DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)
We implore you, Lord, to transform us into your likeness in every aspect. Once, we were focused on doing; now, we are much more concerned with being. We would rather sit with Mary and simply learn, than be burdened with excessive busyness like good Martha. Lord, some of us sometimes feel that we cannot do any more than we already know, or else we would do it; yet now we desire to serve you better.
We pray that we may do so with a pure motive, with a sincere heart, and with deeper devotion to Christ. We not only want to live and work but also to have Christ living within us, and for our lives to be mere tributaries flowing from the mighty river of Christ’s life. Lord, make us like the firstborn among many brethren. He is the true example for the family. Make us like him, O our Father, for the glory of your name.
Amen.
VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)
“You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11–12)
Persecution of the tongue is more common, but not less cruel than that of the hand. Slander is unscrupulous, and indulges in accusations of every kind: “every kind of evil” is a comprehensive phrase. No crime is too base to be laid at the door of the innocent; nor will the persecutor have any hesitation as to the vileness of the charge. The rule seems to be, “Throw plenty of mud, and some of it will stick.”
Under this very grievous trial, good men are to be more than ordinarily happy, for thus are they elevated to the rank of the prophets, upon whom the storm of falsehood beat with tremendous fury. The honor of suffering with the prophets, for the Lord’s sake, is so great, that it may well reconcile us to all that it involves.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
Fight unbelief with the truths of faith
Today we prayed for an end to our unbelief and doubt. Asking questions is not a bad thing — we just need to labor to answer our questions in a faith-filled, biblical way. There ARE answers available for even the toughest questions about the Bible — do you know those answers?
A great resource for being equipped to defend your faith is Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion by Rebecca McLaughlin. This book gives practical, biblical, and winsome answers to some of the world’s most pressing objections to the gospel.
Be equipped to answer questions like “Isn’t Christianity homophobic?” and “How can you say there’s only one true faith?” with Bible-centered wisdom and Christ-centered hope.
Confronting Christianity will bolster your own faith and equip you to be a bold witness for Christ. I hope you’ll buy a copy today and read it this summer.
- Amazon (Hardback, Kindle, or audiobook* editions)
- ChristianBook.com (Paperback or ebook edition)