who will end all danger of war, even the Prince of Peace himself, in whose days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace so long as the moon endures. The Lord hear us now; and forgive, and answer, and bless, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus: and unto Israel’s one God, revealed to us in the Trinity of Mystic Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be glory by Christ Jesus.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“On that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will look to him for guidance, and his resting place will be glorious.” (Isaiah 11:10)

He is the King of the Jews, but he is also our King. We must always look to Christ as the great standard bearer of all the hosts of God, pitch our tents as near his banner as we can, and constantly follow where his banner leads the way. The glory of his rest is in harmony with the glory of all he has ever done. Rest is most enjoyable to the one who has toiled the hardest; the labor that has gone before has prepared him for the sweetness of the rest.

And the glory of Christ’s rest lies in what he has passed through in order to obtain it. He himself is glorious. His service and his suffering were both glorious. His death was in the truest sense glorious, and now all the rest that has followed his finished work is glorious in the highest degree.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Find peace in trying times*

We’re living in a really challenging time — our own country was already feeling divided and now we’re seeing images of horror come across our screens from Afghanistan. Not to mention all of the factors in our own personal lives that cause us anxiety.

We all need rest.

And true rest — true peace, lasting peace — is only found in Jesus Christ.

A great way to start cultivating that kind of rest and peace in your own life is to think more about heaven and the glorious future that Christ has guaranteed for his people. And a great resource to help you set your sights on heaven and find lasting peace for this life is The Believers’ Eternal Rest by Richard Baxter.

There’s a new updated audio edition of The Believers’ Eternal Rest available from my friends at Goodwill Audio. This is an incredible resource and I know that it will help you think more of heaven and find more peace in this life.

I hope you’ll grab the audiobook and look forward to the gracious, glorious future God has purchased for you in Christ.

Buy The Believers’ Eternal Rest from Audible.

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

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Many of our actions have been atheistic. We have lived at times as if there were no God. Lord, in many of our actions, even since then, we betray a disbelief of you. Like the children of Israel in the wilderness, you may well say of us, “The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people despise me? How long will they not trust in me despite all the signs I have performed among them?” (Number 14:11)

O God, you have been very faithful to your servants until now. In no one instance is there a breach of promise. You have tried us, as silver is tried, but in great faithfulness you have afflicted us. You have brought us very low indeed; but underneath us have still been the everlasting arms. You have brought us into the wilderness; but you have furnished a table for us, in the presence of our enemies.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Your righteousness reaches the heights, God, you who have done great things; God, who is like you?” (Psalm 71:19)

Very sublime, unsearchable, exalted and glorious is the holy character of God, and his way of making men righteous. His plan of righteousness uplifts men from the gates of hell to the mansions of heaven. It is a high-doctrine gospel, gives a high experience, leads to high practice, and ends in high felicity. The exploits of others are mere child’s play compared with God’s, and are not worthy to be mentioned in the same age. Creation, providence and redemption are all unique, and nothing can compare with them.

This verse and commentary were taken from Daily Treasure, a new 366-day devotional on the Psalms by Spurgeon. This month only, you can get this book for 25% off from 10 of Those — use promo code SPURGEONBOOKS. Click here to learn more.*

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.

For just a few more weeks, “Pray with Spurgeon” subscribers can get any volume in the Lost Sermons collection for 50% off! Just use promo code LOSTSERMONS when you check out on Lifeway.com.

Buy the Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon on Lifeway.com (Use promo code LOSTSERMONS 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, forgive us that death in life, in which so many of our years were spent, when we found something in the world apart from you; and were content with the things of the hour, the vile shadows, transient gusts of things which truly are not, for you alone are all in all.

We have repented, as you know, through your grace, most bitterly of that time of death in which we tried to live; and now, you have given us to see our pardon in the wounds of Jesus, and our soul does put her trust in him. God incarnate is the ground of our hope that we are accepted and forgiven, notwithstanding that previous life of ours.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

It is strange but yet true that God’s people have ever been inclined to lose their nationality and become as the world. So now we ever need to hear the cry, “be not conformed.” We must stand by our Bible, never giving way, not following the religion of the multitude.

