Spurgeon's Prayers Personalized Taken from the following books: C.H. Spurgeon's Prayers and The Pastor in Prayer and Behold the Throne of Grace Many of these prayers of Spurgeon have been “personalized” by taking the Elizabethan language out and replacing it with contemporary language such as: “Thee” and “thou” replaced with “you”, and “taketh” replaced with take or taken. References like “London” have been replace with “city”. Sometimes sentences have been omitted because they don't have any meaning for today, this is indicated by showing a series of periods (…..) . Spurgeon's Prayers Personalized 2 / 264 Table of Contents C. H. Spurgeon's Prayers .............................................................................................................. 7 Introduction. ............................................................................................................................ 7 CONTENTS. PRAYER .............................................................................................................. 9 PRAYER 1. HELP FROM ON HIGH. ..................................................................................... 10 PRAYER 2. THANKS BE UNTO GOD. .................................................................................. 13 PRAYER 3. THE LOVE WITHOUT MEASURE OR END. .................................................... 16 PRAYER 4. THE ALL-PREVAILING PLEA. .......................................................................... 19 PRAYER 5. TO THE KING ETERNAL. .................................................................................. 22 PRAYER 6. THE WONDERS of CALVARY. .......................................................................... 27 PRAYER 7. “LET ALL THE PEOPLE PRAISE YOU.” ........................................................... 31 PRAYER 8. A PRAYER FOR HOLINESS. ............................................................................. 34 PRAYER 9. GLORIOUS LIBERTY. ........................................................................................ 37 PRAYER 10. THE MUSIC OF PRAISE. ................................................................................. 39 PRAYER 11. UNDER THE BLOOD. ....................................................................................... 42 PRAYER 12. ON HOLY GROUND. ........................................................................................ 45 PRAYER 13. THE WINGS OF PRAYER. ............................................................................... 48 PRAYER 14. “BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL!” .................................................................. 51 PRAYER 15. THE PEACE OF GOD. ....................................................................................... 54 PRAYER 16. HE EVER LIVES. .............................................................................................. 56 PRAYER 17. TO BE LIKE CHRIST. ....................................................................................... 58 PRAYER 18. O, FOR MORE GRACE! .................................................................................... 61 PRAYER 19. GOD'S UNSPEAKABLE GIFT. .......................................................................... 63 PRAYER 20. THE GREAT SACRIFICE. ................................................................................ 67 PRAYER 21. BOLDNESS AT THE THRONE OF GRACE ..................................................... 70 PRAYER 22. THE PRESENCE OF GOD. ............................................................................... 74 PRAYER 23. THE LOOK OF FAITH. ..................................................................................... 78 PRAYER 24. “DELIVER US FROM EVIL.” .......................................................................... 80 PRAYER 25. THE WASHING OF WATER BY THE WORD. Same as XV. ...........................83 PRAYER 26. PRAYER ANSWERED AND UNANSWERED. Compare with xxii ................ 86 THE GOLDEN KEY OF PRAYER. ........................................................................................ 89 1. THE FIRST HEAD IS PRAYER COMMANDED. ..................................................... 89 2. LET US NOW TAKE THE SECOND HEAD — AN ANSWER PROMISED. ............. 92 3. I come to our third point, which I think is full of encouragement to all those who exercise the hallowed art of prayer: ENCOURAGEMENT TO FAITH, ........................ 95 The Pastor in Prayer ................................................................................................................. 101 Editor’s Preface. ...................................................................................................................... 101 I. THE PERSONAL TOUCH. ................................................................................................ 102 II. JESUS INTERCEDING FOR TRANSGRESSORS. ......................................................... 105 III. GOD’S THOUGHTS AND WAYS FAR ABOVE OURS. ................................................. 108 IV. EJACULATORY PRAYER. (New Year) ........................................................................... 113 In Christ. ...................................................................................................................... 116 V. The Day of Salvation. ........................................................................................................ 117 Christ is All ................................................................................................................... 119 VI. SITTING OVER AGAINST THE SEPULCHRE. ............................................................ 120 VII. THE REASON WHY MANY CANNOT FIND REST. .................................................... 124 VIII. THE CONQUEST OF SIN. ........................................................................................... 