Distracted prayer is a (forgiven) sin

šŸ› Daily Prayer: "How little of our time do we spend in your service. How few are the words that we speak about you, or for you."

Author

SpurgeonBooks
December 09, 2025

Pray with Spurgeon

Daily Newsletter from SpurgeonBooks

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Our Father in heaven, here at your footstool we confess that our hearts are full of evil. We are always going astray from you; and though we have tasted of your love and know something of its constraining power, yet is our soul as full of vanity as a cage that is crowded with unclean birds. Even when we would pray, our distracted thoughts are flying here and there. How little of our time do we spend in your service. How few are the words that we speak about you, or for you. How little is the aroma of Christ upon our garments. How seldom do we rise to God or taste the joy above.

We acknowledge, God, our sins of omission. We have all of us forgotten you and forsaken you, times without number. May you have mercy upon us and blot out all our sins.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

ā€œBut seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.ā€ (Matthew 6:33)

God who gives you heaven will not deny you your bread on the road there. The kingdom of God, and the righteousness suitable to that kingdomā€”seek these first and foremost, and then all that you can possibly need shall be your portion. To promote the reign of Christ, and to practice righteousness, are one object; and may that be the one aim of our lives! Let us spend life on the one thing, and it will be well spent. As for the twenty secondary objects, they also will be ours if we pursue the one thing only.

PRAY FOR THE NATIONS

This week, weā€™re praying for the Manga Kanuri of Nigeria.

The Kanuri are entirely Muslims, blending Islamic teaching with their own traditions and spirituality. They see ā€œMuslimā€ as their identity, making the gospel a potentially threatening message.

Pray that God would soften the hearts of the Kanuri and save them.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

What Your Kids Need in a Distracted World

Letā€™s be honest ā€” our families are pretty distracted.

  • Our kids are distracted. Lured by the false promises of the world and the seeming sweetness of sin, our kids are surrounded by thousands of voices clamoring for their attention every day.

  • Their parents are distracted, too! We have a LOT of goals for our kids, what does it look like to prioritize discipling our kids? (Not to mention a lot to do between work, chauffeuring, and maintaining the home. How can we even find time to disciple our kids?)

As parents, we need help to bring focus for our kidsā€™ spiritual progress. If we donā€™t make a plan to point our kids to Jesus every day, the world and a dozen other priorities will drown it out.

God Centered Family offers parents a realistic roadmap to point their kids to Jesus every day. Subscribers to God Centered Family get a daily family devotional that teaches the entire Bible in just ten minutes each day. This small habit is a great way to bring focus to your family discipleship plans AND help our kids develop listening skills that will help them resist distraction.

In a world full of distractions, kids need the Bible more than anything. Weā€™ll give you everything you need to teach it with confidence.

LAST WORD FROM SPURGEON

ā€œDo not turn away from Jesus; do not dream of going beyond him.ā€ ā€” Charles Spurgeon