DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)
Great God, we long that you would be known to the ends of the earth, that the idols may be utterly abolished. We long that false doctrine may fly like birds of darkness before the light and your coming. Reign in the hearts of our fellow men. Lord, subdue sin, and under your feet let drunkenness, and unchastity, and oppression, and every form of wickedness be put away by the gospel of Jesus Christ and his Holy Spirit.
Amen.
VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)
“Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:8)
God does not need us to pray for his information, for he “knows the things you need,” nor to repeat the prayer over and over for his persuasion, for as our Father he is willing to bless us. Therefore let us not be superstitious and dream that there is virtue in “many words.” In the multitude of words, even in prayer, there wanteth not sin.
Repetitions we may have, but not “vain repetitions.” Counting beads, and reckoning the time occupied in devotion, are both idle things. Christians’ prayers are measured by weight, and not by length. Many of the most prevailing prayers have been as short as they were strong.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
An Advanced Bible Reading Plan
Yesterday, I recommended a great Bible reading plan that anyone can pick up and learn from. For more advanced readers who are looking to really to expand their knowledge of Scripture (and how it fits together) in 2024, I have another plan to recommend. This is the reading plan I’m planning to use in 2024!
God’s Glory in Salvation Through Judgment by Jim Hamilton is a biblical theology that shows how all of Scripture fits together. It’s a massive read (550+ pages), but if we break it out over the course of an entire year, reading this book will be a simple task.
Some folks have put together a reading plan that walks through the whole Bible in a year and pairs the daily Bible reading with the corresponding sections from Hamilton’s book. I was surprised to see that you’ll rarely read more than 3–4 pages from Hamilton each day. Get the printable reading plan here.
I’m really looking forward to using this plan in 2024, and if you’re looking for an advanced Bible reading plan to grow your knowledge of God and his Word, I hope you’ll join me.