The mind must be renewed every day. Backsliding will bring us to the world, but growth in grace will separate us more.

This verse and commentary were taken from the Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon (Volume 4, #223). This month only, you can get any volume in this series for 50% off — use promo code LOSTSERMONS. Click here to learn more.*

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Discover freedom from guilt and deeper joy in Christ

Today we prayed, lamenting of our former life and asking for God’s forgiveness. It can be easy for many Christians to feel a constant sense of guilt from our past sins. And while it’s good to feel remorse over our sin, God has called us to live in freedom and joy with a clear conscience.

A great (and very short!) book to help you understand your conscience, repentance, and freedom from guilt and shame is The Art of Turning by Kevin DeYoung. This short book unpacks the “conscience” and encourages you to turn from Christ sin every day.

This book is so incredibly life-giving. If you read it, you will find freedom from guilt and increased desire to know Christ. I hope you’ll pick up a copy today.

Buy The Art of Turning:

• 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)

Glorious Lord, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, you have not changed: you are still a covenant God, and you keep that covenant to all your people; you do not permit a single word of it to fall to the ground. All of your promises are yes and amen in Christ Jesus, to your glory by us; and we believe those promises will be fulfilled in every jot and tittle: not one of them shall want its mate, not one of them shall fall to the ground like the frivolous words of men.

Have you said, and will you not do it? Have you commanded, and shall it not come to pass? We are utterly ashamed, and full of confusion; because we have to confess that we have doubted you. Many of our actions have been atheistic. We have lived at times as if there were no God. Lord, forgive us.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“For every one of God’s promises is ‘Yes’ in him. Therefore, through him we also say ‘Amen’ to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 1:20)

The Scriptures do, in effect, come to us from Christ. Every promise of this blessed book is a promise of Christ, “For every one of God’s promises is ‘Yes’ in him.” They all come to us through Christ; God speaks them to us through him as the mediator. Indeed, we may regard the whole of the sacred Scriptures, from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation, as being the word of Christ.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Don’t be content with a shallow love for God*

Today we prayed, praising God for always keeping his promises. We repented of our doubts in his promises and asked him to help us. We all want to grow in our knowledge of God and our love for God, but do you have a plan in place for actually growing in faith? What practical steps will you take to increase your knowledge of God, your love for his glory, and your desire for his Word?

One great step to take is reading The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer. This is a great resource to equip you for fanning the flame of your love for God.

There’s a new audiobook of The Pursuit of God available now from Goodwill Audiobook Classics Library. I know that listening to Christ-centered audio during your daily tasks will encourage your faith and help you grow in grace.

If you’re content with a shallow love for God, you can ignore this book. But if you’re ready to dive deeper than ever, check out The Pursuit of God. I hope you’ll grab the audiobook and listen. It will amaze you at God’s greatness and leave you with no choice but to pursue him with everything you are.

Buy The Pursuit of God Audiobook Now.
(Print and Kindle editions also available, which feature two bonus chapters by Spurgeon)

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Our Father, blessed be the grace and love which have taught us to use that dear familiar name—“Our Father, who art in heaven,” and therefore highest and most exalted, and worthy to be breathed with awe and reverence by all that draw near to you.

“Hallowed be your Name.” Oh, that all the earth would ever reverence it! As for ourselves, enable us by your grace to use it with awe and trembling; and may a consideration of the glorious character which is intended by your gracious name, ever lay us in the very dust before you, and yet lift us up with holy joy, and with an unwavering confidence. We come before you this morning, through Christ Jesus, to express our entire confidence in you. We believe that you are, and that you are the rewarder of those who diligently seek you.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy.” (Matthew 6:9)

We pray as children to a Father, and we pray as brothers, for we say, “Our Father.” “Our Father” is a familiar name, but the words “which art in heaven” suggest the reverence due unto him. Our Father and yet in heaven: in heaven and yet our Father.

May his name be treated reverently, and may all that is about him—his Word and his gospel—be regarded with the deepest awe! It is for us so to walk before the Lord in all lowliness, that all shall see that we reverence the character of the thrice-holy One. Then can we truly pray, “Hallowed be your name”, when we hallow it ourselves.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

What was Spurgeon like as a teenager?*

It’s always interesting to think about what major leaders and thinkers were like as kids — how their thinking developed and how they rose to prominence. And Spurgeon is no different.