127 3 / 264 IX. TRUE PRAYER — HEART PRAYER. ............................................................................ 132 X. DISTINCTION AND DIFFERENCE. ............................................................................... 137 XI. TAKE FAST HOLD. ........................................................................................................ 140 The Rock of Our Refuge ............................................................................................... 143 XII. TRUST AND PRAY. ...................................................................................................... 145 XIII. KING AND PRIEST. .................................................................................................... 148 XIV. THE SIN OF MISTRUST OF GOD. .............................................................................. 151 XV. THE FOOT-WASHING. Compare with #25 ................................................................. 154 XVI. THE LIFE LOOK! ......................................................................................................... 157 Alone With You. ............................................................................................................... 160 XVII. REFUGES OF LIES. ................................................................................................... 161 XVIII. “YOUR ADVERSARY.” ............................................................................................. 164 XIX. RISEN WITH CHRIST. ............................................................................................... 167 XX. INTERCESSION FOR THE SAINTS. ........................................................................... 170 XXI. THE SENTENCE OF DEATH IN OURSELVES. ......................................................... 173 XXII. INTERCESSION FOR ONE ANOTHER. Compare with #26 .................................. 177 XXIII. THE DISCIPLE WHOM JESUS LOVED. ................................................................. 181 XXIV. FREE GRACE AND FREE-GIVING. ......................................................................... 184 XXV. AN EVENING PRAYER. ............................................................................................. 187 XXVI. AN EVENING PRAYER. ........................................................................................... 190 KEEP IN MERCY’S WAY. .................................................................................................... 192 Sleep On, Beloved! ....................................................................................................... 193 Behold the Throne of Grace ...................................................................................................... 194 Foreword .............................................................................................................................. 196 Invocations ........................................................................................................................... 198 The Holy Ghost is Here ............................................................................................... 198 God of Our Fathers, and Our God ............................................................................... 198 A Word to the Heart .................................................................................................... 199 A Day of Delightful Remembrance .............................................................................. 199 The Saviour in the Midst ............................................................................................ 200 The Soul's Yearning for God ....................................................................................... 200 Refresh Our Waiting Spirits! ...................................................................................... 200 Complete Prayers ................................................................................................................ 202 Jesu's Presence Delightful .......................................................................................... 202 Sorrowing, yet Always Rejoicing ................................................................................ 202 Mercy's Streams .......................................................................................................... 205 Such Love as Seraphs Know ....................................................................................... 208 Oh, to be Like Christ! .................................................................................................. 209 The Saint's Inalienable Portion ....................................................................................211 Nothing but Jesus! ....................................................................................................... 214 The Blessings of the Justified ...................................................................................... 216 Come Nearer, Nearer, Nearer! .................................................................................... 217 Accepted in the Beloved ...................................................................................................... 220 The Gift Unspeakable ........................................................................................................... 222 A Great God and a Great Company ...................................................................................... 224 Praise at All Times ................................................................................................................ 227 The Blesser and the Blest .................................................................................................... 