DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)
As we have read the charge of your word against that unruly member, the tongue; as we have heard your servant James rebuking our envy and other evil spirits that are within us, we do feel humbled under your hand, and our prayer is, Lord, kill our envy, Lord, help us to command our tongue, grant us grace to be holy: may we be kind and gentle towards our fellow-men, having that fruit of the Spirit, which follows upon purity, even peace. Oh, that we might live for you and not for self. Slay self we pray, gracious God, whenever there is a selfish, angry disposition about us; help us to trample it out, as men put out sparks lest a fire should arise therefrom.
Amen.
VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)
“Now the works of the flesh are obvious… envy” (Galatians 5:19, 21)
Envy is not so much the desire to enrich oneself at another’s expense, as a wolfish craving to impoverish him and pull him down for the mere sake of it. This is a very acrid form of undiluted hate and leaves but one stronger form of hate. To desire another’s dishonor merely from envy of his superiority is simply devilish and is a sort of murder of the man’s best life.
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