DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)
O Jesus, we cannot pray as we would, but our hearts are full of bursting with an anxious desire to see men saved. Father, hear our cry. We have one argument that you will hear: It is that Jesus died. Behold we set his bloody sweat before your eye, his flagellations, his piercings on the mount of doom. Remember Jesus, O mighty Father. Look with eyes of love on him, and then with eyes of pity look on us. Can you deny us? Will you not hear us when we have such a plea as this?
O Thou mighty God, we cannot let you go until you bless us. As Jacob laid hold upon the Angel and wrestled with him, so lay we hold upon the Covenant Angel now. We must have a blessing. What shall our hearts do if you do not hear us? Our soul cries to you; out of the depth of our nature we cry unto you. Oh give us this day souls to our ministry, and souls for our hire.
Amen.
VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Here is the gracious invitation of the gospel in which the Savior’s tears and smiles were blended, as in a covenant rainbow of promise. “Come.” He drives none away. He calls them to himself. His favorite word is “come.” Not “go” to Moses but, “Come to me.” To Jesus we must come by a personal trust. Not to doctrine, ordinance, or ministry are we first to come but to the personal Savior.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
Know (and enjoy) the God who gives all grace
Today we prayed that God would hear us — not because of our own goodness, but because of the blood of his Son Jesus Christ. This prayer reminds us that salvation by grace alone is a work of the Triune God alone. We don’t play a part, but each member of the Trinity does.
An excellent book for growing to enjoy the glorious God who gives grace is Experiencing the Trinity: The Grace of God for the People of God by Joe Thorn. This book is fifty, very short devotionals, each covering one aspect of God’s character and salvation. The book is divided into three sections: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, with each devotional reflecting on a different aspect of that person’s glory.
This daily devotional is a breath of fresh air — add it to your daily reading and you will grow your knowledge of God and your love for God. I hope you’ll grab a copy today.