230 Enrich Us All! ....................................................................................................................... 232 Spurgeon's Prayers Personalized 4 / 264 Always Our Helper ............................................................................................................... 234 Choice Passages from Prayers .................................................................................................. 236 Adoration .............................................................................................................................. 237 Psalm 30 ...................................................................................................................... 237 The Adorable Trinity ................................................................................................... 237 Let All the People Praise You! .................................................................................... 238 Children of Abraham ................................................................................................... 239 The Cross and the Throne ........................................................................................... 239 The Love of the Firstborn ........................................................................................... 240 Looking unto Him ....................................................................................................... 240 Anticipation of Glory .................................................................................................. 240 Thanksgiving ........................................................................................................................ 242 Christ in His People ..................................................................................................... 242 Father, Son and Holy Spirit ......................................................................................... 243 The Blessings of the Covenant .....................................................................................244 Our Supreme Delight ...................................................................................................244 Goodness and Mercy ................................................................................................... 245 "Though He Slay Me, Yet—" ........................................................................................ 245 The Blood-Besprinkled Mercy Seat .............................................................................246 The Lamb Upon the Throne ........................................................................................246 Washed and Made White............................................................................................. 247 Confession ............................................................................................................................249 Ashamed of Jesus! ...................................................................................................... 250 Sin Shall Not Have Dominion .................................................................................... 250 Victory Through the Blood .......................................................................................... 251 The Feast of Jehovah ................................................................................................... 252 Rest and Refreshing ..................................................................................................... 252 Supplication .......................................................................................................................... 254 Early Morning Prayer Meeting .................................................................................... 254 Heal Us, Immanuel!..................................................................................................... 254 Sincere Faith Desired .................................................................................................. 255 A Sigh for Holiness ...................................................................................................... 255 That Christ may be in us! ............................................................................................. 256 Fragrant Fellowship ..................................................................................................... 256 With Christ in the Heavenlies ..................................................................................... 257 Oh, for Newness of Life! .............................................................................................. 258 Go on to Fashion us! .................................................................................................... 258 Conformed to the Image of the Firstborn ................................................................... 258 Grace for Everything .................................................................................................... 259 Through Bondage to Liberty ....................................................................................... 259 Being Rather Than Doing ............................................................................................ 259 For the Reign of Christ .................................................................................................... 260 Up to the High Mountain ................................................................................................ 260 Intercession.................................................................................................................. 261 Psalm 82 ........................................................................................................................... 