Shortly after his conversion, Spurgeon entered into the ministry and began preaching. And he kept careful, hand-written notes for each of his sermons in notebooks.

Up until a few years ago, these notebooks (and the early sermons they contained) weren’t available to the general public.

Now, you can check them out for yourself in The Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon — a beautiful collection of books that will give you a unique look into Spurgeon’s early ministry.

Each volume in the series is a reproduction of Spurgeon’s actual notebooks, complete with full-color scans and stunning covers.

These books won’t just help you love Spurgeon, they will help you love Christ, because the sermons are full of gospel-centered, Christ-exalting content.

This month only, you can get any volume in the Lost Sermons collection for 50% off — just use promo code LOSTSERMONS when you check out on Lifeway.com.

Buy the Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon on Lifeway.com (Use promo code LOSTSERMONS 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)

Make the whole of your people to be full of life and vigor; and may the day come, when the missionary spirit shall be more fully caught by the church at home, and they that have gone forth shall bring tens of thousands, to be built into the temple of God.

O Lord, we wait upon you now, and ask the over-shadowing of your presence! Jesus of Nazareth, pass by just now! Divine Spirit, rest upon us now! Holy Father, look upon your children now; and make this place to be glorious at this good hour! We ask it in the name of the Well Beloved.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Because of the LORD’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!” (Lamentations 3:22–23)

Bad as our state is, we are not yet in hell; we are not yet beyond the reach of hope. We had new mercies this morning, and we will have fresh mercies this evening. God has not forgotten us. The very breath in our nostrils is a proof of his goodness to us; let us, therefore, dear friends, still hope for yet further favors from him.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

New Book: Study Every Verse of the Psalms with Spurgeon*

Spurgeon knew the importance of getting into God’s Word every day, which is why he created several daily devotionals. I’m really excited about a new daily devotional that has been crafted from Spurgeon’s writings: Daily Treasure is a 366-day devotional on the Psalms.

This devotional will guide you to read all of the Psalms in the course of a year, accompanied with daily reflections from Spurgeon.

The readings from Spurgeon are taken from his timeless commentary, “The Treasury of David,” and are so incredibly valuable. As I’ve read “Daily Treasure,” I’ve found myself absolutely ASTONISHED at the greatness of our God. He really is our supreme treasure.

I promise you — this book will drive you to praise our great God, along with David and Spurgeon. (Not to mention, the book itself is absolutely stunning!)

This book is an incredible resource! I hope you’ll grab a copy and start a breathtaking journey through the Psalms with Spurgeon.

Thanks to my friends at 10 of Those, you can get Daily Treasure for 25% off — just use promo code SPURGEONBOOKS.

Buy Daily Treasure from 10 of Those for 25% off.

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

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Standing before the throne of God without fear, we would humbly ask you to bless our country. Oh, that you would look upon this nation which has sorely sinned, which has turned away from the path of peace to seek the ways of glory and of blood. O Lord, be pleased to turn its course aright again.

We ask you, bring us out of the disasters which we have been made to suffer, and let the nation lie penitent at the feet of God. Oh, that the Christian cause in this realm might prevail—that the Church of God might have a little influence over the worldly mass. Oh, that the time were come when the salt shall more completely flavor all the masses, and the glorious leaven shall work until all the measures of meal are leavened.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“The slacker says, ‘There’s a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the public square!’” (Proverbs 22:13)

When someone does not diligently attend to his business, he is committing great wrong to himself and to others. When a man is slothful as a servant, he is unjust to his employers, and when he is in business on his own account, idleness is usually a wrong to his wife and family.

“There is a lion outside” and therefore the man judges it to be quite right that he should keep his bed, or that he should sit leisurely indoors and should not give himself too much trouble or run any risks, but all this is mere makeup to screen his loathsome vice. No Christian ought to be slothful in his ordinary work.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Give Godly Role Models to Your Children

I’ve been really excited about a new series of kid’s books from The Good Book Company — Do Great Things for God. Each book in this series features a short child-friendly biography of a Christian woman.

