DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)
Now do we hoist sail and draw up anchor to sail into another year. O blessed pilot of the future as of the past, we are so happy to leave all to you; but in leaving all to you we have one wish, and it is that you would in the next year glorify your name in us more than in any other year of our lives.
Perhaps this may involve deeper trial, but let it be if we can glorify God. Perhaps this may involve the being cast aside from the service that we love; but we would prefer to be laid aside if we could glorify you the better. Perhaps this may involve the ending of all life’s pleasant work and the being taken home—well, your children make no sort of stipulations with their God, but this one prayer ascends from all true hearts this morning, “Father, glorify your name.”
Amen.
VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)
“Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy.” (Matthew 6:9)
“Our Father” is a familiar name, but the words “which art in heaven” suggest the reverence due unto him. Our Father and yet in heaven: in heaven and yet our Father. May his name be treated reverently, and may all that is about him—his Word and his gospel—be regarded with the deepest awe! It is for us so to walk before the Lord in all lowliness, that all shall see that we reverence the character of the thrice-holy One. Then can we truly pray, “Hallowed be thy name”, when we hallow it ourselves.
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Happy New Year!
I’ve been challenging parents to make a commitment to read the Bible to their kids every day this year. Let’s spend a Year in the Word with our families.
No matter how old your kids are, they NEED God’s Word and you CAN create godly habits in their lives.
Parents, you really can do it. You don’t need to have all the answers to start reading with your kids.
To help you, I’ve created some easy-to-use, interactive family devotionals that will give you everything you need to lead your kids to follow Jesus in just ten minutes each day.
Here’s what makes these devotionals unique:
- You will cover every verse of Scripture (not just the popular stories)
- You will train your kids to read the Bible for themselves (not just sit through it)
This year, we’ve been working really hard to make MORE family devotionals (now available for over 40 books of the Bible) and improve our existing family devotionals (like adding a short daily reading to explain how every Old Testament passage points to Jesus).