261 Great Designs of Love ...................................................................................................... 261 Comforted and Made Ready ............................................................................................ 262 5 / 264 The Christless Multitudes ................................................................................................ 262 Delight in the Lord's Day ................................................................................................. 262 Save the People! ............................................................................................................... 263 For All Classes and Conditions of Men ............................................................................ 263 "Today He Rose and Left the Dead" ................................................................................264 The Harvest Season ..........................................................................................................264 End ...............................................................................................................................264 Spurgeon's Prayers Personalized 6 / 262 Spurgeon's Prayers Personalized 6 / 264 7 / 264 C. H. Spurgeon's Prayers Introduction. THE day on which a volume of C. H. Spurgeon's Pulpit Prayers appears is a day to be desired. Many will now rejoice to see that day. Decidedly this selection of the great preacher's prayers supplies a want. Many of us have long hoped for such a volume; and now we welcome it with warm gratitude. Lovers of C. H. Spurgeon will delight in this treasury of devotion. They will not open the book without keen anticipation, and assuredly they will not close it with disappointment. It was memorable to hear this incomparable divine when he preached. It was often even more memorable to hear him pray. Dr. John Cairns, the golden-mouthed preacher and scholar, much as he rejoiced in C. H. Spurgeon's sermons, rejoiced yet more in his prayers. Many can bear a similar witness. Who talked with God as Spurgeon did? His congregational prayers — and I heard many — are always echoing in my grateful heart. They are sweet and luminous, in the memory, as angel-presences. Never did I hear him pray without adoringly saying, “Lord, it is good for us to be here.” How naturally prayer fell from the lips of that great apostle; We felt that he was only doing before the multitude what he was habituated to do in private. Prayer was the instinct of his soul, and the atmosphere of his life. It was his “vital breath” and “native air.” How naturally he inhaled and exhaled it! The greatness of his prayers more and more impresses and delights me. He touched every note. He sped as on eagle's wings, into the Heaven of God. The things that were given him to utter in prayer were often more profound and beautiful than the sayings that left his lips in preaching. This has often been a feature of the greatest ministries. A noble intellect shines with the glory that excels when it is turned towards God. A man of God is frequently at his intellectual best in prayer. Assuredly it was not seldom so with the beloved Pastor. I once heard him speak thus with God: “O Lord, if some of us began to doubt You we should begin to doubt our senses, for You have done such wonderful things for us. You have done more for us than You DID for Thomas. You DID allow Thomas to thrust his finger into Your wounds; but You have often thrust Your finger into our wounds, and healed them.” Did he not speak by the Spirit when he uttered the pathetic and lovely word? His wonderful knowledge of Scripture made his prayers so fresh and edifying. No man can pray with high effect unless he is steeped in Scripture. Mr. Spurgeon lived and moved and had his being in the Word of God. He knew its remoter reaches, its nooks and crannies. Its spirit had entered into his spirit; and when he prayed, the Spirit of God brought all manner of precious oracles to his mind. Then he lived so entirely in the spiritual world that he was ever ready to pray. He had not to school himself at the moment. His pulpit-prayers were not art, but nature. Every prayer was the effluence of a consecrated personality. No liturgy could have restrained him. One could not imagine him making literary preparation for public prayer. The flower gave out its perfume without effort. The urn was ever being filled where the pure waters rise, and so afforded at any moment abundant refreshment. 8 / 262 Spurgeon's Prayers Personalized 8 / 264 The quivering sympathy of Mr. Spurgeon's prayers thrilled all who heard them. You felt the throbbing of that mighty heart. He was royal in his tenderness. Whom did he forget in those powerful pleadings? The faith of this great saint indeed worked by love. His prayers grandly evinced this. How ardent were those incomparable prayers! No hint was there of the dull, slumberous, tedious quality which too often has vitiated pulpit prayer. C. H. Spurgeon was a glowing-hearted “Remembrancer” of God. The warmth of the Baptism of Fire diffused itself throughout his supplications. The prayers at the Tabernacle kindled countless cold hearts. And the English was so delectable. We hesitate to call attention to the intellectual or literary aspect of prayer. Yet why should we? God's honored servant thought and studied so incessantly for God's glory that we reaped an intellectual harvest as well as a spiritual harvest from his devotions. Mr. Spurgeon loved God with his “mind,” and our minds were stimulated when we heard him pray. Let the holy urgency of his prayers be noted. He never lost his importunity. He pleaded for the immediate moment. “Now” was his plea; and verily then and there were we all blessed of God. As a perusal of this volume will reveal, Mr. Spurgeon's prayers were eminently “theological.” It is a warning, well