DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)
God of Israel, God of Jesus Christ, our God forever and ever; help us now by the sacred Spirit, to approach you aright, with deepest reverence, but not with servile fear; with holiest boldness, but not with presumption. Oh teach us as children to speak to the Father, and yet, as creatures to bow before our Maker.
Everything we ask, we ask all in Christ’s dear name, dear to us and dear to you, our Father. And unto the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, be glory everlasting.
Amen.
VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)
“But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)
Be alone; enter into a little room into which no other may intrude; keep out every interloper by shutting the door; and there, and then, with all your heart pour out your supplication. Prayer is mainly to be addressed to God the Father; and always to God as our Father. Pray to your Father who is present there, to your Father who sees you and especially takes note of that which is evidently meant for him only, seeing it is done “in secret,” where no eye can see but his own. If it be indeed to God that we pray, there can be no need for anyone else to be present; for it would hinder rather than help devotion to have a third person for a witness of the heart’s private intercourse with the Lord.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
Christmas Gift Idea for a Teen: Help them Know Their Faith
Teenagers today are living in a really difficult environment. If a teen wants to follow Christ today, he is surrounded every day with a seemingly endless list of objections to the gospel. From evolution to LGBT issues; from racism to God’s sovereignty over suffering, it can be hard to follow Christ in the midst of a hostile world (or a hostile high school!)
A great resource for teens to help them know, understand, and defend their faith is 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin. This book is tackles ten really pressing, important topics with Bible-saturated reasoning and Christ-centered hope.
We should never discourage our teens from asking questions about God or his world — but we should always help them find solid, true, biblical answers to their questions.
10 Questions is a great resource to help your teen follow Christ, and it’s a great Christ-centered Christmas gift. I hope you’ll grab a few copies for teens that you love (in your family or your church).
Buy 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity:
- Amazon (Paperback, Kindle, or audiobook editions)
- ChristianBook.com (Paperback edition)