I recently received a copy of Gladys Aylward: The Little Woman with a Big Dream and I was blown away by the compelling story of this little-known missionary’s life and service. The storytelling is enjoyable for kids of any age (and their parents!), the illustrations are approachable and beautiful, and the lesson is amazing: Gladys 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 Gladys that will point her to a greater and more faithful God.

I hope you’ll grab a copy of Gladys Aylward for your family today.

Pre-order Gladys Aylward:

• 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)

O Lord, we do ask you to make us fit for heaven. We hope it is not long before we shall be there. We have sometimes had glimpses between the gates of pearl; we have had such foretastes of the “place prepared,” that sometimes we are in haste to be gone; the flavor of the grapes of Eschol is in our mouths, and we long to be where all the clusters grow.

But we are conscious of unfitness for that state as yet. Oh, go on most blessed Spirit, with your patient work, until you shall have made us heavenly, and then we shall be caught up to the “heavenly places,” to see the face of our Beloved.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness—without it no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14)

Now, if our text said that, without perfection of holiness, no man could have any communion with Christ, it would shut every one of us out, for no one, who knows his own heart, ever pretends to be perfectly conformed to God’s will. This holiness is a thing of growth. It may be in the soul as the grain of mustard-seed, and yet not developed; it may be in the heart as a wish and a desire, rather than anything that has been fully realized — a groaning, a panting, a longing, a striving. As the Spirit of God waters it, it will grow till the mustard-seed shall become a tree.

When we find many imperfections and many failings in ourselves, we are not to conclude that, therefore, we have no interest in the grace of God. This would be altogether contrary to the meaning of the text. Those who are not condemned may reasonably draw some comfortable inferences as to their own pursuit of this inestimable grace.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Pursue holiness like your life depends on it.

Today we prayed for God to bring holiness about in our lives, and we saw from his Word that this kind of holiness is required in each of our lives. 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.

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:

• Amazon (Paperback or Kindle 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.

This is the final newsletter for the week (we’ll be back on Monday.)

Thanks to 10 of Those for sponsoring the newsletter this week. This ministry wouldn’t be possible without their support.

Check out Daily Treasure, a new one-year devotional by Spurgeon. This book is an absolutely beautiful study in the Psalms with daily commentary from Spurgeon himself.

You can get the book for 25% off when you use promo code SPURGEONBOOKS. Click here to learn more.*

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

We ask you to subdue our iniquities. Lord, conquer the power of sin in all of us. Grant us power to live above it; let not the passions of the flesh, nor the lustings of the mind, bring the spirit into subjection; but may our spirit rule over mind and body; and may Christ rule over our spirit, and so may we know the “freedom for which Christ makes us free” (Galatians 5:1).

Next, we ask for perfect consecration, that everything we are and have may be the Lord’s, not in name, but in deed and in truth.

And then, we ask for fruitfulness. Oh, help us to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit to the glory of God. May our character get more beautiful every day. If there are any traces of Christ’s artistic work upon us, may he go on with that Divine pencil, until he shall have produced in us a perfect character, and we shall be among men copies of the perfectness of our Master.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age…” (Titus 2:11–12)

Christians are not to run out of the world, as monks and hermits sought to do, but to live “in this present world.” Yet, while in the world, we are to be godly, that is, full of God. That kind of life which is without God is not for Christians. Those worldly desires, the pride and ambition, which are common to worldly men, are not to have power over us; we are to deny them, and to live soberly.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

How God’s grace helps you grow

Today’s prayer was a desperate cry that Christ would set us free from sin, knowing that he is our only hope and our only salvation. We ask God to help us grow in holiness, because we know that God’s grace doesn’t just save us from sin, it also gives us the power that we need to slay sin. The work of growing in godliness is a work of cooperation between us and God’s grace.

One of my all-time favorite books is The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges. This book explains how God’s grace empowers Christians to slay sin and grow in godliness. It is one of the helpful, practical, and encouraging books that I have ever read! If you want to grow in godliness, start with The Discipline of Grace.

Reading The Discipline of Grace will definitely help you grow in holiness. I hope you’ll grab a copy today.

Buy The Discipline of Grace:

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