worthy to be heeded, which a devotional master gave, “Beware of an untheological devotion.” The “theological” quality of C, H. Spurgeon's prayers was very notable. How he knew God — the Holy Trinity; Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of men; the blessed Spirit. These noble prayers will be seen to be full of theology. They were the utterances of one who studied God, delighted in God, and walked with God, especially with the God-man. Precious to him beyond compare was the Divine Redeemer. The blood of our redemption was his glory. The atoning cross was all in all to him. I would specially commend the “theological” contents of these prayers, for they are rich with enduring wealth. The sweet and holy memories of the prayers we heard no man takes from us. Many such memories will be aroused in many of the readers of this book. To those who never heard C. H. Spurgeon's glorious voice, these printed prayers will be valuable as suggesting his prophetic power at the Mercy Seat. We covet for this volume a great constituency. Of a truth these prayers are ideals of how men ought to pray. They are calculated to be great inspirations to ministers as they contemplate their congregational prayers. To all Christian workers they will afford real enrichment. For quiet home reading they will be invaluable. I am glad that the publishers have associated with these prayers one of C. H. Spurgeon's delightful and pungent sermons on prayer — an art, of all arts the greatest, in which he was a master indeed. Few could use,. “the golden key of prayer” as he so deftly could. May many be enabled, through grace, by the study of these prayers, to pray more abundantly and more effectually! DINSDALE T. YOUNG. 9 / 264 CONTENTS. PRAYER 1. — HELP FROM ON HIGH 2. — THANKS BE UNTO GOD 3. — THE LOVE WITHOUT MEASURE OR END 4. — THE ALL-PREVAILING PLEA 5. — TO THE KING ETERNAL 6. — THE WONDERS OF CALVARY 7. — “LET ALL THE PEOPLE PRAISE YOU” 8. — A PRAYER FOR HOLINESS 9. — GLORIOUS LIBERTY 10. — THE MUSIC OF PRAISE 11. — UNDER THE BLOOD 12. — ON HOLY GROUND 13. — THE WINGS OF PRAYER 14. — “BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL!” 15. — THE PEACE OF GOD 16. — HE EVER LIVES 17. — TO BE LIKE CHRIST 18. — O, FOR MORE GRACE! 19. — GOD'S UNSPEAKABLE GIFT 20. — THE GREAT SACRIFICE 21. — BOLDNESS AT THE THRONE OF GRACE 22. — THE PRESENCE OF GOD 23. — THE LOOK OF FAITH 24. — “DELIVER US FROM EVIL” 25.. — THE WASHING OF WATER BY THE WORD 26. — PRAYER ANSWERED AND UNANSWERED SERMON — THE GOLDEN KEY OF PRAYER Spurgeon's Prayers Personalized 10 / 262 Spurgeon's Prayers Personalized 10 / 264 PRAYER 1. HELP FROM ON HIGH. O You who are King of kings and Lord of lords, we worship You. “Before Jehovah's awful throne We bow with sacred joy.” We can truly say that we delight in God. There was a time when we feared You, O God, with the fear of bondage. Now we reverence, but we love as much as we reverence. The thought of Your Omnipresence was once horrible to us. We said: “Whither shall we flee from His presence?” and it seemed to make hell itself more dreadful, because we heard a voice, “If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.” But now, O Lord, we desire to find You. Our longing is to feel Your presence, and it is the heaven of heavens that You are there. The sick bed is soft when You are there. The furnace of affliction grows cool when You are there, and the house of prayer when You are present is none other than the house of God, and it is the very gate of heaven. Come near, our Father, come very near to Your children. Some of us are very weak in body and faint in heart. Soon, O God, lay Your right hand upon us and say unto us, “Fear not.” Peradventure, some of us are alike, and the world is attracting us. Come near to kill the influence of the world with Your superior power. Even to worship may not seem easy to some. The dragon seems to pursue them, and floods out of his mouth wash away their devotion. Give to them great wings as of an eagle, that each one may fly away into the place prepared for him, and rest in the presence of God today. Our Father, come and rest Your children now. Take the helmet from our brow, remove from us the weight of our heavy armour for awhile, and may we just have peace, perfect peace, and be at rest. Oh! help us, we pray You, now. As You have already washed Your people in the fountain filled with blood and they are clean, now...wash us from defilement in the water. With the basin..., O Master, wash our feet again. It will greatly refresh; it will prepare us for innermost fellowship with You. So did the priests wash before they went into the holy place. Lord Jesus, take from us now everything that would hinder the closest communion with God. Any wish or desire that might hamper us in prayer remove, we pray You. Any memory of either sorrow or care that might hinder the fixing of our affection wholly on our God, take it away now. What have we to do with idols any more? You have seen and observed us. You know where the difficulty lies. Help us against it, and may we now come boldly, not into the Holy place alone, but into the Holiest of all, where we should not dare to come if our great Lord had not rent the veil, sprinkled the mercy seat with His own blood, and bidden us enter. Now, we have come close up to You, to the light that shines between the wings of the Cherubim, and we speak with You now as a man speaks with his friends. Our God, we are Yours. You are ours. We are now concerned in one business, we are leagued together for one battle. Your battle is our battle, and our fight is Yours. Help us, we pray You. You who strengthened Michael and his angels to cast out the dragon and his angels, help poor flesh and blood that to us also the word may be fulfilled: “The Lord shall bruise Satan under your feet, shortly.”